Housing Benefit (Under-occupancy Penalty)
Debate between Julie Hilling and Jessica Morden(11 years, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Jessica Morden
It did not work like that. We are debating a policy that will come in in April. As Members have explained, it will be applied retrospectively to people who have been living in their houses for decades. Government Members have forfeited the right to make such interventions because they have given tax cuts to millionaires.
Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)
To respond to the intervention by the hon. Member for City of Chester (Stephen Mosley), when the local housing allowance was introduced, it did not affect people who were in tenancies at the time, but was applied when people moved house. It therefore did not have the punitive effect of the bedroom tax.
Jessica Morden
My hon. Friend is right. This is a retrospective hit on people who have lived in their houses for decades.