division_name: Supported Housing: Benefit
motion: <p class="indent" pid="b840.1/3" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House notes that the Government intends to cut housing benefit for vulnerable people in specialist housing, including elderly people and people who are homeless, disabled or fleeing domestic violence; believes that this will have harmful effects on current and future tenants of these specialist housing schemes; further notes that there is already a significant shortfall in this type of housing provision across the country; notes that charities, housing associations, councils and others have made Government Ministers aware of the damaging impact these cuts will have on tenants and the financial viability of these schemes and that the Government&#8217;s proposal to mitigate these cuts with discretionary housing payments will not compensate for these cuts; notes that the Government&#8217;s own evidence review into the impact of its decision, commissioned in December 2015, has yet to be published; notes that the Government has postponed the implementation of these cuts for new tenants to April 2017 but plans to fully roll out its planned cuts to housing benefit in April 2018; and therefore calls on the Government to exempt supported housing from its planned housing benefit cuts and to consult fully with supported housing providers to identify ways in which all vulnerable people who need supported housing can access it.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b841.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;will not have the income to sustain the provision of supported housing&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b841.2/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;will inevitably see the closure of some schemes.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b841.2/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Many of these supported and sheltered schemes&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b841.2/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;become financially unviable&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b842.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;stark and make it extremely difficult for any housing associations to develop new supported housing.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b842.0/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;providers across the country will be forced to close schemes.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b842.1/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;the Government intends to cut housing benefit for vulnerable people&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b845.1/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;It is positive that the Government has listened to the concerns of the sector and we welcome the fact it has taken appropriate action to protect supported housing.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b846.2/7" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;providers across the country will be forced to close schemes.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b846.2/9" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;the uncertainty about the future approach is already leading to supported housing under development being delayed or cancelled because of the long lead times involved in investment and development.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b848.1/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;a country that works for everyone&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b851.1/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We are pleased that the Government is listening to our concerns and has delayed the application of the LHA cap to people in&#8230;supported and sheltered housing.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b851.1/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;that there will be a full strategic review into how these services are funded and we will contribute fully to that review.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b854.2/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;the intention is to publish the evidence review and policy conclusions before the summer recess.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b854.2/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;proposals for the capping of housing benefit for social housing including supported housing to local Housing Allowance (LHA) maxima will, as they stand, have a catastrophic effect on provision&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b854.2/16" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;In one rural area, introducing a cap linked to the LHA rate would result in an annual loss of &#163;5,800 for a 2 bedroom refuge flat. In another urban area the annual loss for a 1 bedroom refuge flat is &#163;7,100. In another semi-urban area the loss on a 3 bedroom refuge is &#163;11,600 per year. In each case this financial cost will be multiplied by the number of refuge spaces provided.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b854.2/19" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The proposed introduction of the under 35s shared accommodation rate to social rented housing also places women under the age of 35 at much greater risk of further abuse. If women under the age of 35 are unable to access refuge accommodation or move into their own tenancy because of a restriction on their entitlement to housing benefit, this effectively prevents them from leaving an abusive partner. In 2014-15, the 26-30 years old age group had the highest incident rate of domestic abuse recorded by the Police in Scotland. Women in this age group clearly have a significant need for domestic abuse support services&#8212;including refuge accommodation.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b857.1/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;we must also ensure that funding for supported housing is efficient, workable, transparent and sustainable, so that it delivers a secure, quality service that provides for those who need it and makes the best use of the money available&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b857.1/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Services must be outcomes-focused, accountable, planned and responsive to individual and local needs.&#8221;&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-07-12">12 July</phrase> 2016; Vol. 613, c. 272.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b863.0/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;that the Government intends to cut housing benefit for vulnerable people in specialist housing&#8221;,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b863.0/11" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;a very positive future where high quality supported housing is there to provide the right support at the right time&#8221;.&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-07-12">12 July</phrase> 2016; Vol. 613, c. 272WH.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b865.0/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We are worried about some of our older residents whose combined rent and service charges takes them above the Local Housing Allowance threshold. The limits take no account whatsoever of the cost of housing management services that we provide to keep our tenants living independently.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b865.0/9" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;In a nutshell, it means that most&#8212;if not all&#8212;of existing supported housing will cease to be viable from April 2018.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b868.4/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;ensure all victims get the right support at the right time&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b868.4/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;right support at the right time&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b869.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;It is probable that the result of this reduction will be either; additional cost to the public purse where there individuals take up, for example, valuable and costly hospital space; or these individuals find themselves living in totally inappropriate accommodation that does not support their needs and puts them at high risk.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b874.0/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;housing benefit in the social sector will be capped at the relevant local housing allowance.&#8221;&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-11-25">25 November</phrase> 2015; Vol. 602, c. 1360.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b875.0/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;the Government intends to cut housing benefit for vulnerable people&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b883.0/9" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;In 2014-15, the 26-30 years old age group had the highest incident rate of domestic abuse recorded by the Police in Scotland. Women in this age group clearly have a significant need for domestic abuse support services&#8212;including refuge accommodation.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="italic" pid="b888.1/18" pwmotiontext="yes">The House divided:</p>
  
  <p pid="b888.1/19" pwmotiontext="yes">Ayes 256, Noes 290.</p>