Minister’s Benefits Remarks Refuted

Housing experts have criticised Grant Shapps over comments he made about housing benefit claimants in the wake of the news Newham Council plans to move hundreds of tenants outside the borough.  The housing minister claimed those on benefits ‘cannot have the same choices as working people’.  But 93 per cent of new claims for housing benefit between January 2010 and December 2011 were made by people in work.  Research showing the vast majority of new claimants are in work was published by the Building and Social Housing Foundation last month. Read more on Inside Housing.