houses

Housing Benefit changes delayed for existing tenants

The BBC is reporting that the government's proposed changes to Local Housing Allowance rates are to be delayed for current claimants until January 2012. The changes cap weekly payments at rates from £250 a week for a one-bedroom property, and limit them to the lowest third of local rents rather than the current average. Changes were due to be introduced for all tenants in April 2011, but -... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on November 29th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Social Housing

Iain Duncan Smith

IDS: “Game over” for landlords

Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, has said that the government's plans to reduce Housing Benefit mean "the game is over" for private landlords. Talking to Andrew Marr on the BBC, IDS predicted that caps on Local Housing Allowance will push down rents on private residential properties in the inner cities. "Because we are 40% of the rental market, we drove all the rents up in... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on November 15th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Social Housing

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Shelter shows impact of HB cuts outside London

So far, much of the comment on the government's cuts to Housing Benefit has centered on London, with Mayor Boris Johnson speaking out against the changes. But now Housing charity Shelter has revealed the results of its own research on what the impact will be outside the capital. Shelter writes: Of 283 local authorities outside of the capital, 81 (29%) will see two bedroom households in their... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on November 11th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Property Rental, Social Housing

PMQ

Cameron denies change of plan on Housing Benefit

In Prime Minister's Questions this lunchtime, David Cameron denied that the government is planning to moderate its proposals for changes to Housing Benefit. He told MPs, "We're not changing our minds." The PM went on: "The housing benefit budget has gone up by 50%. Our proposals are difficult but they are necessary so we can protect the schools and NHS budgets." Pushed by Labour leader Ed... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on October 27th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Social Housing

Iain Duncan Smith

BBC: LHA caps “may change”

The BBC's running a story this morning saying that the new, capped levels of Local Housing Allowance announced in June's Budget may change. Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, is said to be listening to the concerns of Conservative MPs, particularly those from London who have already spoken to mayor Boris Johnson. The BBC's political correspondent Vicki Young said that her source... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on October 27th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Social Housing

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Simon Hughes rocks the coalition boat over Housing Benefit

Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes has said that he doesn’t believe that the government will be able to pass the housing benefit reform the Coalition government has proposed over the past few months parliament. Whilst emphasizing the he believed the reforms and cuts the government were making were generally ‘fair’, he described the cuts to the Housing Benefit budget as “harsh and... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on October 26th, 2010 in Housing Benefit

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IDS wins ‘universal payment’ benefits battle

The coalition government’s plans to cut the welfare bill and reform how benefits are calculated and paid, including Housing Benefit, have become clearer today. Former Conservative leader and Secretary of State for Work and pensions, Iain Duncan Smith appears to have won his battle with the Treasury and Chancellor George Osbourne to streamline benefits and see a single universal payment... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on October 1st, 2010 in Housing Benefit

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money

CIH helps landlords calculate impact of LHA changes

If you need to figure out what impact the changes to LHA are likely to have on your lettings business, the Chartered Institute of Housing have published a calculator which helps landlords work out the likely effects for their rents. The CIH impact calculator: estimates the amount your tenants are at risk of losing in housing benefit if the current planned government changes are... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on October 1st, 2010 in Housing Benefit

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Portillo calls for cuts in social housing

Former Conservative MP and TV pundit, Michael Portillo, told the National Housing Federation conference that social housing sector should be shrunk. He believes that social housing should be a “springboard” to owner occupation with money spent on social housing used to encourage homeownership. Portillo described the social housing sector as “remarkably large” and thought that the... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 30th, 2010 in Housing Benefit

greenhouses

RLA calls for “Housing Allowance re-think”

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has challenged the Department for Work and Pensions over an issue that it claims is driving its members away from letting to tenants on Housing Benefit. Local Housing Allowance is paid directly to tenants and is often not paid to landlords who experience rent arrears. The RLA wants to see tenants given the choice to allow direct payment to landlords.... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 24th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Landlord Legislation

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LHA changes will increase rent arrears, says NLA

The National Landlords Association has said that proposed changes to the benefits system will lead to an increase in rent arrears. The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that the cuts will see an average reduction of £12 per week in Local Housing Allowance payable, but in a survey of landlords with tenants receiving LHA, almost half of respondants told the NLA that they could not... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on September 17th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, National Landlords Association NLA

LHApiechart

88% of landlords will not lower rent to new LHA levels

Since the Emergency Budget in June, there's been plenty of speculation about what effects it will have on the rented property market. Some commentators have expected private landlords to wholesale abandon DSS tenants; others have speculated that lowering LHA will bring down rents across the board, and have celebrated the thought that "greedy landlords" will have to charge everyone less. We... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on August 19th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Property Market, Property Rental

rough sleeper

Housing Benefits changes put 1 million at risk of homelessness

We’ve been reading a report from the National Housing Federation and we’re particularly alarmed by some of the findings they’ve made. We totally agree with them that there is a case for reform and simplification of the “unwieldy” benefits system but the Federation suggests that the proposed changes “will leave around 936,000 people at risk of being driven into debt, falling into... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on August 12th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Property Rental

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Does the coalition government have a housing policy?

It’s a been a confused week for any keen observers of the housing market here in Britain. On one hand housing minister Grant Schapps and the Prime Minister are talking about ending lifelong tenure for council house tenants. They want to see tenants moving to the private sector and away from social housing when they’re better off and can afford to. And then we hear senior Liberal Democrat,... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on August 11th, 2010 in Housing Benefit, Property Market

what's the benefit

What’s the benefit? Campaign against damaging changes to housing benefit

Upad is very happy to be supporting Inside Housing's campaign for an alternative to the Chancellor's plans for changes to Housing Benefit next year. James Davis, Upad's CEO, who currently lets eight properties to tenants receiving LHA, says: "Whilst as a taxpayer I accept the current HB bill is excessive, capping rents will dramatically reduce the number of landlords willing to let in this... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on July 15th, 2010 in Buy-to-let, Housing Benefit, Property Market, Upad

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