Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the Homeless Code of Guidance for Local Authorities clarifies that all individuals fleeing domestic abuse are in priority need, regardless of whether they have other forms of vulnerability.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Domestic abuse is a life-shattering and abhorrent crime. We are committed to protecting victims of domestic abuse, ensuring everyone has a roof over their head and that they receive all the support needed to rebuild their lives.
The Homelessness Code of Guidance has recently been updated in consultation with stakeholders to reflect the changes brought in by the Homelessness Reduction Act, and includes guidance on how a local authority might assess if an applicant is vulnerable and therefore in priority need. The Code of Guidance also makes clear that local authorities should not limit their understanding of domestic abuse to physical violence alone, and that in all cases involving domestic abuse, the safety of the applicant is paramount.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 23 October (HL1902), what kinds of flexible help local authorities are able to target on those in need of urgent help where they have closed local welfare assistance schemes.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Under Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000, local authorities may do anything which they consider is likely to promote or improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of their area. To achieve these objectives they may give financial assistance to any person. Such local spending decisions are best made by people who understand their communities and who are best placed to make the right call. The issue of local authority spending priorities is ultimately a matter for local discretion.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessment they have made of their decision to raise social housing rents by the value of Consumer Price Index + 1 per cent from April 2020, and whether they will publish any such impact assessment.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has announced plans for a long term rent deal for housing associations and councils, in which annual rent increases will be limited to CPI + 1 per cent for 5 years from 2020. This will be reflected in a draft direction from the Secretary of State to the Social Housing Regulator, which the government will consult on next year. An impact assessment will be published alongside the consultation.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks of Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 5 July (HL Deb, col 899), whether they will produce the necessary resources to ensure that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have sufficient funds to cover discretionary housing payments for as long as they are needed.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We have relaxed the benefit rules for anyone affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, which means that payments from the Grenfell Tower residents’ discretionary fund do not affect any social security benefit.
Guidance issued to local authorities on 23 June 2017, re-enforced that former Grenfell residents should be treated as a priority for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) and local authorities in the surrounding areas have confirmed that they would see former residents as a priority for DHP funding where needed, following the 12 month rent free period.
The guidance (attached) can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-bulletin-u32017-discretionary-housing-payments-to-former-residents-of-grenfell-tower
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 June (HL101), whether their proposed legislation on domestic violence will include a provision to ensure that survivors of domestic violence and abuse will retain the right to an automatic lifetime tenancy under the Housing and Planning Act 2016, as stated in their manifesto.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Domestic abuse is a devastating crime and we are determined to ensure that women, regardless of their circumstances, should receive the support they need when they need it.
Our Manifesto included a commitment to ensure that those who have a lifetime tenancy and flee domestic violence are able to secure a new lifetime tenancy automatically. We are currently working on how we can deliver this, and an announcement will be made in due course.
We have already acted to put measures in place to support victims of domestic abuse. These include the securing of a dedicated fund totalling £40 million over four years (2016 - 2020), building on the £13.5 million provided between 2014 and 2016. The funding will provide provision for refuges and other specialist accommodation-based services to support victims of domestic abuse and service reform. On the 3 November 2016 we published our new ‘Priorities for Domestic Abuse Services’, developed with partners from the domestic abuse sector, which sets out for the first time what local areas need to do to ensure an effective response to meeting the needs of all domestic abuse victims.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Buscombe on 5 July (HL Deb, col 885) and in the light of the answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 29 June (HL Deb, col 660), how they intend to ensure that no re-housed resident of Grenfell Tower will be worse off if they move into larger accommodation.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
No household will be charged more in rent when they are rehoused permanently into social housing than they were charged previously. even if they move into agreed larger accommodation.
The Government is clear that there will be relaxed benefit rules for anyone affected by the Grenfell Tower fire and our staffs are handling people’s claims with sensitivity, understanding and flexibility. As part of this, our recent guidance to Local Authorities is that they should treat these residents as a priority for discretionary housing payments to help with their rent if they are rehoused in a larger property.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of local authorities that established a local welfare fund scheme following abolition of the Social Fund in August 2012 which have now ceased to operate those funds; and what data they collect in relation to the operation of such funds.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
No estimate has been made by Government regarding the number of local welfare fund schemes which have ceased to operate and no data is collected in relation to the operation of such funds. It is for local authorities to determine whether to continue to offer local welfare assistance from within their existing budgets, alongside a range of other services, if they consider it a priority in their area.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the key factors which have determined changes in the levels of homelessness in England and Wales since 2015.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Homelessness is rarely just a housing issue. It is often the result of a combination of related issues including health, education, justice, welfare and employment.
That is why we are taking action across government, including through the Ministerial Working Group convened by DCLG, to make sure all departments are working together to tackle homelessness.
We are overhauling homelessness data to give us an even clearer understanding of the underlying causes and, most importantly, what really works to prevent and relieve homelessness.
We are investing over £500 million to tackle homelessness - including our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme - and we are supporting Bob Blackman's Homelessness Reduction Bill, to improve the support available for those facing a homelessness crisis and to ensure that people get help earlier to prevent their homelessness in the first place. Local authorities will be provided with £61 million of new burdens funding to carry out their new duties under the Bill.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure older homeless people with additional needs, such as learning difficulties, mental health issues or drug and alcohol problems, receive the necessary support.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
This Government takes its commitment to preventing and tackling homelessness seriously and our approach includes support available to homeless people of all ages with multiple complex needs. Local authorities also play an important role in ensuring that vulnerable people receive the support they need.
Before Christmas the Prime Minister announced the awarding of the £50 million Homelessness Prevention Fund to local areas right across the country, this included £10 million of Social Impact Bond funding for projects to support the most vulnerable rough sleepers in the country. This builds on the successful London Social Impact Bond whichsupported people with multiple and complex needs to exit homelessness.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the collection of data on the number of older people who are homeless but who are not included in official statutory homelessness statistics.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Department has recently launched a project to overhaul the data it collects on homelessness. It is intended that the new system will collect data on all those who approach local authorities for housing assistance, whether statutorily homeless or not, and the data will be at the household rather than aggregate level. This will deliver a much greater understanding of the causes of homelessness and the effectiveness of responses.