Court Hears DWP Failed Race Equality Duties

The Department for Work and Pensions failed to have regard to race equality duties when implementing benefit reforms, the High Court has heard. The charity Child Poverty Action Group is challenging the legality of the national cap on housing allowance payments made to private rented sector tenants and a restriction preventing payments exceeding the cost of renting a four bedroom home. CPAG has asked for the measures, which came into effect in April, to be quashed by a court order. CPAG believes the four-bedroom rule has a disproportionate effect on black and minority ethnic families. It believes the DWP did not take the appropriate steps to gather enough information about the impact on BME families to inform its decision. CPAG believes DWP failed to have due regard to the general equality duties under the Race Relations Act. CPAG also argues that the caps to local housing allowance will increase homelessness in high rental market areas, contradicting the purpose of the benefit, which the charity is intended to be a national scheme. Read more on Inside Housing.