Lords Seek To Block Housing Benefit Cuts

Peers will tonight (24 January) debate whether to scrap the government’s housing benefit cuts. Lord Knight of Weymouth, a Labour peer, has applied to annul the secondary legislation, introduced in December, which will bring in a number of the cuts to housing benefit. An attempt to annul the legislation by his colleagues in the House of Commons failed last month. Independent peer Lord Best has also tabled a motion that the government carry out an independent review of the effects of the housing benefit cuts. Those on the Conservative benches have launched an offensive against the motion. Lord Fallon, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, pointed to research showing that someone on average earnings would have to work for 27 years before their tax payments covered the housing benefit that some families receive in the current system. Read more on Inside Housing.