Bedroom tax whats happening? Melanie Rees, CIH Learn with us. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Bedroom tax – what’s happening? Melanie Rees, CIH Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org

We’ll look at: • Bedroom tax – a quick round up • Some emerging issues • How organisations are responding Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 2

Social sector size criteria/ under- occupation penalty/ bedroom tax/ removal of the spare room subsidy: a quick round-up Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org

Key features • Began 1 April 2013 • Working age under-occupiers • 660,000 British households affected 66% disabled people  70,000 affected in London (ave. shortfall £23 p.w.)   50,000 south east (ave. shortfall £16 p.w.) Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 4

Emerging issues • What is a ‘bedroom’? • Stock imbalance • Layering effect • ‘Pay and stayers’ struggling • DHP – an adequate safety net? • ‘No eviction’ policies - realistic? Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 5

Legal matters • County Court Judges’ stance?  Be prepared! • Gorry case (May 2012) Circular - but no secondary legislation (Autumn ‘13?)  • High Court judgement (July 2013)  10 households with disabled adults Judgement - rules were ‘unfair’ but not directly  discriminatory Anomaly – adults v. children  Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 6

How are landlords responding? Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org

Getting the message across • Gathering/using insight information – Access to bank accounts/ IT – Communication preferences • Affinity Sutton benefit buddies • Halton Housing YouTube films • St Leger’s desk -top guide for staff • Wulvern Housing pocket guides • Communicate…and then communicate some more Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 8

Money matters • Focus on affordability  Orbit Heart of England ‘sustainability’ checker How will the ‘fall out’ be managed??  • Maximise payment methods • Access to banking  Walsall Housing Group • Money/benefits advice Connect Housing  • Money management support Halton Housing’s ‘budget buster’ sessions  Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 9

Getting in shape • Arrears process reviews – Solihull Community Housing • Re-sizing patches • Driving down arrears • Getting accounts in credit Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 10

Staying put • Supporting tenants to find lodgers – Nottingham City Homes • Promoting DHPs – Solihull Community Housing – Radian’s hardship fund • Supporting tenants into training and work – Wolverhampton Homes LEAP – Connect Housing pre- employment money advice Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 11

Digital inclusion • ‘Digital by default’…  …or ‘digital as appropriate’? • Supporting access Liverpool Mutual Homes – internet kiosks  Dacorum Council’s deal with BT  Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 12

Moving on • Changing/reviewing allocations policies  Prioritising under-occupiers Preventing under-occupation  Transfers with arrears  • Mutual exchanges Matching events – Salford, Nottingham and Luton  Wolverhampton Homes ‘house -doctoring ’  Dacorum Council’s ‘Summer of Swaps’  One Vision Housing’s matching officer  Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 13

Working together Strengthening and/or developing partnerships: • West Midlands Best Use of Stock Partnership Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 14

Making it fit? • Re-designating size of homes  Knowsley Housing Trust But beware!  • Re-framing development programme to increase focus on smaller units Halton Housing Trust  Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 15

And finally: • Focus on tenancy sustainment • Keep communicating: with tenants and partners • You can’t do it all alone - work with partners to find solutions Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 16

Get in touch: • melanie.rees@cih.org - T: 07950 506 692 • www.cih.org/welfarereform • www.cih.org/mbusresources Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 17