Critical Lack Of Mental Health Services For Rough Sleeper

There is a critical lack of mental health services for Britain’s rough-sleeping homeless population, according to a new report from the charity St Mungo’s. To compile its report, the homelessness charity submitted Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to health and local authority commissioners in 111 areas. They were selected on the basis of having 10 or more rough sleepers on any one night. The aim was to identify the services providing mental health assessment, support and treatment for adults sleeping rough.  The report, ‘Stop the Scandal: the case for action on mental health and rough sleeping’, claims that over two thirds (68% of these areas fail to commission specialist mental health services. Read more on the St Mungo’s website.

Healey Demands ONS Publish HAs Advice

Labour’s shadow housing minister has called for advice to ministers on the independence of housing associations to be made public. The Office of National Statistics is reviewing whether housing associations should be included in the national public accounts for borrowing and debt. John Healey has written directly to the Office of National Statistics calling for them to make public their assessment on the finances and the impact of the Housing and Planning Bill to end uncertainty for the sector. The NHF has raised concern that if its members’ accounts are included in national audit data, they would effectively cease to be charities and would be nationalised by the government. Read more on 24dash.

Homelessness – Parliamentary Written Answer

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Homelessness Prevention Grant; and what his future plans are for this policy.

Mr Marcus Jones: Our £500 million investment in local authority and voluntary sector homelessness services has contributed to local authorities preventing 935,800 households from becoming homeless since 2010. Together with other Departments, we are considering the overall level of funding for local government through the Spending Review.

Half of Homeless Teenagers Turned Away By Councils

Councils are flouting the law by turning away half of the homeless teenagers who ask them for help. In its report on teenage homelessness The Children’s Society found that only half of homeless 16- and 17-year-olds who asked councils for help received an assessment, even though they have a legal obligation to provide this. Based on responses from 259 councils, the charity also found that just one in five 16- and 17-year-olds who presented themselves as homeless were accommodated. Additionally, only one in five councils offers advocacy support to young people who present themselves as homeless. Read more on the Children & Young People Now website.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing- Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 724W, on housing benefit: social rented housing, for what reasons his Department has determined that a longer time frame than one year is required to assess the effects of the under-occupancy penalty on rent arrears in the social rented sector. 

Esther McVey: Rent arrears can have multiple causes and levels tend to fluctuate over time. Analysis of monthly, quarterly or even a single year of arrears is insufficient to reliably remove these normal fluctuations, driven by both seasonal and general economic trends, and to determine whether and to what extent the removal of the spare room subsidy has impacted on rent arrears levels.

Housing Benefit: Disability – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons his Department's guidance to local authorities on assessing applications for discretionary housing payments, gave discretion to authorities to take account of applicants' entitlement to disability living allowance.

Steve Webb: The regulations covering discretionary housing payments (DHPs) are The Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001. These regulations allow local authorities to ask for information relating to a claimant's circumstances and income, including entitlement to DLA, as appropriate to enable them to make a decision on a DHP application. DWP guidance states that local authorities may wish to consider the purpose of the claimant's income, and where appropriate can decide to disregard income from disability related benefits as they are intended to be used to help pay for the extra costs of disability. In addition local authorities may like to bear in mind that such money might be committed to other liabilities for which the money was intended.  Local authorities have a duty to act fairly, reasonably and consistently. Each case must be decided on its own merits, and decisions should be consistent throughout the year. However, if a claimant is refused DHP, they could ask the local authority for the decision to be reviewed.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much expenditure by his Department on information technology for universal credit has been written off to date.

Mr Hoban: The Department regularly reviews the value of its IT. Any impairments to these assets are disclosed in the annual accounts. There were no impairments in the accounts for 2011-12; the accounts for 2012-13 will be published shortly.

The Green Deal – How It Works

Even the companies involved in the green deal find it hard to explain how it will work. Here are some of the hoops needed to be jumped: to enter the scheme, you need a green-deal assessor who works for a green-deal adviser organisation to undertake a green-deal assessment of your house, which will result in a green-deal advisory report. This will be lodged with a green-deal provider who will devise a green-deal plan. The work will then be undertaken by a green-deal installer to standards overseen by the new green-deal oversight body.  Read more on the Guardian website.

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the New Homes Bonus in incentivising communities to accept developments; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Prisk: The New Homes Bonus is a powerful, simple, transparent and permanent incentive for local authorities and communities to increase their aspirations for housing growth. Since its inception the New Homes Bonus has totalled nearly £1.3 billion. As New Homes Bonus is an un-ringfenced grant, local authorities decide how to spend the Bonus, since we believe they are in the best position to make decisions about local priorities. As set out in the published Impact Assessment of the scheme, the Government is committed to the success of the New Homes Bonus. We will formally consider the impact of the scheme in 2013-14.

Only Five Homes Sign Up For Green Deal

Only five households have had a Green Deal assessment since they became available in October last year.  While the government’s flagship Green Deal scheme doesn’t formally launch until 28 January the legal framework came into place in October 2012 making it possible for consumers to receive Green Deal assessments ahead of the scheme’s launch. However, only five have been completed and entered onto the government’s register of Green Deal assessments.  Read more on the Building website.