Briefings
Regulation under the new regime for England: an HQN survey
Network briefing by Janis Bright and Alistair McIntosh
All change! An evaluation of the new frameworks for regulating social housing in England and Scotland
Network briefing by Roger Jarman
HBnews - February 2012
The quarterly Housing Quality Network Housing Benefit newsletter, bringing you news, views and comment on current HB and other benefits issues
Laying the Foundations: A Housing Strategy for England
Network briefing by Janis Bright
HBnews - November 2011
The quarterly Housing Quality Network Housing Benefit newsletter, bringing you news, views and comment on current HB and other benefits issues
21st Century Welfare
Network briefing by Charlie Hughes in association with the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion
Current events and public training
Emirates Stadium, London - SOLD OUT
22 May 2012
The Studio, Manchester
24 May 2012
News
Disabled people’s human rights must be factored into housing benefit
A human rights case, in which the Commission intervened, has established that housing benefit must take into account the extra needs of disabled children and adults.
Grow your own: skills and infrastructure for local economic growth
NLGN’s report – Grow Your Own: Skills and Infrastructure for Local Economic Growth, kindly supported by BT and Kent Country Council – argues local government must seize a new role as social venture capitalists to unblock stalled developments and seed fund new jobs. NLGN urges councils to collaborate in setting up ‘Revolving Investment Funds
16 April 2012 – 'Abroad fraud' warning for benefit thieves
With summer approaching, Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is sending a warning to people who commit benefit fraud abroad
Funding to help older people to stay in their own homes
Care & Repair services across Wales have been awarded £4.67m funding from the Welsh Government to help older people to remain in their own homes
New scheme to protect tenants' millions
A compulsory scheme to safeguard millions of pounds in deposits paid by tenants renting properties in Scotland has been approved
Welfare Reform Bill
A new Bill has been published to ensure that devolved policies such as the provision of free school meals and blue badge parking will continue to operate in Scotland after changes are made to the UK benefit system
Homeless to benefit from criminals’ cash
Homeless Scots in London are to benefit from money confiscated from crooks and fraudsters, the Scottish Government announced today
The impact of welfare reform on housing
A Consortium of Associations in the South East (CASE) report
DWP report: housing benefit bulletin: January 2012
Housing and Council tax benefit general information bulletin
Benefits cap concessions expected to win support for welfare reform bill
Guardian article: government expected to agree to fund families who could be made homeless at sensitive time in children's education
Welfare Reform Bill: report stage day six
Latest update: Lords continue to scrutinise government proposals and make amendments
Government publishes overseas benefit claimant research
First detailed research tracking the country of origin of benefit claimants currently in the UK who were overseas nationals when the entered the country
Councils and housing associations to test direct payments of housing cost support
Demonstration projects will take place from June 2012 until June 2013 to test how claimants can manage housing benefit monthly payments ahead of the introduction of Universal Credit from October 2013
Localisation issues in welfare reform
Government response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee's report
DCLG consultation: social housing fraud
Comments sought by 4 April 2012 This consultation puts forward proposals that would help landlords reduce the prevalence of tenancy fraud within the social housing stock
Scottish Government sets out its opposition to proposed changes to the welfare system
Government under-occupancy plans defeated in Lords
Peers voted 258 votes to 190 in favour of amendment 12 to the Welfare Reform Bill
DWP consultation: Support for mortgage interest
Responses sought by 27 February 2012
NIHE: single people face Housing Benefit changes next month
From 1 of January 2012 single people aged from 25 to 34 who rent from a private landlord will only be entitled to the Housing Benefit shared accommodation rate, irrespective of the size of accommodation actually rented
Social mobility business compact
Nick Clegg launches a Business Compact, asking businesses to do their bit
HQN council tenants' guide
We are pleased to offer your organisation a complimentary copy of the HQN Residents' Network guide to help tenants through the process of a stock options review.
Care home residents to keep DLA/PIP mobility
When DLA is replaced with PIP in 2013, disabled people in residential care will continue to receive any mobility component of PIP they are entitled to
15.3% of net current expenditure in 2010-11 on housing benefits
Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England 2010-11 final outturn
Community work for the long term unemployed
People who have been unemployed for more than two years and haven’t secured sustainable employment could be referred onto compulsory community work placements
Incapacity claimants set to be slashed by one million
Research from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Centre
Benefit reform threat to social mobility in Wales
Concerns raised by First Minister Carwyn Jones
Iain Duncan Smith sets out next steps for moving claimants onto Universal Credit
Between October 2013 and April 2014, 500,000 new claimants will receive Universal Credit in place of Jobseekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
Private landlords survey 2010
47% of landlords happy to rent to tenants on Housing Benefit (HB) or LHA, with a further 21% saying they would be encouraged to do so if payments were not made direct to the tenants
IFS report: Universal Credit not enough to prevent a decade of rising poverty
A new forecast of income poverty among children and working-age adults in the UK – funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Perceptions of welfare reform and Universal Credit
DWP report 778: Universal Credit was seen to demonstrate important progress, including the repositioning of work as an opportunity rather than a risk
Childcare support will be paid to around 80,000 more households
Government to invest additional £300 million into childcare support under Universal Credit, on top of the £2bn already spent under the current system
Social sector tenants will be responsible for paying landlords direct under Universal Credit
Six demonstration projects are being set up to trial direct payments to HB claimants
English language training for job seekers on benefits
Jobseekers whose lack of English is preventing them from getting a job, will be required to attend English language training or face losing their benefits
Changes to Jobcentre Plus and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service
Jobcentre Plus and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service will be brought under the leadership of a single chief operating officer
The Social Fund: a review of selected literature
Scottish Government report examines what the fund consists of, how it operates and who benefits from it. Also proposes alternative models if it were to be devolved to Scotland
£4m boost for innovative projects to support Housing Benefit reforms
Ten successful projects will get a share of a £4m fund to provide innovative support
Amended bill to make five-year tenancies the minimum fixed term
Reissued draft tenure direction states ‘registered providers grant general needs tenancies; these are for a minimum fixed term of five years’
Local Housing Allowance Rates 2011
Each month Rent Officers Wales calculates the Local Housing Allowance Rates based on rent levels in each area of Wales. These rates help LAs decide how much they will pay in Housing Allowance for each type of property
Delay to Welfare Reform Bill
Originally due this week, the second reading (House of Lords) has been deferred until 13 September 2011
DWP report: worklessness co-design
DWP working together with local authorities, providers, employers and community groups can co-design solutions to worklessness
