MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for
Housing, commenting on the Prime Minister’s
announcement that the Government will no longer cap housing
benefit for social housing tenants at the local housing allowance
rate, said:
“Once again, Labour is winning the arguments and making the
running on Government policy.
“Ahead of our opposition day debate later today, the Government
has given ground, but the devil will be in the detail – and the
funding.
“Labour will continue to press the Government to protect the
long-term future and funding of supported housing.”
Ends
Notes to editors
- · Ahead
of Labour’s opposition day debate in the House of Commons later
today the Prime Minister said at Prime Minister’s Questions that
“we will not apply the local housing allowance cap to supported
housing”. However, there is no detail on what the future funding
arrangements for supported housing will be.
- · Labour
have led the challenge to expose and oppose the Conservative’s
changes to funding for supported housing which put thousands of
schemes at risk by capping housing benefit payments at the lower
private rented sector ‘local housing allowance’ rate. first exposed the devastating
effect these changes could have on supported housing in
December 2015: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35173650.
-
· Labour’s
opposition day debate on the future of supported housing will be
held today from around 4pm, until 7pm.
-
· Labour’s
motion reads: “This House calls on the government to halt its
current plans to cap help with housing costs for tenants of
supported housing at the local housing allowance rate, and to
adopt instead a system which safeguards the long-term future and
funding of supported housing, building on the recommendations of
the joint Communities and Local Government and Work and Pensions
Select Committees inquiry into the future of supported housing.”
