DOCSLIB.ORG

Liberal Democrats in Coalition: Social Security

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Liberal Democrats in Coalition: Social Security Liberal Democrats in coalition: social security Overview: social security policy under the coalition Peter Sloman ince the social security budget accounts the implementation of Universal Credit has been Steve Webb and Iain for more than a quarter of government fraught with difficulty, these two policies look Duncan Smith during Sspending, the Department of Work and likely to define the architecture of the welfare the 2015 election Pensions was always likely to be at the forefront state for a generation. campaign. of the coalition’s efforts to eliminate the struc- Like the Department of Health, the DWP tural deficit.1 Though it was never far from con- benefited from a clear division of labour between troversy, the DWP turned out to be one of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat ministers: more successful coalition departments. Iain Dun- Duncan Smith oversaw the development of Uni- can Smith and Steve Webb formed an unlikely versal Credit and other changes to working-age but effective partnership, and remained in post for benefits, whilst Webb took the lead on pen- the full five years of the coalition – a stark con- sions. As a welfare economist who had worked trast with the nine Secretaries of State and nine at the Institute for Fiscal Studies before shadow- Ministers of State for Pensions who held office ing the department during the Blair and Brown under New Labour. Moreover, alongside a series years, Webb was well placed to make a distinctive of benefit cuts – many of them initiated by the impact. The first Liberal Democrat contribution Treasury – Duncan Smith and Webb launched the came in the coalition agreement, which promised biggest structural reforms to the social security to raise the state pension by prices, earnings, or system since the 1980s, in the shape of Universal 2.5 per cent a year – whichever was highest. This Credit and the single-tier state pension. Although ‘triple lock’ meant that the basic state pension for Journal of Liberal History 92 Autumn 2016 31 Liberal Democrats in coalition: social security a single person rose from 16.3 per cent of average unlikely that a Conservative government would earnings in April 2010 to 18.2 per cent in April have legislated for a single state pension.’10 The 2014, partially reversing a decline which had quid pro quo for this success, however, was that begun under Margaret Thatcher.2 Where New the Liberal Democrats had much less impact Labour had targeted resources on the poorest pen- on working-age welfare reform. In a way this sioners through the means-tested Pension Credit, was unsurprising, since the 2010 manifesto said the coalition shifted the emphasis back towards almost nothing about working-age benefits apart the basic state pension, building on the recom- from a general criticism of Labour’s ‘hugely com- mendations of Adair Turner’s Pensions Commis- plex and unfair benefits system’ and a proposal sion (2002–6).3 By 2014/15 National Insurance to remove child tax credits from middle-income benefits accounted for 76 per cent of all payments families.11 Iain Duncan Smith – who did have to pensioners, up from 70 per cent in 2009/10 and a vision for welfare reform – was able to set the the highest level since the late 1980s.4 The ‘triple agenda, and the Liberal Democrats’ main contri- lock’ was unsurprisingly expensive – costing an bution here seems to have come not from Webb extra £1.5 billion a year by the end of the parlia- but from Nick Clegg, who supported Duncan ment – though the cost will be offset over time by Smith in a series of battles with the Treasury. The the coalition’s decision to accelerate increases in deputy prime minister helped ensure that Uni- the state pension age.5 versal Credit went ahead, and also vetoed a num- Webb was keen to reinvigorate William Bev- ber of cuts proposed by Duncan Smith himself, eridge’s vision of a flat-rate basic state pension set including the removal of housing benefit from at or near subsistence level, partly because of the the under-25s and the limitation of child benefit perceived stigma attached to means-tested bene- to two children.12 Yet since the Liberal Demo- fits and partly because they acted as a disincentive crats had signed up to Osborne’s deficit-reduc- to saving. Indeed, as Liberal Democrat pensions tion targets, they could hardly protect the whole spokesman in the early 2000s, he had commit- Nicholas Timmins welfare budget. In particular, the party’s minis- ted the party to the long-term goal of abolishing rightly sees this ters supported the government’s benefit cap for National Insurance contribution requirements working-age claimants, real-terms cuts to child and creating a ‘citizen’s pension’ based on resi- pensions revo- benefit and tax credits, the replacement of Disa- dence.6 Once in government, he persuaded