Government Hiding Behind ‘Meaningless’ Definitions Of Affordable Housing

Government is hiding behind “frankly meaningless” definitions of affordable housing and inflated housebuilding stats to avoid the hard realities of the housing crisis, the Commons has heard. Members debating the future for the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) heard Labour’s Liam Byrne say of his Birmingham constituency: “I am not prepared to live in a city where we have cranes in the sky, but homeless people dying in the doorways – we need an emergency response to this moral emergency.” During the debate, DWP minister Will Quince surprised some in saying discretionary housing payments were “not necessarily” temporary. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/government-hiding-behind-meaningless-definitions-of-affordable-housing/

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households he estimates will claim universal credit by 2017.

Esther McVey: Approximately 8 million households are estimated to be claiming universal credit by the end of 2017.

Universal Credit 'Rescue Committee' To Be Set Up

Labour will set up a universal credit ‘rescue committee’, Liam Byrne has announced.  Mr Byrne said: ‘When the welfare state was started its big idea was to minimise disruption to earnings. Now our task is different – it is to maximise potential of earnings. That is why we need universal credit to work, so if the government won’t act to save it we will. The Tories’ system may prove dead on arrival, so we need a better way, so today we announce our universal credit rescue committee.’ Read more on Inside Housing.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date the new rollout plan for universal credit will be published.

Mr Hoban: Officials continue to work on the development of the plans to successfully deliver universal credit by 2017. Ministers will outline the longer term UC implementation plans in the autumn.

Universal Credit Project Riddled With Problems

The National Audit Office said universal credit, the £2.4bn project meant to consolidate six welfare payments into one, has been beset by "weak management, ineffective control and poor governance".  Ministers have already written off £34m wasted on failed IT programmes for the project run by the Department for Work and Pensions and may be forced to delay its national launch beyond 2017, the NAO says.  The report was seized upon by Labour as evidence that Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, has covered up significant problems that could put welfare claimants and their families at risk. Liam Byrne, the shadow work and pension secretary, described universal credit as a "Titanic-sized IT disaster". Download a copy of the report from the NAO website.

Welfare Overhaul Is In Serious Trouble

The government's welfare overhaul is in "serious trouble" and is costing the taxpayer "up to £1.5bn", says Labour.  Liam Byrne said he hoped Universal Credit could be saved and suggested Labour would work with the government to "get things straight". But he said failures on that project, employment schemes and housing benefit changes had run up the welfare bill.  Mr Byrne levelled a personal attack at cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith, suggesting: "There seems to be something very wrong in the mind of the man at the helm of DWP. He has a mandate to reform but the instruction to deliver appears to have got lost somewhere in his office." Read more on the BBC website.

Councils 'Unable To Help People Affected By Bedroom Tax'

A Birmingham MP has revealed that local councils are unable to help 96 per cent of people affected by the bedroom tax due to a major shortage of available housing.  Freedom of Information Act inquiries by Liam Byrne revealed that 99,079 families living in 26 council areas have seen their housing benefit cut as a result of having a spare room in their council or housing association property.  Labour Party figures revealed that there are just 3,803 one and two-bedrooms homes for them to move into. Liam Byrne who is Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “This hated bedroom tax is forcing vulnerable people to food banks and loan sharks and there is now a serious danger is could end up costing Britain more than it saves as tenants are forced to go homeless or move into the expensive private rented sector.”Read more on the Birmingham Post website.

Duncan Smith Accused of 'Living on a Different Planet'

Iain Duncan Smith has been accused of "living on a different planet" after hailing the controversial bedroom tax "a success" in a House of Commons debate.  During an exchange with his Labour counterpart Liam Byrne, the Work and Pensions Secretary said the policy was "shining a light on the previous government's failure" to address the rising housing benefit bill and tackle overcrowding. Duncan Smith told fellow MPs: "It is proving a success, because what it is doing is finally shining a light on the previous government’s failure to sort out the mess in social housing, with the housing benefit bill doubling in 10 years and set to rise by another £5 billion.”

Homes 'Standing Empty' Because Of Bedroom Tax

The shadow work and pensions secretary has claimed homes are being left empty because of the bedroom tax, and called for the controversial policy to be axed.  Liam Byrne said three-bedroom homes ‘in places like the north east’ are being left vacant because the under-occupation penalty means families on housing benefit cannot afford the rent.  Addressing Iain Duncan Smith, he said: ‘There are now 53,000 households being put up in temporary accommodation, which is costing the taxpayer billions of pounds.  When will he admit the truth: the hated bedroom tax now costs more than it saved? It is time to scrap it, and scrap it for good.’  Mr Duncan Smith said councils have received funding for discretionary housing payments, which can be used to help families hit by the government’s welfare reforms, including the bedroom tax.  Read more on Inside Housing.

Universal Credit: Major Benefits Shake-Up Begins

A massive shake-up in the UK benefits system has begun, with the first claims made for new universal credit payments.  It is designed to simplify the welfare system by bringing a number of benefits together and reducing fraud and error. Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said "The truth is the scheme is late, over budget, the IT system appears to be falling apart and even DWP ministers admit they haven't got a clue what is going on."  But speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Mr Duncan Smith defended the new system, saying "it's quicker, it's more accurate and it's easier to understand", and said the slow pace of the roll-out was designed to "get it right, not get it early".  Read more on the BBC website.

