Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

The direct payment pilot (for housing benefit) has been extended.

The Department for Work and Pension has extended pilot schemes testing the direct payment of housing benefit to tenants in order to assess the impact of the bedroom tax.

The six schemes that are assessing the effect of direct payment under universal credit will now run until the end of the year.

The government has extended the pilot period as it needs to understand what measures are needed to ensure that rent gets paid.

The payment rates for the first four months of the scheme varied between the pilots from 91% to 97%.