DWP Central Freedom of Information Team

Our Ref: VTR113

24 February 2009

Dear Ms Burnip

Freedom of Information Request - VTR 113

I am writing in response to your request for information, made under the Freedom of Information Act, about the disability impact assessment in relation to the Local Housing Allowance regulations, which we received on 24 January.

Prior to rolling out Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in April 2008 a formal Disability Impact Assessment was not carried out. However, a full Regulatory Impact Assessment was undertaken as part of the Welfare Reform Bill which received royal assent in 2007. The LHA is subject to a review over the first two years of its operation. The equality impacts of the scheme, including on disabled groups, will be monitored within the scope of this review, subject to any limitations of the available data.

I include a link to the Regulatory Impact Assessment in connection with the Welfare Reform Bill 2006 which you may find helpful:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/docs/WelfareReformRIA.pdf

If you are not satisfied with my handling of your request please tell me why. I will then arrange for an internal review of your request and my actions. The review will be conducted by another officer of a more senior grade to me who took no part in my original decision. The reviewing officer will advise you of his decision in writing.

If you are still not satisfied after we have looked at your request again, you can then ask the Information Commissioner to look into the way your request has been handled. The Commissioner is an independent officer who is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen and reports directly to Parliament. The Commissioner can see all the papers about your request and decide whether my decision is fair and meets the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.

The Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Fax: 01625 524 510

E-mail: http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team