The impact of changes to the Local Housing Allowance in the private rented sector: The response of tenants

This document describes an evaluation of the changes to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) system and its impact on tenants in the private rented sector in Great Britain. The policy, revised post-2010 General Election, aimed to cut Housing Benefit costs and promote fairness. Employing a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews across 19 local authorities, the study found that tenant awareness of the changes was low, with varied responses ranging from negotiating lower rents to increased rent arrears and financial hardship. The local housing market context played a significant role in tenant experiences. The evaluation also explored tenant demographics, mobility, and the challenges faced in finding suitable housing, particularly in high-demand areas like Inner London. Results showed that while some tenants left the scheme for employment, others struggled with rent affordability and landlord discrimination. The main conclusions indicate that the LHA changes have had mixed effects on tenants, with some managing to find satisfactory new accommodations or negotiate rent, while others faced significant difficulties, including financial hardship and challenges in securing suitable housing. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Work and Pensions
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation
• Impact methods: Generic research method
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: July 2014

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Links to published evaluations (DEBUGGING): No final report link found.
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes