There can be no doubt that the current system needs reform and fails to meet the needs of many low-income families who dip in and out of temporary work. I recently met a couple in their 50s, who are constituents. The husband works in the construction industry and as a result of the downturn found himself taking a succession of short term jobs to make ends meet. The housing benefit system is ill equipped to deal with workers in this position and their changes in income, and as a result the family found themselves with thousands of pounds of housing benefit and council tax benefit arrears and everything else spiralling out of control. This is not an unusual case. However, the ConDem government’s aim is not to support families in this situation; its measures will simply push families and the most vulnerable in our society into poverty, debt and unemployment.
One long-term solution to tackle the housing benefit budget is to increase investment in social housing. London MPs have rightly spoken out about the consequences for their constituents in the capital, but there still remains big pressure on social housing in the north east of England where local people have little option but to look to the private sector and its higher rents. The Labour government latterly did more to address this and invest in social housing, but we underestimated the importance of housing which led to people in traditionally Labour areas such as mine feeling cut adrift. However, the ConDem government have no regard to investing in social housing and the cuts to the Homes and Communities Agency underline this.
The ConDem government focus on extreme examples to justify their swingeing cuts and to garner public support. We cannot support such cases, but neither can we allow cuts across the board on this basis. Often overlooked in the debate on housing benefit is that the majority of housing benefit recipients are low income families, pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.
Shelter estimate that only one in eight housing benefit recipients are unemployed. But for those who have been out of work for more than a year and are claiming jobseekers’ allowance – their housing benefit will be cut by 10 per cent. This will not incentivise work, it will only serve to push people into poverty and drive up homelessness at a time when jobs are hard to come by. The National Housing Federation estimates that 200,000 people will be made homeless as a result of these changes – looking for work will be impossible for those without a secure home. Local councils will see spiralling costs as they are forced to accommodate families in unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation and their housing departments will struggle to deal with the increase in people coming to them.
We must oppose these rushed, punitive and divisive measures that threaten misery across the country. I am confident that we can defeat these proposals and protect the low paid and vulnerable people across the country that rely on housing benefit.
An excellent article Bridget. It is no wonder that the ConDems are preparing for food parcels in preparation for the record numbers of homeless and hungry that will result from their own policies.
What will happen to disabled people
(1) who have an extra room for an occasional carer?
(2) who have an extra room for the disability gadgets or because it was the only wheelchair accessible Council property that they were ever offered?
I needed a wheelchair from the 1970s, was finally given an accessible property last year – but it is two-bedroomed and so now, apparently, I am threatened with homelessness or being forced into residential care. There is no hope that I can pay market rent in this part of London as it would be much higher than OAP even with disability.
But is there really the political will to fight this horrendous policy? Since the initial announcement by government, I’ve heard all too little about this issue in the mainstream media. I am part of a family of four in inner London, currently in receipt of Housing Benefit. If it comes to pass, this policy will leave us out of pocket by more than £200 a week, forcing us to the outskirts and perhaps out of our home city altogether. The worst aspect of this most typical of Conservative policies is the 10% reduction in Housing Benefit for those who have been on ESA for more than a year…. what on earth is that meant to achieve, other than simply kicking people who are already down?! I am dismayed that people seem to focus only on the small number of worst case scenarios; they don’t consider that there might be people who are genuinely looking for work but are unable to find suitable employment. This issue has been tormenting me for weeks now; to me it is pure madness, but the popular press and sensationalist media have persuaded the ingnorant majority in society to get right behind this one. Hence my original question… is there really the political will to fight this?