the bility Living Allowance with Personal Independ- Treasury that it could raise the basic state pen- lution as a clear ence Payments, and the controversial ‘bedroom sion to the level of Pension Credit – an increase of tax’ on social housing tenants. more than one-third – if it closed the earnings- example of a The Liberal Democrats’ complicity in ben- related State Second Pension and abolished the efit cuts led to severe criticism from the ‘pov- National Insurance rebates for employers who coalition effect: erty lobby’, disability campaigners, and some contracted out of it.7 Indeed, the overall package party activists, who accused Clegg of betray- would save the government money in the long ‘Without the Lib- ing his pledge not to ‘balance the budget on the term. The Pensions Act 2014 provided for Webb’s eral Democrats, it backs of the poor’. Though ministers stressed new single-tier pension to come into effect from the need to maintain coalition unity and take April 2016, though the contributory qualifica- is highly unlikely ‘tough decisions’, much of the party was clearly tion has been retained for budgetary reasons: only uncomfortable with the government’s assault on those who have made or been credited with at that a Conserva- working-age benefits on both moral and practi- least thirty-five years of National Insurance con- cal grounds. The autumn 2012 conference passed tributions are eligible for the full pension.8 tive government a resolution opposing any further welfare cuts The decision to introduce the single-tier pen- which fell ‘disproportionately’ on disabled peo- sion had two spin-off benefits for the coalition’s would have legis- ple, and the autumn 2013 conference overwhelm- wider pensions policy. Firstly, it smoothed the ingly demanded a review of how the ‘bedroom introduction of automatic enrolment – which the lated for a single tax’ was working in practice.13 The party leader- Brown government had legislated for in 2008 – state pension.’ ship also faced a series of backbench rebellions, by ensuring that workers had a real incentive to with nine Liberal Democrat MPs supporting an save for their retirement: the extra income gained The quid pro quo attempt to water down the ‘bedroom tax’ in Feb- from occupational pensions would not be eroded ruary 2012 and two (Andrew George and Tim through means-testing. Secondly, it made pos- for this success, Farron) backing a Labour opposition day motion sible the liberalisation of money purchase pen- on the issue in November 2013.14 The final two sions which George Osborne announced in his however, was that years of the coalition thus saw a rather clumsy 2014 Budget, removing the requirement to buy attempt at differentiation over the ‘bedroom tax’, an annuity at the age of 75. (Webb famously the Liberal Demo- as the party leadership backed away from the pol- sparked controversy by telling the BBC that he icy and proposed that claimants should only be was ‘relaxed’ at the possibility that people would crats had much docked benefit if they refused suitable alternative spend their pension pots on a Lamborghini and less impact on accommodation. As Libby McEnhill has pointed ‘end up on the state pension’.9) out, this left Liberal Democrat ministers ‘open Nicholas Timmins rightly sees this pensions working-age wel- to accusations of inconsistency and opportun- revolution as a clear example of a coalition effect: ism’, and raised the question of why they had not ‘Without the Liberal Democrats, it is highly fare reform. blocked the policy within government.15 32 Journal of Liberal History 92 Autumn 2016 Liberal Democrats in coalition: social security In view of apparent public hostility to ‘wel- A sharper focus 4 Author’s calculations from Department for Work and fare’ claimants, it is difficult to judge what Pensions, ‘Benefit expenditure and caseload tables, impact the coalition’s benefit policies had on on the party’s Budget 2016’, available online at https://www.gov.uk/ the Liberal Democrat performance in the 2015 government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-case- election. Certainly, the party’s opposition to record of deliv- load-tables-2016 (accessed 14 May 2016). Conservative plans for a further £12 billion ery for older peo- 5 McKay and Rowlingson, ‘Social security’, p. 183. of welfare cuts – backed up by claims that the 6 See especially Liberal Democrats, Dignity and Security in Tories would cut child benefit – did not resonate ple might have Retirement: Pensions Policy Paper (2004). The policy also with voters in the way Liberal Democrat strate- featured in the party’s 1992, 2001 and 2005 manifestos. gists seem to have hoped. More puzzling is the helped the Lib- 7 Nicholas Timmins, ‘The Coalition and society (IV): party’s decision not to make more of its impres- Welfare’, in Anthony Seldon and Mike Finn (eds.), The sive record on pensions and social care.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Under-Occupying Social Housing: Housing Benefit Entitlement