Labour's Plan to Switch Cash from Housing Benefit to Build Homes

A radical plan to divert billions of pounds from housing benefit into a major housebuilding scheme are being drawn up by Labour. Liam Byrne signalled the policy in an exclusive interview with the Standard. The Labour moderniser said that ballooning sums of taxpayer money paid in rent subsidies could be better spent on “increasing the amount of homes there are for people to go to. Billions are spent with private landlords yet we ask nothing in return. We are spending £24 billion on housing benefit but hardly building any houses. No wonder rents are soaring. We simply cannot go on like this.” Labour aims to set out welfare reform plans later this year, Mr Byrne said. He also pledged to stop massive social security liabilities being handed down to future generations. Read more on the Evening Standard website.

IDS Benefits Claim Attacked

Labour has branded the Government's record on unemployment "a totem of incompetence", as Iain Duncan Smith claims that one million people capable of working are stuck on benefits.  The Work and Pensions Secretary is to release new figures showing the number of long-term claimants of unemployment and other benefit payments.  Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne derided what he called "Iain Duncan Smith’s new strategy for the long-term unemployed: blame the unemployed".  Mr Byrne said: "In a sea of failure this government’s record on long-term unemployment is a totem of incompetence. The number of people out for work for more than two years has doubled in the last year, now a staggering four times higher than in 2010."  Read more on the Politics Home website.

Labour to Scrap Direct Payment to Tenants

A future Labour government would reverse the coalition’s policy of direct payment of housing benefit to tenants, according to the shadow work and pensions minister. In an exclusive interview with Inside Housing, Liam Byrne said that housing benefit should be paid directly to landlords if tenants opt not to receive it direct. ‘If tenants so choose, money should go direct to the housing association or council,’ Mr Byrne confirmed. Read more on Inside Housing.

Universal Credit Benefits System 'In Meltdown', Claims Labour

Labour has claimed that the government's universal credit plans have hit serious problems and that work on the £500m IT delivery contract has been halted and hundreds of IT staff stepped down.  The DWP denied the claim and said the new head of the universal credit (UC) delivery system was in discussions with contractors.  Labour says senior sources among the five firms working on the IT contract have said work has been stopped. Although claims about IT difficulties have dogged the introduction of UC for nearly a year, the shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne, is convinced a huge new problem has emerged and is airing his concerns ahead of a debate on in the Commons on Wednesday.  His office says the DWP has made clear to the major contractors that hundreds of staff are no longer needed.  There have been suggestions from some ministers that work might be taken in-house as a result of the discussions.  Read more on the Guardian website.

Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people with terminal illnesses will be excluded from the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: People with terminal illnesses will not be exempt from the under-occupancy charge.  We have trebled funding for discretionary housing payments to £155 million for 2013-14. Local authorities will be free to provide discretionary housing payments in cases where they believe that this is warranted.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of foster carers affected by the social sector under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: We estimate that there are fewer than 5,000 claimants who are foster carers who could potentially be affected by the under occupancy measure.  An additional £5 million has been added to discretionary housing payments specifically to support foster carers affected by this measure.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many working-age benefit and credit recipients will be on universal credit by 2017.

Mr Hoban: We anticipate that all working age benefit and tax credit recipients who are entitled to universal credit will have been migrated onto universal credit by the end of 2017. On current projections this means that around 8 million households will be in receipt of universal credit by 2017.

Housing Benefit (DHP) – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much discretionary housing payment funding has been allocated, by local authority, in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Steve Webb: The Department is currently in discussions with Local Authority Associations regarding the methodology for allocating discretionary housing payment funding in 2013-14. Once this is finalised, local authorities will be notified of their individual allocation.  Discussions regarding the allocation of this funding for 2014-15 will begin in summer 2013.

Row over Council Tax Benefit Risks Derailing Universal Credit Mantra

The “lunacy” of leaving council tax benefit out of the Government’s flagship Universal Credit came out in the wash during an opposition day debate on the Government’s benefit reform.  Universal Credit will replace six income-based benefits, including housing benefit, but not council tax benefit which gave some Labour MPs serious concern that the “making work pay mantra” of Universal Credit could be rendered inaccurate.  The debate was opened by shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne who said that whether someone is better off in work or on benefits will depend on where they live. East Ham MP Stephen Timms then dealt the hammer blow when he revealed that some local authorities were proposing to add a 40p in the pound taper on council tax benefit on top of the 65p taper for Universal Credit.  “Under that approach, people who earn more would get less because they would lose more benefit than they would gain in income,” he said.  Read more of the debate on the Parliament website.

IDS Urged To Come Clean On 'Secret Business Case' Behind Universal Credit

Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith says the Government has "absolutely nothing to hide" around the cost of implementing Universal Credit amid concern from Labour that it is concealing hidden costs. In a Commons exchange, Labour's Liam Byrne asked Mr Duncan Smith if there is something he's trying to hide after highlighting two estimates around the cost of implementing the reform.  Mr Byrne said: "When Universal Credit is fully rolled out in 2017, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) says that the extra costs will be £3.1bn. The Treasury in its budget says that the price must be no more than £2.5bn. With whose estimate does the Secretary of State agree?"  He continued: "The secretary of state must accept, as I am sure many in the House do, that an extra £600m will have a huge impact on whether people will be better off in work or on benefits. The Treasury clearly believes there is a state of chaos around Universal Credit, as do the Cabinet Office and No. 10. Surely it is time he tells the House exactly what is going on, and sets before us the business case that he is trying to keep secret from us. Is there something he is trying to hide?"  Read more on 24dash.