Welfare Reform Bill

Derek Twigg Excerpts

Wednesday 1st February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Maria Miller]

I reassure you, Mr Speaker, that I will make the rest of my contribution very brief indeed.

The average weekly reduction is likely to be about £14. However, that is the average. Nearly 80% of claimants are under-occupying their accommodation by just one bedroom and will see an average reduction of about £12 a week. Working for just a few hours a week could help to meet that cost. The substantial investment that we are making in the Work programme and universal credit will ensure that people are supported in finding work, and that that work will pay.

We have listened to the concerns about the impact that these changes will have on specific groups, so we have committed to increase the budget for discretionary housing payments by £30 million from 2013-14. That additional money, which could help about 40,000 claimants, is aimed specifically at disabled people and accommodation for foster carers. We are working closely with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that we have an effective implementation plan that will support tenants, their advisers and housing providers.

Ultimately, the country cannot afford to fund what is approaching 1 million spare rooms from the taxes of hardworking families, when those spare rooms could be used by other families who are living in overcrowded accommodation.

[Derek Twigg (Halton) (Lab)]

The chief executive of Halton Housing Trust has written to me. He states:

“Based on existing turnover of smaller accommodation it will take over seven years to re-house all of those households who are under occupying their current homes.”

He goes on to state that, in particular, it will affect

“homeless households and those leaving care.”

Does the Minister really think that that is fair?

[Maria Miller]

That is why we are already working with local authorities to ensure that they are well prepared for the changes. We have discretionary payments in place so that local authorities can take account of such problems. We reject the Lords amendment.

I will now move on to the remaining amendments so that I do not incur the wrath of Mr Speaker. The other Lords amendments in this group are minor and technical or simply clarify policy. They have already been announced and I do not intend to go into any further detail so that there is more time for Members to contribute to this important debate.