    BRIEFING PAPER Number 06272, 1 November 2019 Under-occupying social By Wendy Wilson housing: Housing Benefit entitlement Inside: 1. Why does under-occupation arise? 2. The rationale for Government intervention 3. Defining under-occupation and who is affected 4. The options for tenants 5. What can landlords do? www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library | [email protected] | @commonslibrary Number 06272, 1 November 2019 2 Contents Summary 3 1. Why does under-occupation arise? 4 2. The rationale for Government intervention 6 3. Defining under-occupation and who is affected 9 3.1 Continuous entitlement to HB since at least 1 January 1996 9 3.2 How many bedrooms are allowed? 10 3.3 Defining a bedroom 11 Bedroom size 12 Bedrooms used for other purposes 13 3.4 What is working-age? 16 3.5 How much Housing Benefit is lost? 17 3.6 Disabled occupants 18 Overnight care 19 Disabled children sharing a room 21 Disabled adults sleeping in separate rooms 25 Spare rooms and storage of disability related equipment 26 Significantly adapted accommodation 27 3.7 Shared care of children 27 Legal challenges 28 3.8 Sheltered and supported housing 30 3.9 Foster carers and adoptive parents 31 3.10 Temporary absences from home 33 Students 33 Armed forces personnel 34 Legal challenges 35 3.11 Separated couples living together 35 3.12 Bereavement, temporary protection and reporting changes of circumstances 36 4. The options for tenants 37 4.1 Discretionary Housing Payments 37 4.2 Moving to a smaller home 38 4.3 Taking in a lodger 39 4.4 Earning more money 40 5.
    [Show full text]
  • 134060 Radius Housing
    Case Study What action should you take? Bill and Marie live in a 3 bedroom Radius If you have an extra bedroom/s, you should property with their daughter Lucy, aged 7. think about how the Social Sector Size Criteria / ‘Bedroom Tax’ will apply to your They receive Housing Benefit to help pay household. their rent which is £100 per week. This is • You should consider how you will manage paid to Radius Housing on their behalf. to pay any shortfall. • You could also consider moving to a As they currently under occupy by one smaller property. Your Housing Officer can Social Sector Size bedroom their Housing Benefit is reduced assist you to look at alternative housing by 14%. Thus they have a £14 per week options. Criteria (SSSC) shortfall. • If you require the extra room for care needs you should apply to the NIHE Housing Benefits Section and ask for this to be Bedroom Tax Bill and Marie have to pay the shortfall taken into account when assessing your of £14 per week in their rent to their housing costs. landlord. Help and Support If you are concerned about the ‘Bedroom Tax’ and would like further information or advice, please contact our Welfare Advice Service on Tel 0330 123 0888. Alternatively you can get further information on our website www.radiushousing.org or visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/changes-to- housing-benefit @RadiusHousing /RadiusHousing radiushousing © Radius Housing, May 2019 Registered Office: Radius Housing Association, 38 – 52 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 6AA Registered in Northern Ireland (No. IP169), VAT Reg.
    [Show full text]
  • General Election - Housing Policy Update 1
    GENERAL ELECTION - HOUSING POLICY UPDATE 1 Briefing note April 2015 GENERAL ELECTION - HOUSING POLICY UPDATE Over recent weeks each of the main parties have released their manifestos, including details of their housing policies, and we set out below highlights from them. Our summary is arranged under key topics and the contrast in policy positions is clear. A coalition or minority government may necessitate compromises to many of these policies and it will be interesting to see which of them are eventually implemented. RIGHT TO BUY Conservative Extend Right to Buy ("RTB") to housing association tenants in England. The replacement of properties to be sold under the scheme to be funded by the sale of expensive Council properties as they fall vacant. Labour Have not outrightly opposed the Conservative RTB proposal but have commented that the potential loss of affordable housing could not work unless it was matched by a "massive Government-led house- building programme". UKIP Apply all revenue from RTB sales (after essential costs) into new community housing and prevent non- British nationals accessing RTB or Help to Buy schemes, unless they have served in HM Armed Forces. Liberal Devolve full control of the RTB scheme to Councils. Democrats Do not support the Conservative proposal to extend RTB scheme to housing association tenants. Green Party End RTB discounts SNP The RTB scheme has already been abolished in Scotland and the SNP have criticised the Conservative proposal to extend the RTB scheme to housing association tenants. Plaid Cymru Have criticised the Conservative proposal to extend the RTB scheme to housing association tenants.
