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Morning Briefing: 6,400 disabled people wrongly miss out on benefit
Thousands of disabled people wrongly have benefits removed, Edinburgh named the UK city with highest rent growth, and all of your other housing news
Around 4,600 disabled people wrongly lost access to benefit payments last year after missing an assessment, the BBC reports today.
These people had lost out of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is given to those who need help for long-term illnesses but is only given after an assessment is made.
However, a new review by the government has now discovered that these people were wrongly denied PIP payments and will now be paid again moving forward, as well as receive back pay for the money they missed out on.
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Local news site Edinburgh Live writes that the Scottish capital has the fastest growing rents in the UK.
The figures taken from a review of national rents by buy-to-let mortgage company Landbay, found that Edinburgh was highest in the country, with rents increasing by 4.63% over the past 12 months.
On the day that The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act comes in, The Guardian has a piece about a resident in Surrey who is being kicked out of her flat after making complaints about mould in her house.
The resident was evicted by her landlord through a legal no-fault eviction – or Section 21 – despite paying her rent on time for 12 years.
The new law brought in yesterday will allow private and social tenants to take landlords to court if their property falls below standards.
Inside Housing’s story on the bill can be found here.
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott writes in The Independent about the state of housing for asylum seekers.
Ms Abbott argues that the decision by governments to repeatedly hand asylum seeker housing contracts to private contractors has led to the fall in standards of housing for people which have a legal right to be in the country.
Scottish local authority South Ayrshire Council has unveiled plans to significantly increase the number of homes it builds over the next three years.
Scottish Housing News reports that the council aims to build 1,000 new affordable homes in the region over the next three years, and this will be part-funded by the £62.5m it was given as part of the strategic housing investment plan.
On social
Financial Times columnist Sarah O’Connor responded to James Brokenshire’s comments on homelessness yesterday:
I see the UK housing minister says the rise in homelessness is due to factors like drugs & family breakdown. I’m afraid that’s flat-out wrong (just look at the data). t.co/YibJQX9Wtb pic.twitter.com/Ned7acxdNd
— Sarah O’Connor (@sarahoconnor_)I see the UK housing minister says the rise in homelessness is due to factors like drugs & family breakdown. I'm afraid that's flat-out wrong (just look at the data). https://t.co/YibJQX9Wtb pic.twitter.com/Ned7acxdNd
— Sarah O'Connor (@sarahoconnor_) December 20, 2018
Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton, reacted to the Office for National Statistics figures on homeless deaths in the UK:
It’s an absolute scandal that nearly 600 people died homeless last year in world’s 5th richest country. @TBIJ has found 15 died in #Brighton.
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas)
Their deaths are consequence of a Tory ideology that punishes poverty.
A decent Govt would build social housing & support those in need. t.co/WyOkEGhWtbIt's an absolute scandal that nearly 600 people died homeless last year in world's 5th richest country. @TBIJ has found 15 died in #Brighton.
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) December 20, 2018
Their deaths are consequence of a Tory ideology that punishes poverty.
A decent Govt would build social housing & support those in need. https://t.co/WyOkEGhWtb
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