Propertymark, a trade body, has written to the government advocating for increased housing support to align with current rental prices. The organisation has contacted Baroness Sherlock, Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), following her statement about local authority Crisis and Resilience Fund housing payments.
While Propertymark acknowledges the Crisis and Resilience Fund as a valuable short-term safety net, it argues that one-off payments cannot substitute for adequate Local Housing Allowance (LHA) levels needed to cover ongoing rental expenses. The body is urging the government to restore LHA to at least the 30th percentile of local rents and to update these rates annually to keep pace with the market. Propertymark also suggests considering a move to the 50th percentile when public finances permit.
The trade body has also requested that Baroness Sherlock ensure the DWP publishes data on the Crisis and Resilience Fund's housing payments. This data would clarify application numbers, repeat requests, approvals, refusals, and the amounts paid towards rent, helping to assess if emergency support is reaching those in need and how often the fund covers ongoing gaps between rent and LHA.
Propertymark states that LHA sets the maximum amount many private renters can receive towards their rent through Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. Despite LHA being intended to help people afford homes at the cheaper end of the local market, Propertymark claims that repeated freezes have caused support to fall further behind rising market rents. Research from February 2025 showed that only 2.7% of private rental listings were affordable for housing benefit recipients, a decrease from 12% in 2021-22.