Labour pledge to review direct payment of housing benefit

he Guardian Housing Network are reporting that shadow planning minister Roberta Blackman-Woods has said the Labour party is looking at the issue of direct payment of houding benefit, as part of a range of incentives including tax deductions to entice landlords to make a more stable offer to families.

“There is a huge problem about to hit us with universal credit and we are very concerned about the arrival of direct payments and what that might mean for some people in the sector,” Blackman-Woods said.

The shadow minster warned that Labour would also look at boosting tenants’ rights if landlords did not respond to incentives. “The message to landlords is that we want to work with you and come up with workable incentives,” she said. “But if you don’t do that then what we might have to look at is giving people rights for longer term tenancies in the private rented sector.”

To read the whole article, see Labour to review direct payment of housing benefit to tenants