Threat to Refuges

In a letter to The Times, the charity Women’s Aid states its belief that draft universal credit regulations will make the provision of refuges for domestic violence victims more difficult and lead to them being closed.  The regulations only list three types of charge eligible to be covered by housing benefit. Housing sector figures have warned this could lead to around 13 different types of charges no longer being eligible for benefit. These include the maintenance of communal gardens, fire safety equipment, communal heating, lighting, lifts, door entry systems, children’s play areas, white goods, furniture and rubbish collection. Women’s Aid said: ‘These charges are necessary for the provision of refuge accommodation.’ The charity added that the measures are ‘likely to result in the closure of refuges that are financially unsustainable due to barriers to the receipt of rent.’  Women’s Aid called for women in refuges to be exempt from the £26,000 a year benefit cap, for payments of housing benefit to be made direct to the refuge and for housing benefit to pay the whole running costs of refuges. Read the full letter on the Women’s Aid website.