I have received significant correspondence from constituents about the Housing Benefit Taper Rate.

I note the concerns on this topic, the Government should always aim to reward hard work. We need to ensure there is a safety net to protect the most vulnerable in our communities, however, the best way to make sure that resources can be generously allocated to those who need them most is by encouraging the fit and able into the workplace.

Disappointingly the Government’s recently published welfare Bill fails to start addressing the causes of worklessness and introducing new ways of getting claimants back into work. With 2.3 million claimants of Housing Benefit (May 2024), the relationship between Housing Benefit and employment must be so that recipients are not discouraged from re-entering the workplace out of fear of substantial changes to the support available to them. I look forward to seeing how the Government addresses this issue within the Department for Work and Pensions; and constituents can rest assured that I will do what I can to support measures that promote employment as a route to a better quality of life.

We need a welfare system that provides a sustainable lifestyle for families that they can continue themselves when back at work. Hopefully, this will re-energise individuals to take on new challenges and opportunities and encourage ambition.