Ministers have been accused of "burying" a document that makes a damning assessment of how plans to cut housing benefit will hit families. The report, written by civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions and published on its website, warns of a risk that schooling will be disrupted, homelessness will rise and more people will face overcrowding. It says local authorities may have to build "temporary classrooms" to house children whose families have been forced to move to cheaper accommodation, and suggests overcrowding could "hamper" young people doing their homework. The report estimates that more than 930,000 households will be hit by the measures, which include reducing the level at which housing benefit is paid, introducing a cap and cutting the amount given to people who have been out of work for more than a year. About 450,000 will be families with children. The assessment follows huge controversy over the plans, which critics say will drive poor people out of their homes, particularly in inner cities. Read more on The Observer website.
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