House of Commons – Dec. 17, 2014 – 122

Question put accordingly (Standing Order No. 31(2)), That the original words stand part of the Question. Amendment: I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from “House” to end and add: “regrets that the Government took over a housing benefit bill which was out of control, and without reform would have been more than £26 billion in 2014-15;

notes that the reforms the Government has implemented have brought housing benefit spending under control and helped to tackle over-crowding and better manage housing stock;

further notes that the Coalition has protected vulnerable groups through £165 million of discretionary housing payments in 2014;

notes that, following the interim evaluation of the policy, the part of the Coalition led by the Deputy Prime Minister has proposed reforms to introduce other formal exemptions to the policy, including where claimants have not been made a reasonable alternative offer of accommodation;

and believes that the Opposition’s failure to support the Government’s wider welfare reforms, including the wholesale abolition of this policy, is financially unsustainable, and would put at risk savings of nearly £50 billion over the present Parliament, as well as leaving people languishing in over-crowded accommodation.”