A Liverpool-based housing association is asking tenants to sign forms that say they accept they will be hit with legal action if they don’t pay their rent as a result of the ‘bedroom tax’.
One Vision Housing has sent out documents to 2,900 of its tenants who will be hit by the under-occupation penalty asking that they return them signed, and with a counter signature by a witness.
The national roll-out of the benefit cap will begin on 15th July, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced today.
Ministers have opted for a phased roll-out of the controversial policy, with benefit cap pilots to start in Bromley, Croydon, Enfield and Haringey from April 15, three months before its introduction in all other local authority areas across England, Scotland and Wales. It will be completely implemented by September this year.
Iain Duncan Smith has been given two weeks to demonstrate why the bedroom tax should not be subject to a judicial review.
The work and pensions secretary is facing a legal challenge against the government's 'under-occupancy' charge by law firm Hopkin Murray Beskine on behalf of 10 disabled children.
Ten disabled and vulnerable children have launched legal proceedings against work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith to fight penalties for the under-occupation of social housing.
Judicial review proceedings were issued to the High Court on Friday on behalf of the children, who claim the new regulations have failed to take proper account of the needs of vulnerable children and are discriminatory.
The coming bedroom tax will end up costing Scottish taxpayers more not less, a housing charity has warned.
Shelter Scotland is now calling on the Scottish Government to make £50m available to protect the country's tenants from the under-occupancy charge which is due in April.
The Department for Work and Pensions has pledged to protect some of the pensioners that could be hit by the bedroom tax.
Inside Housing last week revealed thousands of pensioners could be affected by the bedroom tax - even though the government had previously maintained it would only affect benefit claimants of working age.
A housing association's chief executive has labelled the Government's plans for direct payments to tenants under Universal Credit as "daft".
Matt Cooney, CEO of asra Housing Group, has written to MPs to urge them to pressure the Government into rethinking its plans, claiming that direct payments will be damaging to both social landlords and tenants.
Labour’s Stephen Timms, speaking on Radio 4 yesterday, criticised the controversial policy, under which benefit claimants in social housing of working age with spare rooms will have their benefit cut from 1 April.
Mr Timms said: ‘We have argued for the last two years that it would be fine to apply the penalty where people have refused to take smaller accommodation, but to penalise people when there’s nowhere smaller to move to is perverse.’
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.