Rory Belcher, Apr 11 14:19: Thank you for your email to Nick Clegg MP. I am replying on his behalf. I understand your concern over the implications of the removal of the spare room subsidy. The Liberal Democrats understand that the changes to the rules for claiming housing benefit will be difficult for many families, and this is why our MPs and members of the House of Lords have fought hard to ensure that all welfare changes brought in by the Coalition are as fair as possible. In March 2013 we successfully secured new regulations which have given full protection against the spare room subsidy for foster carers, partners who sleep in separate rooms for medical or disability-related reasons, families of members of the armed forces, as well as discretionary exemptions for children with disabilities. The Government has also made sure that disabled people who require an overnight carer are able to claim for an additional bedroom. We’ve also successfully campaigned within Government for massive increases in discretionary housing payments (DHP). This is money to support those people facing difficulties in meeting their housing costs and those who will move home since the reform was implemented. The total amount has been increased from £20 million in 2011 to £180 million today. Additionally, at our 2013 Autumn Conference, the Lib Dems called for an immediate evaluation of the impact of the spare room subsidy, in order to establish exactly how many larger homes are being freed up, how much money can be saved, the cost of implementing the policy and its impact on vulnerable tenants. We also called for a redrafting of housing needs guidelines and a review of the amount allocated to local authorities through the DHP fund. This review is currently taking place and is due to report back in the summer of 2014. Thank you once again for getting in touch on this important issue. With very best wishes, Rory Belcher Office of Nick Clegg MP
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:57:32 +0000
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