Housing Benefits Cuts Are Too Rushed, Say Critics of Government Plans

The government will publish its full equality impact assessment of controversial cuts to housing benefit on the day it changes the law on welfare payments later this month – sparking claims that ministers are attempting to "bury bad news". Critics of the housing benefit cuts have argued that ministers are guilty of rushing through the changes without first ensuring they have a full understanding of how the reforms will hit vulnerable groups. Although the Department for Work and Pensions did publish an "equality impact assessment" of proposed housing benefit changes in July, it said data was not available to reveal if there was a risk of discrimination to ethnic minorities or whether working households would lose out. Yet London councils have already been making this information available. Hackney says that of the 32 claimants living in five-bedroom properties who would lose £1,200 a month, "94% (31) are from the [orthodox] Charedi Jewish community". The National Housing Federation said that the guidance issued by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission states that it is "crucial that the equality impact assessment starts at the beginning of the policy making or review". NHF chief executive David Orr said: "It is clear the government is rushing through the cuts to housing benefit without first assessing the devastating impact they will have on the most vulnerable." Read more on The Guardian website.