 |
 |
LibDems back housing benefit campaign
July 27, 2010 12:00 AM
Liberal Democrats in Islington have backed an all-party campaign to find a fair way of reducing the national housing benefit bill and spare hundreds of Islington tenants from being potentially thrown out of their homes.
The Government announced plans in its emergency Budget on June 22nd to reduce the £21billion housing benefit bill by:
• limiting housing benefit to £250 for a one-bed property and £400 for four or more bedrooms.
• cutting housing benefit by 10 per cent for claimants on Jobseeker Allowance for more than a year.
The 'What's the Benefit' campaign run by Inside Housing magazine to make the Government think again was supported by both Islington Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors at the council's budget meeting on 27th July.
Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson councillor Terry Stacy said:
'There is a real risk that Islington residents could be thrown out of their homes because of these changes or because they've tried but failed to find work.
"It is totally unrealistic to set limits so low in London where there is both a real shortage of affordable housing and where rents are much higher than the rest of the country.
"The Government needs to think again about how we reduce the housing benefit bill. That's why I am backing the Inside Housing campaign."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats