The Residential Landlords Association has welcomed the Government’s decision to review the impact of paying housing benefits directly to tenants.

The RLA has been fighting moves to change the benefits system. The Government wants the housing element of the new universal credit to be paid directly to private tenants unless a tenant is deemed vulnerable.

However, the Government has now announced that there will be an official review of the six demonstration project areas that it chooses to test direct payments to tenants.

The review will be reviewed by a team led by Professor Paul Hickman from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.

The review was announced by welfare reform minister Lord Freud following a debate on an amendment tabled by crossbencher Lord Best calling for all tenants to be given a choice over who receives their housing benefit.

Alan Ward, RLA chairman, said: “It seems remarkable that the Government has so far denied tenants the ability to choose how their housing benefit is paid.

“While the RLA will continue, along with groups representing tenants, social housing providers and mortgage lenders, to champion the rights of tenants to choose, we welcome the minister’s decision to establish a review of direct payments.”