FAMILIES IN DERBY COULD BE UP TO £10 A WEEK WORSE OFF BECAUSE OF HOUSING ALLOWANCE CUTS

The changes to the housing allowance means the outlook for low income households in Derby is bleak.

The Conservative led government, aided and abetted by the duplicitous Liberal Democrats, want to change the way the local housing allowance is calculated.

The change they propose means 700,000 people in Britain are set to lose out by an average of £9 a week according to official DWP figures, with losses in every local authority in Britain from October 2011.

As a result of this measure up 88 per cent of LHA recipients in Derby will lose out. Families on modest incomes in Derby will be concerned that from next year they could be £10 a week worse off because of cuts to the support they get with housing costs.

Almost a quarter of the people in Derby who receive some help with their housing costs are in employment. This change represents a slap in the face to all those low paid workers who are trying support themselves rather than remaining on unemployment benefit.

This is a big drop in income for people who are already struggling to make ends meet. It offers no time for individuals or landlords to adjust and could lead to increased homelessness.
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What this Government just doesn't seem to understand is that higher homelessness, like longer dole queues, make it harder not easier to deal with the deficit.

That’s why the government should think again about these rushed and ill thought out plans.