    [Show full text]
  • OPENING PANDORA's BOX David Cameron's Referendum Gamble On
    OPENING PANDORA’S BOX David Cameron’s Referendum Gamble on EU Membership Credit: The Economist. By Christina Hull Yale University Department of Political Science Adviser: Jolyon Howorth April 21, 2014 Abstract This essay examines the driving factors behind UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to call a referendum if the Conservative Party is re-elected in 2015. It addresses the persistence of Euroskepticism in the United Kingdom and the tendency of Euroskeptics to generate intra-party conflict that often has dire consequences for Prime Ministers. Through an analysis of the relative impact of political strategy, the power of the media, and British public opinion, the essay argues that addressing party management and electoral concerns has been the primary influence on David Cameron’s decision and contends that Cameron has unwittingly unleashed a Pandora’s box that could pave the way for a British exit from the European Union. Acknowledgments First, I would like to thank the Bates Summer Research Fellowship, without which I would not have had the opportunity to complete my research in London. To Professor Peter Swenson and the members of The Senior Colloquium, Gabe Botelho, Josh Kalla, Gabe Levine, Mary Shi, and Joel Sircus, who provided excellent advice and criticism. To Professor David Cameron, without whom I never would have discovered my interest in European politics. To David Fayngor, who flew halfway across the world to keep me company during my summer research. To my mom for her unwavering support and my dad for his careful proofreading. And finally, to my adviser Professor Jolyon Howorth, who worked with me on this project for over a year and a half.
    [Show full text]
  • Accommodation Finder Self Help Pack (PDF, 370
    Accommodation finder self-help pack Contents Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Finding a suitable home that you can afford 3 a) Bedroom calculator 3 b) LHA rates in Cheshire West and Chester 3 c) Benefits calculator 4 d) Financial statement 4 3. Choosing the right housing option 4 a) Private rented 4 b) Registered providers (housing associations) 5 c) Council housing 6 d) House shares and room renting 7 e) ‘Forfutures’ supported housing 8 f) Other supported housing 8 g) Lodging 8 h) Buying your own home 9 i) Home swap 10 j) Sheltered and extra care housing 10 4) Homelessness 11 Page 2 1. Introduction This self-help pack can be used by anyone trying to find accommodation in the Cheshire West and Chester area. You can increase your chances of finding something suitable by considering the full range of housing options available to you as well as knowing what you can afford. 2. Finding a suitable home that you can afford It is important that the property you choose is both suitable for your households needs and is affordable. a) Bedroom calculator If you claim Housing Benefit (HB), Universal Credit (UC) or Local Housing Allowance (LHA), it is important that you look for a property with the correct number of bedrooms for your household so that you are not impacted by the ‘Spare Room Subsidy’ (more commonly known as ‘Bedroom Tax’). Even if you don’t currently claim HB, UC or LHA it will be a good idea to do this check in case you need to do so in future.
    [Show full text]
  • Yougov / Sunday Times Survey Results
    YouGov / Sunday Times Survey Results Sample Size: 1903 GB Adults Fieldwork: 12th - 13th September 2013 Voting intention 2010 Vote Gender Age Social grade Region Lib Lib Rest of Midlands Total Con Lab UKIP Con Lab Male Female 18-24 25-39 40-59 60+ ABC1 C2DE London North Scotland Dem Dem South / Wales Weighted Sample 1903 472 538 129 171 556 490 426 923 980 226 481 651 544 1085 818 244 618 407 468 166 Unweighted Sample 1903 441 586 123 194 554 494 451 884 1019 166 462 751 524 1271 632 280 626 389 464 144 % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Headline Voting Intention [Excluding Don't knows and Wouldn't votes] Con 33 100 0 0 0 76 5 13 35 32 32 30 31 40 35 31 30 39 32 33 22 Lab 38 0 100 0 0 3 87 30 37 40 34 42 40 34 36 40 46 26 40 48 35 Lib Dem 9 0 0 100 0 1 1 33 9 10 15 11 8 7 11 7 7 13 7 6 12 Other 20 0 0 0 100 19 6 23 20 19 19 17 22 19 18 22 16 22 21 12 32 Other Parties Voting Intention UKIP 12 0 0 0 100 18 3 10 13 11 6 7 16 13 10 15 9 17 12 10 5 SNP / PCY 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 3 3 1 4 2 3 3 2 0 0 2 0 21 Green 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 2 4 5 5 3 1 3 2 5 4 3 1 2 BNP 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 1 1 0 1 1 2 0 2 1 1 Respect 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Other 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 Non Voters Would Not Vote 8 0 0 0 0 3 3 4 7 9 17 11 7 3 8 9 8 12 6 7 4 Don't know 17 0 0 0 0 13 10 25 9 25 22 18 13 21 15 21 18 18 19 17 15 Sep Sep 11-12 12-13 Do you approve or disapprove of the Government's record to date? Approve 31 31 81 5 49 16 62 9 23 37 24 26 29 31 33 33 27 33 33 31 27 25 Disapprove 56 54 8 86 38 73 26 80 62 53 54 41 50 57 57 51 56 52 50 53 56 63 Don't know 13 16 11 8 13 12 13 11 15 10 22 33 20 12 10 15 17 15 17 15 17 12 1 © 2013 YouGov plc.
