Morning Briefing: fears over Universal Credit roll-out

In the news

A backbench revolt over the roll-out of Universal Credit is in the wind, according to The Times. The paper reports that six MPs are writing to work and pensions secretary David Gauke, urging him to delay plans to speed up the roll-out from five Jobcentres a month to 50.

The MPs are concerned about reports which show a spike in arrears following the move to Universal Credit, which sees benefits, including housing benefit, merged into a single payment and paid to the tenant.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reports on analysis commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) showing low income families will be £50 worse off by the end of the decade due to a combination of government cuts to benefits.

In other news, Carol Matthews, deputy chair of Homes for the North, has written for Politics Home about how many homes the region needs, ahead of a parliamentary reception on Wednesday.

“Upcoming independent research indicates that the housing deficit in the North is reaching crisis point,” she writes.

“Thriving cities like Manchester and Leeds are in particularly dire need with projected demand expected to soar over the next decade. Increasingly, people are even being priced out of renting and buying due to a lack of available housing. The North will never compete with the South economically if this housing shortfall isn’t tackled.”

On social media

The LGA research in The Guardian has got people talking:

When is the #ukhousing sector going to really challenge govt on their shameful policies? t.co/ib3WCyHjoN

— Tom Murtha (@tomemurtha)

When is the #ukhousing sector going to really challenge govt on their shameful policies? https://t.co/ib3WCyHjoN

— Tom Murtha (@tomemurtha) September 10, 2017

Stark warning from the @LGANews that the LHA freeze is pushing people into homelessness. t.co/JgmENumLZW

— Kate Webb (@KateBWebb)

Stark warning from the @LGANews that the LHA freeze is pushing people into homelessness. https://t.co/JgmENumLZW

— Kate Webb (@KateBWebb) September 10, 2017

What’s on

The Times reports that Labour will seek to force the Conservatives into a commons statement over Universal Credit, but there is nothing in the parliamentary calendar on this as yet. The session begins at 2.30pm.