Labour has accused Iain Duncan Smith of making changes to the housing benefit system without having a proper grasp of the facts. The allegation came after the Work and Pensions Secretary was forced to clarify claims that the private marketplace in housing fell by around 5% while local housing allowance rates rose by 3%. Mr Duncan Smith claimed he was quoting the Office for National Statistics data for last year when the figures actually came from the Find a Property website and were a snapshot between November 2008 and February 2010. In a similar gaffe, Mr Duncan Smith claimed expenditure on housing benefit increased by 50% in the last five years when in fact the rise took place over the last decade. Mr Duncan Smith also confirmed the amount set aside for discretionary housing payments to supplement those who need the extra funds had tripled - despite a claim by Housing Minister Grant Shapps saying the sum had increased 14 times. Read more on 24dash.
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