    [Show full text]
  • Survey Report
    R YouGov / Daily Telegraph Survey Results YouGov Sample Size: 1926 Fieldwork: 25th - 27th March 2008 For detailed results, click here % Headline Voting Intention Con 43 Lab 29 Lib Dem 17 Other 11 Other Parties Voting Intention SNP / PCY 3 Green 2 UKIP 3 BNP 3 Respect 0 Other 1 Non Voters Would Not Vote 8 Don't know 14 Do you approve or disapprove of the Government’s record to date? Approve 21 Disapprove 64 Don’t know 16 Which of these would make the best Prime Minister? Gordon Brown 24 David Cameron 32 Nick Clegg 7 Don’t know 37 Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with Gordon Brown as Prime Minister? Satisfied 23 Dissatisfied 63 Don’t know 14 Do you think that David Cameron is or is not proving a good leader of the Conservative Party? Is proving a good leader 44 Is not proving a good leader 34 Don’t know 23 If you had to choose which would you prefer to see after the next election a Conservative government led by David Cameron or a Labour government led by Gordon Brown? Conservative government led by David Cameron 47 Labour government led by Gordon Brown 35 Don’t know 19 1 © 2008 YouGov plc. All Rights Reserved www.yougov.com R % YouGov Suppose a Conservative Government were formed under David Cameron which of these three statements would come nearest your own reaction? I would be delighted 22 I would be dismayed 32 I wouldn’t mind 33 Don’t know 13 Which party do you think is more likely to run Britain’s economy well – the Conservatives or the Labour Party? Conservative 35 Labour 27 Neither 27 Don’t know 12 Do you think that Alistair Darling is doing a good job or a bad job as Chancellor of the Exchequer? A good job 14 A bad job 56 Don’t know 30 How do you think the financial situation of your household will change over the next 12 months? Get a lot better 2 Get a little better 10 Stay the same 20 Get a little worse 40 Get a lot worse 24 Don’t know 4 A lot of people at the moment are critical of the overall performance of Gordon Brown and the Labour Government.
    [Show full text]
  • Thecoalition
    The Coalition Voters, Parties and Institutions Welcome to this interactive pdf version of The Coalition: Voters, Parties and Institutions Please note that in order to view this pdf as intended and to take full advantage of the interactive functions, we strongly recommend you open this document in Adobe Acrobat. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free to download and you can do so from the Adobe website (click to open webpage). Navigation • Each page includes a navigation bar with buttons to view the previous and next pages, along with a button to return to the contents page at any time • You can click on any of the titles on the contents page to take you directly to each article Figures • To examine any of the figures in more detail, you can click on the + button beside each figure to open a magnified view. You can also click on the diagram itself. To return to the full page view, click on the - button Weblinks and email addresses • All web links and email addresses are live links - you can click on them to open a website or new email <>contents The Coalition: Voters, Parties and Institutions Edited by: Hussein Kassim Charles Clarke Catherine Haddon <>contents Published 2012 Commissioned by School of Political, Social and International Studies University of East Anglia Norwich Design by Woolf Designs (www.woolfdesigns.co.uk) <>contents Introduction 03 The Coalition: Voters, Parties and Institutions Introduction The formation of the Conservative-Liberal In his opening paper, Bob Worcester discusses Democratic administration in May 2010 was a public opinion and support for the parties in major political event.
