Supported exempt accommodation (England)
An overview of the regulation of supported exempt accommodation and calls for increased oversight, improved funding, and better standards of support provision.

The Department for Work and Pensions made a series of changes to the social security system in response to the pandemic. Most have now been withdrawn.
Coronavirus: Withdrawing crisis social security measures (504 KB , PDF)
Many policy issues touched upon in this briefing are fast-moving areas which are subject to change. This paper should be read as correct at the date of publication (26 October 2021).
The coronavirus pandemic, and the public health response, has had dramatic effects on the UK economy. In the spring of 2020, the effect on household finances prompted the Government to make changes to how the benefits system worked, alongside introducing other measures such as the Treasury-run Coronavirus Job Retention “furlough” Scheme. These changes were wide ranging and included:
As the spring 2020 surge in benefit claims slowed from the summer of 2020, some measures began to be withdrawn. Others were extended, often repeatedly, along with the Treasury-run support schemes, into the autumn of 2021. By this time, most domestic public health measures had been lifted.
As of October 2021, only a small number of the benefit measures introduced in response to the pandemic remain fully in place, with no plans announced for their withdrawal. Those which look likely to leave a longer-term mark on the benefits system beyond the pandemic include:
Most rule changes introduced to the benefits system through regulations have been withdrawn. However, one provision affecting Universal Credit claims remains in place. This allows Universal Credit claims which have been reduced to nil because of high income, to be reinstated without making a new claim, or a reclaim, for up to six months. There has been no announcement to withdraw this.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is now managing a significantly higher number of benefit claimants than it anticipated before the crisis, and has introduced a ‘Plan for Jobs’ which aims to help people get back into work and prevent long term unemployment.
This briefing looks at the expected process of withdrawing crisis social security measures. It is split into three parts:
Section 1: Changes to social security during the crisis, which summarises changes made in spring 2020, and the extensions and withdrawals of these measures.
Section 2: Reopening and plans for recovery discusses the DWP’s plans for recovery from the crisis, both in summer 2020 after the initial surge in claims receded, and in the longer term.
Section 3: Details of changes and expected withdrawal dates, outlines major changes to social security made during the crisis, expected withdrawal dates, and current status.
We cover developing policy, so the contents of this paper will be updated periodically.
Coronavirus: Withdrawing crisis social security measures (504 KB , PDF)
An overview of the regulation of supported exempt accommodation and calls for increased oversight, improved funding, and better standards of support provision.
This paper tracks the evolving impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the labour market.
Evidence of impact since the two-child limit was introduced in April 2017.