Cross-party committee seeks alternative housing benefit plans for London
Lib Dem deputy to create benefit reform plan
The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats is drawing up alternatives to the government’s plans to reform housing benefit because of his concern about their impact in London.
Simon Hughes is taking part in cross-party meetings with Labour MP Karen Buck and Tory MP Mark Field.
Mr Hughes said: ‘We have to come up with alternatives that help with the cost and are positive about encouraging people back into work.
‘The idea is to work across parties just to see if we can get an agreement as to how we might proceed in London and if we can persuade the government to work out a way that does not cause big difficulties.’
The trio hopes to develop ideas in discussion with London councils and other MPs, which they will then present to the Department for Work and Pensions.
The reforms will place a cap on how much local housing allowance is paid and change the way it is calculated. Charities have estimated this could put nearly a million people at risk of debt, arrears and homelessness.
Richard Blakeway, housing advisor to the mayor of London, said Boris Johnson was broadly supportive of the MPs’ committee, but ‘it is right that the mayor has discussions directly with ministers’.
Mr Blakeway said the mayor would lobby for direct payments to landlords in return for lower rents, an exemption from the caps for claimants who had jobs locally or whose children were in local schools, or who were at risk of being made homeless.
Mr Johnson will also ask that the increased budget for discretionary housing payment, which covers shortfalls between housing benefit and rents, will be focused on London.
The Social Security Advisory Committee, made up of civil servants in the DWP, is inviting responses from organisations and individuals interested in the impact of the changes.
Prime minister David Cameron announced this week that the government intends to draft in credit referencing agencies to tackle benefit fraud.
Inside Housing’s What’s the Benefit? campaign for fairer reforms to the housing benefit bill - had attracted 973 signatures to its petition at the time of going to press.
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Readers' comments (9)
Chris | 13/08/2010 9:20 am
Is my Hughes finally beginning a leadership campaign?
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Joe Halewood | 13/08/2010 9:27 am
So ONLY its impact in or on London Simon Hughes?
There appears to be an iverse correlation between integrity and thought and getting into power - the former goes what the latter occurs
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michael barratt | 13/08/2010 10:31 am
Mr Hughes contribution is welcome but not as welcome as would be Mr Clegg's statement on the issue of secure tenancies both on behalf of the Liberal Party and as Deputy leader of the Government - Where do you stand?
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Melvin Bone | 13/08/2010 12:28 pm
Is this all about London?
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gordon thompson | 13/08/2010 1:23 pm
If the Libs disagree with the Cons they should withdraw from the coalition and force another election. The current government has no mandate (no one at all voted for them or their manifesto or programme) so we should be given a choice (Call me Dave's favourate word). And I seem to recall Toff Dave slating Gordon Brown for not having a mandate! Priceless.
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Jack Davies | 13/08/2010 1:53 pm
Yes its all about London - well why change the habit of any housing policy post-war?_ and its all about the caps isnt it because thats all these reforms propose!
They dont propose targetting single parents, pensioners, thoe on JSA, every other claimant with 30th percentile move do they!!!!
On re-reading the comments above it seems clear that SH is JUST looking for an exception or change for London from the caps and the caps alone. This is quite disgraceful!!!
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Alpha One | 18/08/2010 11:49 am
If it's so much of a problem for London, let them raise their own taxes to pay for the additional burden, why should the rest of the Country fund large rents in London?
HB can't go on the way it is, it can't be seen as an alternative to working in a job.
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Harry Lime | 18/08/2010 12:01 pm
Alpha, to go down that road would be very dangerous, If I was a Londoner I'd say the financial institutions are only here because of London, ergo the tax take from these should be ringfenced for London. I know the irony that the financial institutions are at the heart of all that's gone wrong, but that's another matter.
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Sidney Webb | 18/08/2010 1:10 pm
Alpha - I suggest that you research the taxation of the people of Poplar, and how local poor relief became a national disaster the could only be corrected through national taxation and rate support.
You may be amazed just how quickly we are heading back to those failed times simply because people forget history.
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