Research and analysis

Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy evaluation: final report

This report presents findings from the evaluation of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS) in Housing Benefit.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
17 December 2015

Documents

Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy: final report

Ref: ISBN 978 1 911003 14 4, RR913

PDF, 1.66 MB, 169 pages

Summary: Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy: final report

PDF, 254 KB, 5 pages

Details

Since April 2013 there have been new rules in Housing Benefit for working-age people living in social housing. This is referred to as the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy.

The objectives of this report are to evaluate:

  • how local authorities and social landlords prepared for and implemented the new rules
  • whether the new rules led to more people moving within the social housing sector resulting in more effective use of housing stock
  • whether the new rules led to more people in work, working increased hours or earning increased incomes
  • the effects of the new rules on, and responses to them of:
    • Housing Benefit claimants
    • social landlords
    • local authorities
    • voluntary and statutory organisations and advice services
    • funders lending to social landlords

We published an interim evaluation report in July 2014.

Authors: Anna Clarke, Lewis Hill, Ben Marshall, Michael Oxley, Isabella Pereira, Eleanor Thompson and Peter Williams (Ipsos MORI and the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research)

Published 17 December 2015

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