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Sheltered housing developments ‘shelved due to benefit cuts’

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Rehousing Advice.
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The Homeless Link response is here.

“The Government’s announcement highlights the urgent need for a national cross-Government homelessness strategy with a clear vision for the future of supported housing at its heart.

“We are now effectively facing the frustrating prospect of contradictory policies. The welcome decision to temporarily remove LHA Caps from supported and sheltered housing will be instantly undermined by the 1% rent reduction planned from April 2017 – a hugely disappointing and damaging move. The Government has already suspended the rent reduction once due to the devastating impact it was predicted to have, and the same concerns are still valid today. Its implementation will result in a squeeze on supported housing services, which is likely to risk services closing and lead to an increase in the number of people who find themselves homeless.”

http://www.homeless.org.uk/connect/news/2016/sep/15/strategic-approach-on-homelessness-needed-to-secure-future-of-supported

Homeless Link…....  List the positives and negatives


“Homeless Link particularly supports:
•The removal of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) Caps from supported and sheltered housing until the future funding regime is introduced. We would, however, have liked to have seen the Government remove the LHA Caps proposal altogether.
•Protection of the full amount of current Housing Benefit expenditure.
•Payment of housing costs at the LHA one-bedroom rate.
•A ring-fence on the top-up funding local authorities can receive.
•Protection for short-term services.

Homeless Link opposes:
•The 1% rent reduction to be applied to supported and sheltered housing from April 2017.
•Individuals in supported housing will no longer have automatic ‘entitlement’ to have their rent met above Local Housing Allowance Levels.

Many aspects of the proposals remain unclear, and a lot more detail is needed.”

 

 

 

shawn mach
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From Inside Housing -

A new housing benefit cap will apply to existing as well as future supported housing tenants, a senior Department for Work and Pensions official has said.

The confirmation that the ‘Local Housing Allowance cap’ will apply to existing tenants came as a surprise to housing figures, as previous proposals as outlined would only apply to future tenants.

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/business/lha-cap-will-apply-to-existing-supported-housing-tenants/7016910.article

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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shawn - 22 September 2016 12:55 PM

From Inside Housing -

A new housing benefit cap will apply to existing as well as future supported housing tenants, a senior Department for Work and Pensions official has said.

The confirmation that the ‘Local Housing Allowance cap’ will apply to existing tenants came as a surprise to housing figures, as previous proposals as outlined would only apply to future tenants.

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/business/lha-cap-will-apply-to-existing-supported-housing-tenants/7016910.article

how many housing benefit caps can there be???

Rehousing Advice.
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I was contemplating whether you could have a Total MP expenses cap. I mean its a bit unfair on those MPs that by chance, happen to live on the periphery,  but there again the Benefit cap is unfair on those that live in the Metropolis….because…... err ........there is a big difference to peoples living/travel costs dependent upon where people live, which your total caps don’t factor in..

Still,  maybe they the MPs and those threatened with homelessness could home swap?

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Consultation on supported housing now been published, closing date for responses 13 February 2017, for funding model from April 2019.

Funding for supported housing

There’s also research published that estimates the scale, scope and cost of the supported housing sector in Great Britain

Supported accommodation review

[ Edited: 22 Nov 2016 at 09:03 am by Paul_Treloar_AgeUK ]
Daphne
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House of Commons library briefing

explains the impact of the Government’s policy of requiring rent reductions, and also the application of Local Housing Allowance caps, on the supported housing sector. The sector has argued that the measures threaten its viability. On 15 September 2016 the Government announced that LHA caps will apply in 2019/20

http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN06080

Rehousing Advice.
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The homeless Link resource page on the consultation is very good.

Just listened to the latest recorded Webinar

http://www.homeless.org.uk/connect/blogs/2016/dec/12/supported-housing-consultation-resources-for-members

Well worth a listen if you want to respond.

Just my view.

Daphne
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New House of Commons Library briefing paper on Paying for supported housing

This House of Commons Library briefing paper explains the impact of the Government’s policy of requiring rent reductions, and also the application of Local Housing Allowance caps, on the supported housing sector. The sector has argued that the measures threaten its viability. On 15 September 2016 the Government announced that LHA caps will apply in 2019/20.

