Benefit reform to split London borough

Welfare reform calendar 2011 – 2013

The Welfare Reform Bill is about to receive royal assent and will radically alter the benefits system. Now the government has beaten the Lords, Carl Brown explains why it is important that landlords prepare for the changes

Pushed out

Changes to the shared accommodation rate will force thousands of vulnerable people out of their one-bedroom flats and into houseshares. Emily Rogers investigates the impact

Money on the move

The introduction of a universal credit has left landlords wondering if benefits will bypass them and leave rent unpaid, says Jules Birch

At crisis point

As waiting lists get longer, councils are increasingly dependent on emergency accommodation to house people. But as one tenant tells Carl Brown, life can be hell for the residents.

Doubts by the dozen

Going spare

The government’s contentious ‘bedroom tax’ on under-occupying tenants is set to become law this month. Alex Turner looks at the disproportionate effect it’s likely to have in the north

Open-door policy

Allowing private landlords to validate local housing allowance claims can help councils simplify their procedures and cut their housing waiting lists. Neil Merrick heads to Derbyshire to find out how

Casting the net for a home

A website aimed solely at local housing allowance claimants is helping people find homes. Lydia Stockdale logs on

How to...

Social landlords can play a big role in improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s homes. But they must lobby hard to ensure ministers understand that they will need support to do so, says Martin Wheatley

A force for good

Council housing self financing has begun, but what will the new era bring? Steve Partridge examines the possibilities