Over 87,000 households in Yorkshire to lose out in housing benefit

 

Over 87,000 households in Yorkshire to lose out in housing benefit

The Coalition’s cuts to housing benefits will mean that 87, 310 households across Yorkshire will lose out on £468 per year.

The proposed cuts, due to come into force in April 2011, include:

• the restriction of the bedroom entitlement to four bedroom rates;
• capping the amount that can be claimed under local housing allowance (LHA) at between £250 and £400 a week (depending on property size); and
• removing a £15 a week excess payment for tenants who find a good deal on rents.

Jon Trickett said:

Cuts to the local housing allowance will hit almost everyone in private rented housing on the benefit and will have the greatest impact on the poorest and most vulnerable families. The Government’s own figures show that it will affect nearly one million households nationally.

These changes to housing benefit will put increased pressure on local authorities for emergency housing as people will literally be driven out of their homes. Not only this, but private landlords will undoubtedly be less willing to rent to people on these reduced benefits.

The Government has conducted no assessment of what impact this will have on the poorest families and individuals and have confirmed that they will move people out of their homes, regardless of whether they are offered alternative accommodation.

Almost half of all housing benefit claimants receive less in housing benefit than they pay in rent and of the 6.5 million claimants across the country, the Government estimates that 3.9 million of them live in poverty. These are the last people in the world that should be suffering cuts to their income.