House of Commons – July 20, 2016 – 51

I beg to move, That this House notes that the Government intends to cut housing benefit for vulnerable people in specialist housing, including elderly people and people who are homeless, disabled or fleeing domestic violence;

believes that this will have harmful effects on current and future tenants of these specialist housing schemes;

further notes that there is already a significant shortfall in this type of housing provision across the country;

notes that charities, housing associations, councils and others have made Government Ministers aware of the damaging impact these cuts will have on tenants and the financial viability of these schemes and that the Government’s proposal to mitigate these cuts with discretionary housing payments will not compensate for these cuts;

notes that the Government’s own evidence review into the impact of its decision, commissioned in December 2015, has yet to be published;

notes that the Government has postponed the implementation of these cuts for new tenants to April 2017 but plans to fully roll out its planned cuts to housing benefit in April 2018;

and therefore calls on the Government to exempt supported housing from its planned housing benefit cuts and to consult fully with supported housing providers to identify ways in which all vulnerable people who need supported housing can access it.