Liberal Democrat peers have called for there to be no fresh welfare cuts before the next general election.
Peers yesterday debated the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill, which will cap increases in a number of benefits at 1 per cent rather than the level of inflation as is currently the case.
'Vulnerable' claimants will get personalised help with their Universal Credit claims, and some may even continue to see their housing benefits paid directly to their landlords, ministers have confirmed today.
Split payments between different household members could also be considered.
Plans to cut housing benefit from households if a young adult member of the family is seeking work could increase homelessness, charities have warned.
Government proposals being voted on today could result in an £800 annual cut from housing benefit paid to parents or guardians with a young person aged under 25 who is living at home and seeking work. Current rules make a deduction only if the young person is in employment.
For the first time since the 1960's there are more people in England renting from private landlords than from councils or housing associations.
The English Housing Survey for 2011-12 shows that the rising number of private tenants, 3.84 million, outnumbered the 3.8 million in social housing.
The number of households with children in the private rented sector has increased by 103 per cent in the past 10 years, according to a report from a research charity.
Families with children in higher income households were the group with the greatest proportional rise in the Building and Social Housing Foundation’s analysis of data from a variety of sources.
The four boroughs forced to trial a £500-a-week benefit cap will spend their whole share of an emergency hardship fund within five months unless they move people to cheaper areas or obtain more funding.
Research by London Councils for Inside Housing reveals the four London boroughs unexpectedly having to trial the government’s £26,000-a-year benefit cap could spend their share of the pot before their peers are affected at all.
Private rents in England are rising by almost £300 a year despite government assurances that welfare reforms would drive down the cost of renting, a study has found.
Analysis of Valuation Office Agency data by housing charity Shelter has shown rents rose an average of 2.8 per cent from 2011 to 2012, with some areas seeing increases of more than 14 per cent. The 2.8 per cent rise is equivalent to £297 on average, in a year when average wages did not rise.
Landlords who refuse to comply with requests to improve their properties should be charged a £400 admin bill when orders are made against them. These would include improvement notices, prohibition orders and management orders.
The proposal is from Southend Council, which is set to incorporate it into next year’s budget.
Housing minister Mark Prisk has dismissed Labour’s proposals for a national register of landlords to improve standards in the private rented sector.
In response to the proposal in shadow housing minister Jack Dromey’s opposition day motion on Wednesday, Mr Prisk said such a register would be ‘both toothless and highly expensive’.
A million people living in social housing could struggle with their rent and end up in debt as a result of the Government’s welfare shakeup, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has warned.
A NHF-commissioned report by Ipsos MORI and the University of Cambridge found that most housing associations fear a significant rise in rent arrears and believe their residents have little or no idea how the welfare changes - which are being rolled-out later this year – will affect them.