Amendments to Clause 69 of the Welfare Reform Bill

The Bill is being considered by the NI Assembly over the coming months. Housing Rights Service is particularly concerned about the negative implications of introducing under occupancy penalties commonly referred to as the bedroom tax. We are against the implementation of this provision within Clause 69 and recommend that the Assembly does not introduce it. If this is unavoidable, we have recommended some amendments in an attempt to lessen its impact.

Read the full response here

Response to NIHE Consultation on Changes to the Housing Selection Scheme - January 2013

Housing Rights Service (HRS) believes that the under-occupancy sanction has the potential to cause real hardship and distress to many claimants and their families.  We are worried the measure will have a disproportionate impact in Northern Ireland given the existing composition of the housing stock and high levels of under-occupation in social housing. In our opinion, the policy will do nothing to ease local housing pressures because the greatest demand is currently for smaller properties -precisely those that the ‘spare bedroom tax’ will force social tenants to try to move to. We believe the penalty will result in increased rent arrears and eviction resulting in tenants having to leave long established communities away from friends, family and other support networks.

HRS acknowledges there is a need for the Housing Selection Scheme rules to be aligned with the proposed Housing Benefit size restrictions in order to minimise the impact on future tenants arising from potential shortfalls in rent. However the changes will not assist current tenants who have been allocated suitable sized accommodation based on current criteria only to be penalised once the under occupancy criteria is introduced.  HRS would appreciate a wider discussion of ways in which social landlords can mitigate the impact on their tenant and believes tenants, affected by the under occupancy restriction, should be given timely information about the shortfall and offered independent advice about housing options.

Read the full response here

Social Development Committee Submission: Welfare Reform Bill October 2012

The Welfare Reform Bill allows for significant changes to the benefits system to be introduced by regulations. HRS is concerned that some areas of policy detail are not yet sufficiently developed to allow adequate scrutiny at this stage. The Universal Credit (UC) regulations have not been drafted in NI but the equivalent, the Draft Universal Credit Regulations 2012, have been published in Britain. We have serious concerns about the content of the draft regulations which we highlight in this submission.

Read the full response here

A Response to the Department of Social Development on behalf of the Housing Rights Service and 
Law Centre (NI)
Discretionary Support Policy Consultation Paper - September 2012

This submission has been produced jointly by Law Centre (NI) and Housing Rights Service.

The consultation paper on discretionary support is of particular relevance to Law Centre (NI)
and Housing Rights Service as our work is underlined by a desire to assist the most vulnerable 
and this includes promoting finncial inclusion for people on low incomes. 
The Social Fund and Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) at present play a valuable role in Northern 
Ireland in tackling poverty and social exclusion by providing support to people onlow incomes,  who 
need to pay for a variety of intermittent and unforeseen expenses.

Our ability to reply to this consultation exercise is limited by significant gaps in policy detail. 
Our comments are therefore restricted to the parameters of the details outlined within the consultation 
document. We look forward to the provision of further information in due course. Read the full paper.

Law Centre (NI) and Housing Rights Service Response to the Social Security Advisory Committee’s Request for an Assessment of
The Housing Benefit (Executive Determinations)(Amendment) Regulations NI (2012)

This submission has been compiled jointly by Law Centre (NI) and Housing Rights Service.It is a response respond to SSAC’s request for an assessment of the impact of the DSD’s proposals to freeze the LHA rates from April 2012 and change the way LHA rates are calculated from April 2013. We believe it is imperative to monitor the impact of this change (and also of the other components of the housing benefit reform package) and to consider contingency plans for interventions should it become evident that claimants are experiencing severe hardship as a result of these measures.

Welfare Reform Bill (NI) 2011 - Equality Impact Assessment Consultation

Housing Rights Service welcomes the DSD’s (Department’s) commitment to consult on the Equality Impact Assessment for the Welfare Reform Bill. In this response, we focus on the areas of the consultation that relate to housing:

• Universal Credit benefit cap
• Restriction to Housing Benefit entitlement in the social rented sector
• Housing Benefit: up-rating local housing allowance by the CPI.

Representation to the Social Security Advisory Committee June 2011 on the Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2011

Housing Rights Service welcomes the opportunity to provide written views to the Social Security Advisory Committee evidence on the latest cut to the housing benefit budget.  Read more...

Written evidence on the impact of Housing Benefit Reform

Housing Rights Service was asked to submit written evidence to the Committee for Work and Pensions on the impact of Housing Benefit reform.  This evidence outlines our response to the proposals put forward in the 2010 budget

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Briefing to Social Development Committee on Proposed Housing Benefit Reform

Housing Rights Service was invited to brief the Social Development Committee in February 2010 on the Department for Work and Pension's proposals to reform Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance

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