    [Show full text]
  • Resources/Contacts for Older People's Action Groups on Housing And
    Resources/contacts for Older People’s Action Groups on housing and ageing for the next General Election It is not long before the next general election. Politicians, policy makers and others are developing their manifestos for the next election and beyond. The Older People’s Housing Champion’s network (http://housingactionblog.wordpress.com/) has been developing its own manifesto on housing and will be looking at how to influence the agenda locally and nationally in the months ahead. Its manifesto is at http://housingactionblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/our-manifesto-for-housing-safe-warm-decent-homes-for-older-people/ To help Older People’s Action Groups, Care & Repair England has produced this contact list of key people to influence in the run up to the next election. We have also included some ideas of the sort of questions you might like to ask politicians and policy makers when it comes to housing. While each party is still writing their manifesto in anticipation of the Party Conference season in the autumn, there are opportunities to contribute on-line at the party websites included. National Contacts – Politicians, Parties and Policy websites Name Constituency Email/Website Twitter www.conservatives.com/ Conservative Party @conservatives www.conservativepolicyforum.com/1 [email protected] Leader Rt Hon David Cameron MP Witney, Oxfordshire @David_Cameron www.davidcameron.com/ Secretary of State for Brentwood and Ongar, [email protected] Communities and Local Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP @EricPickles Essex www.ericpickles.com
    [Show full text]
  • Where Next for the Liberal Democrats?
    Where next for the Liberal Democrats? Tim Bale Aron Cheung Alan Wager It has, to put it mildly, been a difficult twelve months for the Liberal Democrats. A year ago this week, polling conducted by YouGov and Ipsos Mori showed their support at 20% – a level the party had not enjoyed since they’d entered their ill-fated coalition with the Conservatives in the spring of 2010. Nine long years later, they were daring to dream once again: could it be that, under Jo Swinson, we would soon see the UK’s electoral map coloured with the same amount of Lib Dem yellow that Charles Kennedy and, latterly, Nick Clegg had once achieved? The answer, of course, was no. The general election that followed was a not just an electoral disappointment but a disaster – so much so that Swinson herself lost her seat. Not only that, but the party’s main policy aim – to reverse the Brexit decision – lay in tatters. Yet, despite these setbacks, the new electoral geography of the post-Brexit era brings with it challenges but also opportunities for the Liberal Democrats – existential questions but also, if they can exploit their new electoral coalition, some potential answers. This short paper hopes to set all this out just as ballots open for the party’s new leader. Putting the 2019 result in historical context The eleven seats the Liberal Democrats won in December 2019 may have represented a slight decline on the dozen the party achieved in 2017 under Tim Farron; but they also represented a near-halving of the 21 which, following multiple defections, the party went into the general election defending.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy
    Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy Final Report December 2015 Research Report No 913 A report of research carried out by by the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research and Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Department for Work and Pensions or any other government department. © Crown copyright 2015. You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected]. This document/publication is also available on our website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/ research#research-publications If you would like to know more about DWP research, please email: [email protected] First published December 2015. ISBN 978 1 911003 14 4 Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Department for Work and Pensions or any other Government Department. Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy – Final Report Summary This report presents findings from the evaluation of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS) undertaken by Ipsos MORI and the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research. The fieldwork was carried out over the first 20 months of implementation, from April 2013 until November 2014. An interim report was published in July 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • 5.2 Relationship Between Benefits and Social Housing (2016)
    5.2 Relationship between benefits and social housing There have been a number of major changes to the Housing Benefit Scheme since April 2013. Changes in April 2013 included the introduction of the new under occupation rules that affects tenants living in Social Housing. The amount of Housing Benefit that council tenants and housing association tenants can get if their home is considered too large for their needs has been cut. The rules only affect people of working age (pensioners are not affected). It is commonly referred to as the 'bedroom tax'. Housing Benefit is based on the number of bedrooms a household needs. The new rules allow one bedroom for: a couple (married or unmarried) any person aged 16 or over two children under 16 of the same sex two children aged under 10 regardless of gender any other child (other than a child whose main home is elsewhere) people who need an overnight carer adult children in the Armed Forces (they are treated as living at home even if deployed on operations) disabled children who are unable to share a bedroom with a sibling due to a severe disability. This has meant that tenants may get less help towards rent and service charges if tenants are assessed under these rules as having more bedrooms than the household needs. The rent allowed will be reduced by: 14 per cent if there is one extra bedroom 25 per cent if there are two or more extra bedrooms. The other major change that impacted on housing benefit claimants was the introduction of the Benefit Cap in August 2013.
    [Show full text]