As part of its Respect Action Plan, the Government issued a consultation paper that proposes to cut the Housing Benefit of tenants who refuse to accept help to amend their ways if they have been evicted for antisocial behaviour. For a fuller report, see this month's Housing Management section.
In a clampdown on Supporting People providers that use Housing Benefit to supplement their cash-strapped schemes, the Department for Work and Pensions circulated a paper that warned that charges for general counselling and housing support should not be allowed to creep back into the Housing Benefit system. The paper urges councils to be alert to "disproportionate and inexplicable increases in rent costs and Housing Benefit eligible service charges."
The Government published its Welfare Benefit Reform green paper, in which it confirms its intention to introduce a single benefit payment, including housing, to all working age claimants to cover their living costs.
The paper outlines the Government's views on capping the amount claimants of Local Housing Allowance in the private sector can receive above their rent.
The paper also confirms the Government's decision to drop proposals to pay Housing Benefit direct to social housing tenants.
The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions showed the total amount of Housing Benefit fraud and error in the UK in 2004/05 was estimated at £680 million. This is a rise of £50 million on 2002/03.
The figures revealed that overpayments due to mistakes by claimants had risen to £360 million - over £100 million more than in 2002/03. A further £150 million was overpaid due to errors during the assessment process.
These latest statistics raise doubts about the Government's ability to meet its public service agreement to cut fraud and error in Housing Benefit by 25% between 2002/03 and 2005/06.