Committee Attacks Housing Benefit Reforms

The Public Accounts Committee has concluded that the government's housing benefit reforms have not been properly thought through.  Must damning of all, the Committee found that there is a risk that the introduction of direct payments of housing benefit to tenants living in social housing could lead to an increase in rent arrears and evictions. The report reads: "Housing associations are increasing their bad debt provision and concerns are being expressed that homelessness could increase."  The Committee's chair, Margaret Hodge MP, said that the DWP cannot "accurately predict the effects of its housing benefit changes either on individuals or on the housing supply". Download a copy of the report from the Parliament website.