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Morning Briefing: Rudd hints benefits freeze may be scrapped next year
The potential scrapping of the government’s benefit freeze, Sheffield Council’s plans to invest £400m in council homes, and shipping container housing
In the news
Pensions secretary Amber Rudd has hinted that the benefits freeze that is currently costing families hundreds of pounds a year may be scrapped next year, The Guardian reports.
The paper focuses on an interview Ms Rudd carried out with Sky News in which she said that while it was the right policy when it was introduced in 2015, it would come to an end next year and she didn’t expect it to be renewed.
The freeze, which was introduced as a two-year policy in 2015 and then extended by three years, affects benefits including tax credits, child benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, and part of employment and support allowance. It has been estimated to cost households between £200 and £300 a year.
The Times also focuses on the pensions secretary, previewing a speech today by Ms Rudd in which she will outline new plans affecting the two-child limit on Universal Credit payments.
The new plan will drop what would have seen the two-child cap applied to families who had their children before the cap was even announced.
The pensions secretary has also written an op-ed for the paper, in which she explains that Universal Credit has been a “force for good for many people” and has allowed many people to overcome the barriers to employment.
Regeneration magazine New Start runs a piece outlining Sheffield Council’s plan to invest more than £400m in its council homes over the next five years.
The council will also use the money to help reduce rents for more than 39,000 council tenants across the city and build 1,600 new homes.
The BBC has a story about an affordable housing campaigner converting old shipping containers into new homes.
Robin Howell, who has converted two shipping containers in Bridgwater in Somerset into homes, wants to persuade local authorities that shipping containers are an effective way of boosting supply.
On social
Former National Housing Federation chair David Orr lets us in on what he has been up to after his “retirement” – and not a saxophone in sight…
My ‘retired’ life is fascinating. Spent yesterday with senior team of @Clarion_Group. They are clear about the nature of the challenge but, like HAs everywhere, absolutely committed to delivering great services and new homes. #UKhousing
— David Orr (@DavidOrrCBE)My ‘retired’ life is fascinating. Spent yesterday with senior team of @Clarion_Group. They are clear about the nature of the challenge but, like HAs everywhere, absolutely committed to delivering great services and new homes. #UKhousing
— David Orr (@DavidOrrCBE) January 11, 2019
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