Rehousing Advice.
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Thinking out Loud….

This is just not about the top-up fund?

If… post 19, the regime is UC Housing costs (set at LHA) plus….. La contribution via top up fund…. The setting of the LHA then becomes much more important for providers?? OR will the LA be expected to subsidise a LHA set/frozen well below market rent?

Views?

stevenmcavoy
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Daphne - 03 January 2017 02:05 PM

New House of Commons Library briefing paper on Paying for supported housing

This House of Commons Library briefing paper explains the impact of the Government’s policy of requiring rent reductions, and also the application of Local Housing Allowance caps, on the supported housing sector. The sector has argued that the measures threaten its viability. On 15 September 2016 the Government announced that LHA caps will apply in 2019/20.

just getting a chance to read this.

so from reading that even current claimants wont be protected from this limit?  pretty harsh given they will have already signed their tenancies etc based on current rules.

has anyone seen anything as to how scotland will respond to this? we will eventually have the UC housing element devolved but not hb.  any news on what funds we would get thats noted for england?

as if this area wasnt hard enough to get the head aorund.

HB Anorak
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I think the answer to both Martin and Steven is that providers will have to stop thinking of higher procurement, leasing and management costs as part of the charge to the individual - instead these are services that will be commissioned in the same way that care and support contracts are currently set up:

- block contracts for high turnover hostel-type projects
- individually commissioned packages for supported living tenants

Existing claimants won’t need transitional protection because there won’t be any point including charges in their licence/tenancy that they cannot realistically pay, in the same way that commissioned care and support costs are currently not included in personal accommodation charges.  Benefits will pay up the LHA for everyone, supported or general needs; higher costs for supported accommodation will be rolled up into commissioning.  Means testing for whole or partial self-funders in supported living will need to be looked at: will accommodation charges be set at LHA level for them too with fairer charging applying to the total care, support and intensive management package?  Or will they be expected to pay the full cost of providing and managing the building separately from any means test for care?

Rehousing Advice.
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Where HB Anorak sees a beautiful butterfly, I see a dead caterpillar.

Its probably good to have more than one view.

Here are some others.

Support Solutions….reply…... http://www.supportsolutions.co.uk/briefing/issue_12/community_sustainment.html  Butterfly

SPEYE…. https://speye.wordpress.com/2017/01/18/lha-maxima-cap-consultation-part-1-not-just-wrong-but-dangerous/
Caterpillar.

Rehousing Advice.
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This is the link to the Sitra response Key positions

http://www.homeless.org.uk/connect/blogs/2017/feb/02/supported-housing-consultation-resources-for-members

Worried Caterpillar?

[ Edited: 3 Feb 2017 at 04:09 pm by Rehousing Advice. ]
Daphne
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<a> href=“http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2017-03-08/67193”>Responding to a written question yesterday</a>, Caroline Nokes says LHA cap will only apply to tenancies that

have been taken out or renewed on or after 1 April 2016

This goes against what is quoted in House of Commons briefing <a> href=“http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN06080”>Paying for supported housing</a> as mentioned above which states

On 15 September 2016 the Secretary of State announced a further delay in applying LHA rates in the supported housing sector to 2019/20. At the point of implementation the rates will apply to all supported housing residents in receipt of Housing Benefit.

So which is it?

Daphne
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Responding to a written question yesterday, Caroline Nokes says LHA cap will only apply to tenancies that

have been taken out or renewed on or after 1 April 2016

This goes against what is quoted in House of Commons briefing Paying for supported housing as mentioned above which states

On 15 September 2016 the Secretary of State announced a further delay in applying LHA rates in the supported housing sector to 2019/20. At the point of implementation the rates will apply to all supported housing residents in receipt of Housing Benefit.

which refers to this written statement

So which is it? I’m guessing the latter…

edit - just had it pointed out to me that Caroline Nokes question is only about general needs housing not supported housing - so do general need tenancies have protection if pre-2016 but supported housing tenancies don’t?

[ Edited: 14 Mar 2017 at 12:45 pm by Daphne ]