Bedroom tax beaten – for now

Crossbench Peer, Lord Richard Best, tabled amendments which more accurately reflect the reality of people’s everyday lives.  Peers voted 258 to 190 in favour of limiting the penalties to tenants with more than one ‘spare’ room.  This is in line with the definition of under-occupation currently used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in England and the Housing Executive and housing associations in Northern Ireland.

The House of Commons will decide in the New Year whether to accept the amendment and NIFHA will be urging all local representatives to support Lord Best’s amendments

At present the coalition Government plans to introduce new rules on ‘under-occupation’ in social housing.  Across the UK some 670,000 tenants on housing benefit could see a cut in their support of around £670 a year from April 2013 onwards if they have a room above the minimum currently proposed by the coalition Government.  If Lord Best’s amendments are agreed back in the Commons the number affected would drop to about 150,000.

NIFHA’s Chief Executive, Chris Williamson, commented:

“This proposed welfare reform fails to recognise the many socially beneficial uses housing association tenants make of rooms that would be deemed ‘spare’.  These are uses the rest of us take for granted – such as allowing teenage children their own space to do homework, a place for relatives or carers to stay when an elderly householder is unwell or a bedroom for foster children. 

“If these proposals are agreed they will push thousands of people in Northern Ireland living in social housing into financial hardship or out of their homes - causing considerable disruption to families and communities.  This is why we will be urging all Northern Ireland MPs to vote in favour of Lord Best’s more reasonable definition of ‘under-occupation’ when the draft legislation is reconsidered by the House of Commons in January.”

People in Northern Ireland would see a cut in their benefit with no prospect of being able to move to a smaller social rented home, since as a matter of public policy, there are relatively few one-bedroom properties in the social rented sector here.  The Federation believes that people in rural areas may have to move miles away to find a smaller home and those who move to the private rented sector may well face a higher rent (which, paradoxically, would probably increase the government’s housing benefit bill).

Ends

Further Information
Chris Williamson
Chief Executive
T: 028 9023 0446 

NOTES TO EDITORS

About NIFHA and our members

• NIFHA represents, promotes and supports housing associations in Northern Ireland.
• There are 31 registered Housing Associations in NI, all of which are members of NIFHA and a further six non registered associations are also members.
• Housing associations manage nearly 36,000 units of accommodation - over a quarter of all social housing in NI.
• Since 1998 housing associations have provided virtually all new social housing in NI.
• In the financial year 2010-11 housing associations achieved a record 2,418 starts. 
• Collectively, since 1991 housing associations have taken out over £626.2million of private finance to assist with social house building. 
• 21,000 households in NI have been assisted with purchasing their own homes through Co-ownership. In the financial year 2010-11 Co-ownership had 492 in contract to purchase and 121 homes where clients stair-cased to full ownership.