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 answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2 May (HL Deb, col 1062), when they will send, and place a copy in the Library of the House, the letter referred to.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
I would like to thank the Baroness for participating in the question on homelessness. She raised an important point in relation to the impact of changes to social security on levels of rough sleeping and homelessness, and I committed to write to her to provide further details. I did so on the 30th May and I trust she has now received it.
It has also been laid in the library of the House of Lords.
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 reply by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 14 May (HL Deb, col 1502) whether they will legislate for an exemption to the no recourse to public funds exclusion for survivors of domestic abuse in the final version of the Domestic Abuse Bill; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the new legal duty on local authorities to provide emergency refuge accommodation will apply equally to all survivors.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
On 15 May 2019, Victoria Atkins, together with the Minister for Immigration (Caroline Noakes), the Minister of State for Equalities (Baroness Williams of Trafford) and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice (Edward Argar) co-hosted a Round Table on migrant women affected by domestic abuse. Representatives from the sector were invited to discuss the issues facing migrant women affected by domestic abuse and the opportunities to tackle these issues.
The Government recognises that there are victims of domestic abuse who need additional support independently from that of their spouse / partner. We will continue to engage with domestic abuse survivors and representatives from the sector as part of our further work on the Bill.
The Destitute Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC), enables eligible migrants the option of claiming welfare benefits. This is to provide immediate crisis support to eligible migrants who claim to be victims of domestic abuse and are destitute as a result. To be eligible, applicants must be the spouse, or partner of someone who is British or permanently settled in the United Kingdom.
We have also provided Southall Black Sisters with £250 000, via the Tampon Tax, to pilot a fund to assist those who have no recourse to public funds and are suffering abuse. The findings from that project will help guide future policy reviews.
As part of our consultation on the future delivery of domestic abuse support in accommodation based services, we propose introducing a statutory duty, underpinned by statutory guidance which will clearly outline the expectations Government has for local authorities in delivering the duty. This includes outlining specific consideration of the support needs of diverse groups of victims.
We will work with local authorities to understand whether the new duty will incur additional costs and to ensure that local authorities are adequately funded to discharge it. We estimate an early broad annual cost of around £90 million which the Secretary of State communicated to the House of Commons on the 13 May. However, the full costs will be informed by the consultation and taken into the Spending Review.
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 findings of the research by Women's Aid in its report Nowhere to Turn, published 4 July; and, in particular, of the number of victims of domestic abuse who were unable to access a refuge in 2017–18.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Domestic abuse is a life-shattering and abhorrent crime that nobody should have to suffer. The Government is absolutely committed to protecting victims of domestic abuse and my Department funds Women’s Aid to undertake this important research so that we can better understand what is happening and address issues.
In 2017/18 we provided an additional £326,955 for the ‘Routes to Support’ which used to support the No Women Turned Away project and ensure victims calling the National Domestic Violence Helpline looking for refuge get additional help in finding the support they need. We have also commissioned an audit of domestic abuse service delivery - being run by Ipsos MORI – to give us a picture of provision across England, enabling us to understand what impact services are having and to identify gaps in provision.
The Prime Minister announced a draft Domestic Abuse Bill in 2017 and we have consulted on how we can best tackle domestic abuse so that we could hear from a wide range of stakeholders, including survivors of domestic abuse and the organisations that support them. We want the Domestic Abuse Bill and a supporting package of non-legislative measures to be truly transformative and bring lasting change to the victims and families experiencing domestic abuse. The consultation on domestic abuse closed on 31 May and we are considering responses ahead of publishing a formal Government response before introducing any legislation.
We are grateful for the support of Women’s Aid and the wider domestic abuse sector for this important work and we will continue to seek their expertise and knowledge as we develop policy on how victims of domestic abuse receive the support they need.
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 number of domestic abuse victims who are unable to access refuge services because they have no recourse to public funds.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Department does not centrally hold the number of victims of domestic abuse who are unable to access refuge services in the UK.
The provision of refuge is a devolved matter. We are carrying out a review of how domestic abuse services are delivered locally across England. To inform our review we have commissioned an audit - being run by Ipsos MORI – which will give us a complete picture of domestic abuse provision across England for all victims, enabling us to assess what impact services are having and to identify any gaps in provision. Thereafter we will make decisions on the future arrangements for domestic abuse services.
The Destitute Domestic Violence (DDV) concession lifts the no recourse to public funds condition for eligible individuals, granting a period of three months’ leave outside the immigration rules and the ability to apply for access to public funds from DWP, which may be used to help fund alternative accommodation away from their abuser. Government also part funds Women’s Aid to run ‘Routes to Support’ (formerly UK Refuges Online), which provides support to victims who need to access refuges and provides detailed monitoring and analysis of the availability of bed spaces and other services. The funding also supports the ‘No Woman Turned Away project’, which offers caseworker support to victims who have faced difficulties accessing a refuge, including victims with no recourse to public funds.
Government has consulted on what more can be done to protect domestic abuse victims with no recourse to public funds through the Domestic Abuse Bill, which closed on 31 May. We are currently analysing the 3,200 plus responses received and will carefully consider what future courses of action are necessary.
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.