Hundreds of thousands of households, many of them with children, are staring homelessness in the face as a direct result of Iain Duncan Smith’s bungled welfare reforms.
Recently released figures show that just under 400,000 households received Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in 2013/14. These payments are the sticking plaster used to cover up savage cuts to housing benefits and prevent soaring homelessness in the run up to the election. Many of the payments, which are administered by Local Authorities, are being used to meet rent shortfalls due to the Bedroom Tax.
The figures do not show how long people have been given awards for, other than around 15,000 ongoing payments being granted to foster families and disabled people in adapted accommodation hit by the Bedroom Tax or other cuts. They do show however that over 100,000 families were given short term help until they ‘move into alternative accommodation’. These represent people forced out of their homes due to Welfare Reforms. How many have had to uproot children from school and move to new cities is not recorded, and neither is whether they actually secured alternative accommodation or are now living in temporary housing.
Over 20,000 households have received DHPs due to the impact of the Benefit Cap. This is almost half the total of families affected by the cap on Housing Benefits which makes much of London and the South East unaffordable for those out of work. The main reason the Benefit Cap has not yet caused the exodus from London, and the expected spike in the number of homeless families, is because lots of people’s benefits haven’t actually been capped yet. Instead housing costs are now being paid in the most complicated and precarious way possible by Local Authorities.
This makes a mockery of Iain Duncan Smith’s claim to have simplified the benefits system. Every local authority has different rules about who and why someone can receive DHPs creating a postcode lottery for claimants. As this week’s figures show, some Councils have massively overspent their DHP allowances, but several others have underspent. Some twat with a clipboard now makes a decision on whether to condemn people to homelessness, based on the whims of whichever bunch of bastards happens to be running the council at the time.
One thing is for sure which is that this mess is costing a fortune. Whilst lying bastard Lord Fraud desperately tried to mangle the figures, almost £200 million has been spent on DHPs in the last year. That’s on top of the huge costs administering the sweeping changes to Housing Benefits which ran to approaching £50 million for the Benefit Cap alone. This figure also does not include Housing Benefit now being paid out to people forced out of social housing due to the Bedroom Tax and into the vastly more expensive private rented sector. And of course no-one’s really counting the cost of housing people in temporary accommodation, such as hostels or B&Bs after they have been made homeless by Housing Benefit cuts.
Once again the facts are as stark as they are unarguable. Changes to Housing Benefits have led to desperate housing insecurity. What this means is in practice is families unable to plan for the future, children going to bed at night frightened of losing their homes or desperate stress and worry for disabled people receiving help with the Bedroom Tax and knowing that support could be removed at any time. It is utterly inhumane, breath-takingly inept and costing the tax payer a fortune. Just another day at the office then for the fucking idiots currently in charge of the DWP.
You can view the figures at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-discretionary-housing-payments-2013-to-2014
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the void 
Well, can I just ask mate, why you’re showing a picture of as homeless american? Because he spelt neighbour wrong!
Maybe he came over for a better life?
Hardly important in the grand scheme of things Nathan, bloody hell.
It was just a silly joke to lighten the mood, I’ve noticed the increase in the holeless in my town while they waste money stripping out the old pond to make a new one.
As for grammar. I’ve just always been annoyed at anyone not placing in the U, americans included, but as Andromeda said, maybe he did come over for a ‘better’ life.
http://www.dannydorling.org/books/allthatissolid/
Found at the library yesterday…says it all 😦
charles
the prof on the face of it talks sense….£245bn landlord PROFITS in the last 5yrs, and is counter productive to a vibrant economy, sucks humanity out.
plus this link… http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27940701
DHP funding 2014/15
7.3 The baseline funding towards DHPs is £20 million per year. Following the
introduction of the welfare reforms, central Government funding has been
increased to will help LAs to continue to assist claimants transition to the
welfare reforms, and to make long term awards as appropriate for those
with on-going needs. In 2014/15 the total DHP pot is £165 million.
7.4 The allocation of funding was agreed following consultation with local
authority associations and the distribution formula is intended, as far as
possible, to target resources according to need within each authority.
(p.20 – http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/300220/discretionary-housing-payments-guide-apr-14.pdf)
The government donation to individual local authorities is shown here:
(p.5 – https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275971/s1-2014.pdf
If you or anyone you know is refused a DHP show them these pages. Then ask them how complicit your local councillors (http://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/index.jsp?LGSL=358&😉
are in perpetuating the “sticking plaster” routine of this unelected government’s failing Welfare Reform project.
Nic
The government claimed that the new benefit reforms wouldn`t lead to homlessness when they brought these caps in. Just how stupid do they think people are? it was obvious from the start that people would lose their homes because of these so-called reforms.
Tory cunt Kris Hopkins encourages Landlords to evict Tenants on Housing Benefit:
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/11297544.Keighley_MP_under_fire_over_comments_about_tenants_on_housing_benefit/
Now the working classes know that they vote for the enemy, for *any* of the slimy parties at the next election!
