Universal Credit Inquiry

The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into the economics of Universal Credit. The committee will examine whether Universal Credit is meeting its original objectives and whether the policy assumptions reflected in its design are appropriate for different groups of claimants. It will also examine the extent to which Universal Credit meets the needs of claimants in today’s labour market and changing world of work. Read more on the RLA website.

https://news.rla.org.uk/today-in-politics-universal-credit-inquiry-and-rla-research/

Govt Offers “Timid” Response To Lords Committee’s Housing Report

A House of Lords committee has branded the Government’s response to a housing report “inadequate” and even “timid”. In July, the Lords’ Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) published its report ‘Building More Homes’, which criticised the Government’s target of one million new homes by 2020 as inadequate. Furthermore, it said that the level of house building required to meet the housing crisis could not be met by the private sector alone. The committee called on the Government to free local authorities to build more homes for rent and to move away from its focus on subsidising home ownership and do more to support people to rent affordably. Now the response to that report has itself been described as "inadequate to deal with the scale of the crises in the housing market" by Lord Hollick, the EAC’s chair. Read more on Housing Excellence.

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Thangam Debbonaire:  To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the report of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, Building More Homes, HL 20, published on 15 July 2016, for what reasons there is a limit on the amount local authorities can borrow to invest in building houses.

Gavin Barwell: The borrowing caps were introduced as part of the Housing Revenue Account self financing settlement, which entailed a once and for all rebalancing of housing debt. There are no plans to lift the caps, which are part of the government's strategy to manage the overall level of public debt. Local authorities do have the capacity to borrow to build new homes, there is nearly

£3.4 billion headroom available nationally and £2.9 billion in reserves. 

Inquiry Launched Into Low-Cost Housing

A Westminster inquiry has been launched into the effectiveness of government policies aimed at delivering low cost housing. The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has appealed for written evidence, including personal testimony, on measures to tackle the shortage of affordable homes to buy and rent. Policy areas to be examined include measures for increasing the supply of social housing and homes for affordable private rent. The committee will also look at the issue of supply, proposed changes to the planning system and the potential impact of a rent cap in the private sector. Read more on the Parliament website.