Peers press for details on benefits help
The government has come under pressure to publish details of promised transitional arrangements to help people affected by the impact of the proposed total benefits cap.
The government saw off an attempt in the House of Lords on Monday by Labour peers to exempt households from the cap if councils considered they would be threatened with homelessness as a result.
During the debate, Liberal Democrat peers Paddy Ashdown and Michael German called on the government to outline details about ‘transitional support’ promised last March by work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith.
But welfare reform minister Lord David Freud said: ‘Clearly, we need assistance in hard cases,… but that is a second-order issue in terms of trying to work with families to get them back into work. In the bill, we have all the powers that we need to get into the detailed design of the cap and to make sure that those circumstances are picked up.’
Sue Ramsden, policy leader at the National Housing Federation, said the federation would lobby for transitional arrangements.
Crossbench peer Lord Richard Best tabled an amendment calling for a 26-week grace period for households whose benefit exceeds the cap. He said: ‘Without a period of grace, the cap will mean rent can no longer be paid and they [families] are likely to face the prospect of having to leave their current home precipitously.’
He withdrew his amendment after Lord Freud said the government would ‘consider the case’ for a grace period.
Labour peer Baroness Jeannie Drake also withdrew her amendment to exempt family and friend carers from the cap after assurances from Lord Freud.
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Readers' comments (3)
Rick Campbell | 27/01/2012 4:37 am
IDS, he of the two "i"s (two fingers to the poor and needy, more like) is failing to deliver so will, along with his moronic mates, force these despicable measures through Parliament knowing that he and his fellow trousers (who syphon off millions in housing costs from the public purse between them) will be causing suffering and conned the gullible and cowardly.
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F451 | 27/01/2012 10:15 am
Of course Lord Freud will deliver on his promises, like his name and reputation would assure us all of.
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james cunningham | 27/01/2012 5:42 pm
The tories want to take £18 billion away from the poorest in the
country with these benefit cuts,affecting both council and
private tenants........there is nothing transitional about that.
The tories want to move about 2 million households who
they consider to be over housed / over priced, but they
are not assisting those people to find /move home.
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