ROOF Blog

Attempts by the government to tackle low-paid jobs and poverty have failed, the Institute for Public Policy Research said yesterday. The IPPR said that persistent high levels of low pay and ‘in-work’ poverty remained despite the national minimum wage and tax credits. Five million employees, or a fifth of the UK’s workforce, are low paid, earning less that 60 per cent of average earnings, and more than half poor children live in a working household.

The government has changed the definition of the rental areas used to set housing benefit levels and sidestepped a House of Lord’s decision that would have forced it to redraw boundaries. The Department for Work and Pensions pushed through changes in rental areas, despite a Lord’s judgment that the areas covered were too large. The DWP argued that the judgment would disadvantage tenants in some areas by pushing down their housing benefit.

Housing minister Margaret Beckett said yesterday that the lifting of restrictions on councils to borrow private sector money would help fund social housing programmes. She is believed to have asked the Treasury to let councils have more financial freedom, allowing them to borrow freely on the open market. She added that some restrictions were already being lifted with town halls being able to bid, like housing associations, for social housing grants.

The tenancy deposit scheme (TDS) will only provide deposit protection and alternative dispute resolution to agents who are members of recognised professional bodies. The TDS said it was writing to all members who are unregulated agents to inform them that they will have to make alternative arrangements to protect deposits when cover finishes for them in April. It is writing to tenants also, but has advised them to ensure that their landlords have made alternative arrangements.

Research by the Liberal Democrats has found that thousands of vulnerable people are being forced into bankruptcy or selling their homes to pay for legal action, as town halls use aggressive tactics to chase council tax arrears. More than a million people have been summoned to court for falling behind with the council tax payment; bailiffs were called to collect arrears from almost 600,000 people; while councils filed for bankruptcy for more than 1,700 people to collect council tax arrears.

Leeds has become one of the first cities to sign up to an initiative aimed at preventing homelessness. In an agreement with Citizens Advice and Shelter, the council will provide early advice, assistance and support to people at risk, as well as helping people secure sustainable accommodation.

Bovis Homes has been forced to sell hundreds of unwanted homes to the government, through the government’s National Clearing House, in a deal worth £18 million. The clearing house scheme enables house builders to sell unsold stock to housing associations either for rent or low-cost home ownership.

A documentary has lifted the lid on rural people living in poverty, and shows the hardship and stigma faced by those living on a low income in the countryside. In the film people speak of having nowhere to live, of being unable to work because they cannot afford to run a car, or of living without a phone, TV or hot water.

A new code of practice laying down how young people should be treated during detention or while being transferred into local authority care came into force yesterday. The code will ensure that children have their asylum applications dealt with quickly. The UK Border Agency will introduce a duty of care regarding the welfare of children into the new Border, Citizenship and Immigration Bill.

A leaked memo has revealed that government ministers have signed a deal with a private company to build 200 bail hostels, but local residents and councillors will not be consulted on their location. The memo advises local authorities that councillors and residents will not be notified of the plans until they have been approved, and if they do find out about them, the councils will have no right to object to the hostels unless they breach housing or planning rules. The hostels are to house bailed offenders, those released on home curfew with electronic tags, and alleged offenders awaiting trial.