Labour's Plan to Switch Cash from Housing Benefit to Build Homes

A radical plan to divert billions of pounds from housing benefit into a major housebuilding scheme are being drawn up by Labour. Liam Byrne signalled the policy in an exclusive interview with the Standard. The Labour moderniser said that ballooning sums of taxpayer money paid in rent subsidies could be better spent on “increasing the amount of homes there are for people to go to. Billions are spent with private landlords yet we ask nothing in return. We are spending £24 billion on housing benefit but hardly building any houses. No wonder rents are soaring. We simply cannot go on like this.” Labour aims to set out welfare reform plans later this year, Mr Byrne said. He also pledged to stop massive social security liabilities being handed down to future generations. Read more on the Evening Standard website.