Propertymark has joined organisations representing tenants, landlords, and other housing providers to call for the UK Government to secure Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of rents and carry out a thorough assessment of the case for raising it to the 50th percentile.

Includes recommendations on how those dependent on welfare support can have better access to the Private Rented Sector (PRS), and how letting agents and landlords can be supported to improve access to the PRS for other vulnerable groups.

The Welsh Government is consulting on ways to improve its Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme after its 2022-23 report revealed relatively low take-up from households that would potentially be entitled to support. The proposals include linking Universal Credit and the CTR scheme to allow proactive identification of eligible residents.

After campaigning over several years, Propertymark welcomes the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee’s recommendations of an annual uprate of working-age benefits and Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

Around 1.6 million private renters are set to receive an uplift to their housing support for 12 months from April 2024, as the UK Government lays legislation to raise Local Housing Allowance (LHA). The increase will benefit some of the poorest families on either Universal Credit or Housing Benefits who will gain around £800 a year on average.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will at last be unfrozen and Universal Credit (UC) will rise under UK Government tax and spending plans announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, MP, today, 22 November 2023. Rate relief and full expensing for businesses are also included.

The Department for Work and Pensions will recommence the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Universal Credit Engagement Group following Propertymark's continued lobbying.

Propertymark has co-signed a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer ahead of the Autumn Budget strongly urging action on static rates of local housing allowance (LHA) and the lack of affordable private rented homes.

With a General Election on the horizon, the UK Government has an opportunity to support landlords, tenants, and property agents with the impact of the cost of living through welfare reform, bring down energy bills by improving the energy efficiency of homes and reducing the tax burden on landlords and investors to tackle the demand the crisis in the private rented sector.

Figures released by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) back up evidence given to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Commons Committee by Propertymark on 28 June 2023. Head of Policy and Campaigns Timothy Douglas warned MPs of vulnerable tenants being priced out of the market.

Timothy Douglas, Propertymark's Head of Policy and Campaigns was invited to give evidence to the Department for Work and Pensions Commons Committee hearing on the current benefit levels in the UK on 28 June 2023. He outlined the impact they are having on the private rented sector.

£150 million of UK-wide funding has been announced for local authorities to support Ukrainian families in sustainable accommodation in the private rented sector, help them get jobs and continue sponsorship.

The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry to help inform current and future UK Government thinking on the adequacy of benefits and is also looking at the relationship between social security and the labour market.

Members and supporters of the Homes for all Cymru coalition have called for an end to the freeze at the Spring Budget on 15 March 2023.

Concentrating on three core themes to drive the housing sector forward, Propertymark has called on the UK Government to improve welfare to support vulnerable and low waged tenants, provide energy efficiency grants to support landlords and homeowners to achieve Net Zero and repeal Section 24 to reintroduce Mortgage Interest Relief and other tax deductibles for landlords.

Propertymark are feeding into the UK Government at a range of levels on different issues. In a current industry roundtable on refugee access to the Private Rented Sector (PRS) we are discussing key issues for those in the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme.