Changes To Housing Benefit Legislation

EDM number 88 in 1997-98, proposed by Lynne Jones on 06/06/1997.

That this House condemns the actions of the previous Government to restrict housing benefit payments to an amount equivalent to the average local rent for a suitably-sized home, which, by definition, will affect 50 per cent. of all applicants, as well as the proposal to define a suitabe home for single people aged under 60 years as a room in a shared house, thus forcing single people into houses in multiple occupation, which has been recognised as representing the most unsafe form of housing; notes that people most at risk are those with special housing needs, such as people with disabilities, which cannot be met in a house in multiple occupation; and calls on the Government, in recognition of the fact that these proposals will make a mockery of policies on homelessness and welfare to work, not to implement these changes in October as previously proposed.

This motion has been signed by a total of 35 MPs.