Ah, somebody Else finally noticed;
Voting for a man wearing make up spewing words written by somebody else is much like cutting off your jaw because your supper was not satisfactory.
Both courses of action will lead to remorse, misery and starvation.
Most party appointed nominees are ‘FXXKwits’ that failed at school and the only option left for Father is to ask the old boys network to get them a job in politics where the simpleton can hide indefinitely.
If you wish for an example google George Smith’s educational and working achievements and you will see a history of utter failure built on a history of Bullsxxit tempered by money and favours.
All party politicians await their turn to sell off the next piece of your soul and I am afraid Wolfie Smith had it right
; The best option would be a wall and some fast repeating firearms.
And you chose to delete my comment? Why Johnny? Don’t hide.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
not deleted, picked up by the spam filter because it had links in it, showing now
I was forced to move due to the Bedroom Tax and I was turned down for DHP for some unknown reason. I was given no help whatsoever from my Housing Association or Council. It was a case of pay the rent or be evicted, that’s what Yorkshire Housing told me, and I had been a tenant with them in this property since 1997.
here’s what recently happened to a southwark resident (who was told he wasn’t eligible for discretionary housing payment although he may well be) http://t.co/HhJNeA4fNo
Not really sure what’s at the end of that link!
sorry, here it is in full http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/hold-news/news/3491-we-don-t-want-to-evict-you
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The misery this policy is causing is bloody spiteful many people are worried sick about becoming homeless and we have records number of people needing to use the mental health services ( if available), can no one see that this policy and the welfare so called reforms are causing physical and mental problems all costing money and lives.. And yet these parasites in Parliament are claiming for their spare bedrooms from the tax payers and this is fair!
Am right in thinking that Housing Benefit will be centralised under Universal Credit? So what will happen to those lucky enough not to be subject to the bedroom tax when they fall behind with rent? It’s common knowledge that sanctions are be awarded at any excuse possible helped along by new impossible to meet conditions. Formerly you could declare no income to your council and have HB run on – at least starving to death under a roof! Will this change matters?
This mass purge of people they deem worthless from society, those unlucky enough to be without work or sick – at this moment in time, but to where? Seems like the case of I’m alright Jack I’ve (or my relatives) have made my/our success, are financially secure, so now’s the perfect time to change the rules of society, i.e now it’s each to their own??? Rotten bastards to the core this government!
As we know, the bedroom tax has applied to private renters for years. Last week a neighbour and her five children (including disabled baby) were evicted. Landlord happily grinning as the locks were changed and they were slung out on their arses. She had got behind with her rent top ups. So now they are in one room in what the local council laughably call a hotel, it is filthy dirty and is populated along with other families by single men. It is a hell hole, there are no cooking facilities and they have been placed on the third floor where there are bars on the windows, so no escape should there be a fire. I bet you any money, keeping this family in this shit hole is costing way more than it would have cost the council to just cover her full rent. The bedroom tax for social and private tenants has nothing to do with saving money or fairness, it has a sole purpose along with all of the other welfare reform policies and that is to punish the poor, but then you all know that, shame the general public haven’t cottoned on.
It’s all in the plan to annihilate those they cannot fist with taxes and robbing their pensions, etc. One day someone will actually report this which amounts to social genocide, as the truth! Those that try are on hit lists as we know.
All political parties can share the dock!
Maybe once Murdoch, Darcy, and others of their ilk are all dead too? History once more will look back in shame, but will we ever learn the lessons?
Seems we are heading back to the 60s play for today “Cathy come home” comes to mind when reading about people made homless because of this governments fascist methods.
Affected by the bedroom tax and non dependant deductions, survived a 4 week sanction where they stopped all the money of a joint claim, a 3 month sanction would probably bring about eviction.
Sanctions is the biggest leverage of the governments strategy of creating a nation of mobile homelessness.
Groups of people should go and live in the spare bedrooms in IDS’s rent free mansion on his father-in-law’s land. Same with all the MP’s with huge homes and huge second and third homes…
Reblogged this on Jay's Journal and commented:
It gets worse, but at least the media are actually discussing it…
Reblogged this on UNEMPLOYED IN TYNE & WEAR.
The state clearly has a democidal agenda. Where are our former defenders: Labour, unions, some of the media? We have been abandoned. Every two weeks I feel and face the terror of signing on. One error and no money, no home and facing the prospect of living on someone’s sofa. The public are indifferent to the plight of millions of UK citizens. Just finished reading Jack London’s ‘Iron Heel’ (1907). Cannot believe how accurate and prophetic.
