Struggles of Benefit Recipients 'Must Be Told'

Housing professionals must focus on telling the ‘personal’ and ‘deeply emotional’ experiences of people receiving housing benefit if they are to alter the prevailing negative public perception of housing support. A report by the Fabian Society for homelessness charity Crisis, found that despite antipathy towards the £23 billion housing benefit bill being ‘deeply ingrained’ and not helped by frequently ‘toxic’ media coverage, polling data shows public attitudes can be altered.  Although the study found that people were initially more convinced by arguments against as opposed to in favour of spending on housing benefit, it also emerged that 63 per cent of people felt poverty was ‘caused by forces beyond the control of the individual’. The poll also found that two-thirds of respondents agreed that the government should focus on tackling unemployment, low wages and rising rents, rather than planning further spending cuts.  Download a copy of the report from the Fabian Society website.