Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published early findings from the evaluation of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS).
The RSRS was brought into effect on 1 April 2013. It entailed a reduction in Housing Benefit for working age social housing tenants whose properties have more rooms than it is deemed that they need.
The evaluation is being led by Ipsos and the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research (CCHPR) and being carried out between 2013 and 2015. The evaluation assesses the impact of the RSRS on landlords, local authority services and on claimants.
Much of the initial work is designed to provide a ‘baseline’ measure ahead of follow up work among relevant audiences. The evaluation will continue to monitor the impact of the RSRS in its next round of fieldwork in 2014, with a final report to be published during 2015.
Ipsos conducted a face-to-face survey among 1,502 Housing Benefit claimants identified in the May 2013 Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE). A random sample of affected and non-affected claimants at the time of the extract was selected from 15 case study areas in England, Wales and Scotland.
Ipsos interviewed 100 claimants face-to-face in their homes in each area. Sampling and quotas were structured to achieve interviews with claimants pre-identified as ‘affected’ in a 70:30 ratio of affected to non-affected claimants at both local and aggregate levels.
Fieldwork for the survey was conducted between 1 October and 24 November 2013 inclusive. Results were weighted to the respective profiles of affected and non-affected claimants as per the May 2013 SHBE extract across the 15 case study areas.
Ipsos also conducted qualitative depth interviews with 30 claimants affected by RSRS who were interviewed in the face-to-face survey. Interviews were conducted in November and December 2013.
CCHPR conducted a number of surveys as part of the evaluation, including:
A survey of all major social landlords throughout Britain between October and November 2013, to which 312 replied
Case study work in ten local authority areas, including qualitative face-to-face interviews with local authority staff and telephone interviews with relevant local agencies
Interviews with eight of the major lenders to the Housing Association sector.
Findings from the DWP’s local authority (LA) Insights survey were also used as part of the evaluation.
Please see the full interim report for further detail about the survey methodology.
