Millions At Risk Of Losing Their Home

Soaring rents and a post-Brexit rise in unemployment could create a ‘toxic cocktail’ for millions of working renters because of large gaps in the housing benefit ‘safety net’, according to ‘Renters At Risk’, a new report by Royal London. The report found millions of workers renters could find that housing benefit would not cover the full cost of their rent in the event of losing their job. Based on the Government’s 2013/14 Family Resources Survey, the report found 5.5 million working renters would be at risk of losing their home due to gaps in the housing benefit ‘safety net’, up from 2 million in 2003/04. Download the report from the Royal London website.

MPs Call For Action Over 'Unfair' DHP Criteria

The DWP “must address” local Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) criteria which have “unintentionally and unfairly excluded” disabled people from financial support, a parliamentary committee has concluded. The Work and Pensions select committee report concludes time-limited DHPs are “inadequate protection” for people the government “did not intend” welfare reforms to affect. The report states this applies to parents or guardians who care full-time for their severely disabled grown-up children and therefore cannot work, and cannot find any suitable cheaper accommodation, and yet are currently subject to the bedroom tax. The report warned that “expansion of local discretion…has given rise to concerns about the coverage and adequacy of the safety net.” Download a copy of the report from the Parliament website.

Scrapping Welfare Assistance Funding ‘An Expensive Mistake'

The removal of government funding for local welfare ‘safety net' schemes in April would be an expensive mistake which could put thousands at greater risk of losing their homes and cost the public purse hundreds of millions of pounds, councils are warning. New analysis by the Local Government Association shows that local welfare schemes have helped support 94,000 people at direct risk of becoming or remaining homeless per year. Councils are warning that when government withdraws its £172 million annual funding for these schemes, vital support which has helped people avoid eviction will no longer be available for tens of thousands in many areas. Read more on the LGA website.