Benefit cap to force families from temporary homes

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

Charity wins fight to take government to court over benefit reforms

The government will be forced to fight for its controversial housing benefit reforms in court, after a child poverty charity won the right to challenge their legality.

Freud rejects change to calculation of cap

Welfare reform minister Lord Freud has indicated the government is not willing to change the way the proposed £500 a week cap on benefits for workless households is calculated- but has promised measures to ‘ease the transition’ for families.

Out of reach

Housing staff are being urged to keep a closer eye on vulnerable children as benefit caps threaten to uproot their families. Keith Cooper reports

Side effects

Casting the net for a home

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

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

Missing contractual targets

Housing benefit caps could put landlords providing rent collection services at financial risk says, David Isaacson, director at Cobbetts

Calling in the movers

The ‘bedroom tax’ is meant to encourage tenants to downsize if they are under-occupying their homes. But, especially in the north of England, social landlords say there are simply not enough smaller houses and flats to move tenants into.

Get your Act together

With a host of legal acts coming into effect this year and next, Caroline Thorpe helps you to learn your lines so you can take to the housing stage with confidence