Reblogged this on Samara4baghad's Blog and commented:
its happening and getting worse here in south wales UK
Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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this man and his cronies should be tried for crimes against humanity but then humanity isn’t in him
This is why the media and Tory party, especially the old more vicious members (if that’s possible?) and all these other parties of right wing lunatics are screaming to get us out of the EU. It is all about control, and your human rights then will be similar to late 30’s Germany! Not that you have many left now.
Always look on the bright side of progressive inclusion, could be a positive political celebration of diversity and equality that the UK has its fair share of favelas and ghettos.
Yes, there’s no problem when the untermenschen (non-whites) are forced to live in those horrendous inhumane conditions (after all they are worthless and expendable and that’s all they deserve), but when they start to force real human beings (white people) to live in them, that would be worthy of outrage!
Exactly why the left can not defend the white working class against the imposition of poverty as their ideology of diversity and equality dictates that it is a worthy (punishment) leveller for colonialism and not delivering the red revolution.
The left advocates that the working class regardless of their religion, race or nationality should have the power to make the decisions and reap the the fruits of their labour, instead of the parasitical owning class.
In this country, it is the right-wing (who are the agents of the ruling elite and are predominantly ‘indigenous’ British and white) that is currently in power, that has this country engaged in their oft-stated “global race” (to the bottom), which will result in British inequality and poverty levels that are the same as those in the third world, but it seems that some people would prefer to retreat into a make-believe world regardless of the events that are taking place in reality, because they would prefer to scapegoat the left, diversity, equality and immigrants for the crimes committed by the right-wing and their ruling elite masters.
Do not think it is scapegoating the cultural divisions are very real as the left sought their advancement in demographic shift, as with your statement – predominantly ‘indigenous’ British and white – an example of seeking political advantage and affiliation in the agency of race and ethnicity.
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£4 million to refurbish an apartment? Utterly ridiculous when people are being forced onto the street over mere pounds for bedroom tax and also being sanctioned of benefits for basic food. They paid for the kitchen – how very kind! Still they burnt £10million on Thatchers funeral – austerity is for the already poor not them – different rules apply!
A mate of mine fell victim to this, right at the same time as he went into hospital due to a stroke. When he got out, his rent was stopped and he’s in huge debt. The guy is at deaths door. I went to the council for nil income form for his rent (they sanctioned his jsa too) and was told they dont exist. I was adamant they did. This explains it then, they only do it in certain towns. It will be my turn soon.
It’s fucking bullshit isn’t it eh? All these cuts on the poor justified by the baying right wing press. Whilst hundreds of thousands of people are suffering on a scale unseen since WW2, the media, the people that are supposed to tell the fucking truth about what’s going on, are demonising these people. So the idiot taxpayer thinks they are being culled to save them taxes? Then the idiot taxpayer realises, too late, his ass is being culled too. I tell you, they really need to be fucking careful here, 400 000 pissed off, hungry, homeless people with nothing to lose could cause a lot of damage to this wonderful capitalist system of ours. That man power could be put to good use, burn the whole system down. All they need is a leader to show them the light.
Sorry for the swearing, Johnny, but this makes me very angry, indeed.
william
to add insult to injury now they blame the masses for being neglectful of the elderly… http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28068601
Guess which annihilation ideology promoted the atomisation of the masses.
voidseeker
tell me about it i grew up in the highly social 50’s…she turned humanity to fcuking dust…i watched in horror as families were forced to move apart…”what choice do we have?”…she tore the joy out of life, for the buck…to profit from desperation…hereditary continuation for the rich…disenfranchisement for the working classes, we were happy with our lot we shared, we danced, we sung, we drunk, ate, and cried together…the extended family without which i would not be here today..a time when i had a choice of 4 PAID apprenticeships, to consider…”a home/share owning democracy” which actually meant keeping 40% of the electorate sweet that ensures their/her levers of power… forced to accept this imposed unnatural way of life…many so afraid to reject it coz it is all they know….
I don’t think he’ll like that answer OBD, it doesn’t blame reds under the beds, immigrants, multiculturalism etc.
r34
well i admit things were going sour before thatcher…and the main problem was how to solve headline hyper inflation, nothing else really, without redistributing true wealth..ie devolving power to the working class masses…even back then the labour party, pre thatcher were moving away from socialism, but tried to pretend that they weren’t… union leaders noticed this acutely, so they become “militant”…the rest is recent history…
Guess which annihilation ideology promoted the atomisation of the masses.
Thatcherism.
We need the wealth distributing far more evenly. No need for the rich to be stashing it away in the bank more than they’ll ever need in this lifetime, and never satisfied. They won’t be taking it with them for certain! You really don’t need that much in life to be happy – the less baggage the better actually.The rich capitalists have/are destroying society’s fabric deludely chasing that rainbow. Is that something to be proud of when they reach the end of their time on earth – they had so much at the expense of so many? Thatcher was a fool.
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I am subject to the Bedroom tax as I have a spare room. I am also trying to have a baby. Well if I’m paying for a room, dear Mr cameron. I’m going to make use of it.