Social Housing (Under-occupancy) – Parliamentary Oral Answer

Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab): What assessment he has made of the availability of accommodation for those who downsize as a result of the new under-occupancy rules for social housing. 

Don Foster: I am sure that the 278,000 families in overcrowded social housing will welcome the increased availability of larger homes, given that some 390,000 families under-occupy their properties by two bedrooms or more.

Kerry McCarthy: According to the Department’s own impact assessment, more than 660,000 housing benefit claimants will be affected by these changes. It is ridiculous to assume that they will be able to find the money out of their own pockets, given all the other cuts that are being introduced. They will be forced to lose their homes. What assessment has the Minister made of the availability of smaller accommodation? Will those people not just be pushed into expensive private sector accommodation, meaning that the housing benefit bill will go up?

Mr Foster: I have already pointed out that a large number of properties are currently under-occupied.