LOCAL HOUSING ALLOWANCE

Early day motion 186, tabled 24 November 2009 by Baroness Teather (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 50 members.

That this House strongly opposes the Government's plan to scrap excess payments to local housing allowance claimants where their rent is lower than the rate of the allowance; expresses alarm that this plan would see some of the poorest families in the country up to £780 a year worse off; believes that the withdrawal of excess payments would not result in savings for the Government because tenants would have no incentive to choose cheaper properties and landlords would simply raise their rent to the maximum amount of the allowance, thus transferring £15 a week from poorer families to private landlords; notes that these changes undermine the original objectives of local housing allowance which were to bring choice and fairness to the benefits system while combating poverty; and therefore calls on the Government to abandon its plan to scrap excess payments to local housing allowance claimants.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 35, Labour 11, Independent 2, Conservative 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.