Government Extends Fixed-Term Tenancies For Disabled

Councils will be able to grant longer tenancies of up to 10 years to people with disabilities, a peer speaking on behalf of the government has announced.The Housing and Planning Bill will phase out lifetime council tenancies and replace them with tenancies of up to five years.Under the proposals, councils would have to grant tenancies to new tenants of between two and five years. However, Baroness Natalie Evans, government whip, told the House of Lords that the government would bring forward amendments to extend the maximum tenancy period to 10 years in “certain circumstances”. Baroness Evans said that the government would ensure this includes people with disabilities. More detail is expected in further readings of the bill. Read more on Inside Housing.

Council Ends Bedroom Tax Support for Vast Majority of Tenants

A council has ended financial assistance for the vast majority of tenants hit by welfare cuts after spending most of its fund to provide emergency support. In documents assessing its financial performance, West Lancashire Council revealed discretionary housing payments (DHP) had ‘ceased for existing claimants’ in November. The move is the first known instance of a council halting DHP payments for most existing affected tenants. The Conservative-led council said it is now ensuring remaining funding is being ‘targeted to those who require it most’. It is understood this means funds are allocated to support disabled tenants living in adapted properties, with the majority of other claimants going without. Read more on Inside Housing.

Tribunal Ruling Blow to Bedroom Tax Tenants

The vast majority of appeals against the bedroom tax on discrimination grounds are now likely to fail following a landmark tribunal ruling. An upper tier tribunal – which is binding on other British courts – ruled last month that all first-tier tribunals must follow a High Court ruling in favour of the bedroom tax, which means more than 100 current claims against the policy are unlikely to succeed.

The tribunal ruled in favour of the government’s policy against a disabled Inverclyde housing association tenant and concluded that all courts must follow a High Court ruling that the bedroom tax was not a breach of the European Convention of Human Rights because, although it was discriminatory against disabled people, it was justified because it was government policy. Read more on Inside Housing.

Bedroom Tax Will Waste £234MILLION If Disabled Tenants Forced To Move

Taxpayers will see an estimated £234million wasted if the Bedroom Tax forces disabled tenants to move from special homes. That is nearly HALF the £500million the Government hoped to save this year with the hated rules. Minister for Disabled People Esther McVey admitted: “We ­estimate around 35,000 claimants affected by removal of spare room subsidy live in significantly adapted accommodation.” An average of £6,700 has already been spent on making their homes suitable. If they have to move to smaller properties even more cash will have to be spent adapting those. Read more on the Sunday People website.

Housing Benefit Removal Regulations Upheld By Judges

It is lawful to discriminate against tenants with disabilities by removing their housing benefit if their home is left unoccupied for more than a year, top judges have ruled. Three tenants with mental health issues challenged regulations which say benefits will be withdrawn if their properties are left unoccupied for more than 52 weeks. They all had their benefits stopped under the regulations when they were detained in hospital as a result of their conditions. Their case was first rejected in the Upper Tier Tribunal when judges ruled that while the regulations did discriminate, the discrimination was justified. Read more on Inside Housing.