Housing Benefit to Be Targeted In Osborne's Welfare Cuts

Housing benefit could be cut by over 10% in George Osborne's July Budget as the government attempts to deliver its commitment to reduce welfare spending by £12 billion in two years. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the pledge to protect child benefit from the social security cuts means HB, along with tax credits and disability/incapacity benefits, would "most likely" take the biggest hit.  Carl Emmerson, IFS deputy director, explained: "Cuts of this scale amount to almost 10% of unprotected benefits. Finding such a reduction without cutting child benefit would mean that even more significant cuts would likely be required to spending on one or more of tax credits, housing benefit and disability & incapacity benefits." Read more on 24dash.