CoalitionWatch from HouseMark

Direct payment projects extended

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:16:00 +0000

Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud has today announced that the Universal Credit direct payment demonstration projects will be extended for a further six months. The six projects will now run...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Judicial review of 'bedroom tax'

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:47:00 +0000

A group of disabled people and their families will today challenge the government's 'bedroom tax' in a judicial review at the High Court. Their lawyers will argue that the 'bedroom tax'...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Troubled families programme one year on

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:15:00 +0000

The Department for Communities and Local Government has today published a progress update on the first year of the 3 year troubled families payment-by-results programme. All 152 upper tier authority...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

LGA maps impact of spending review

noreply@blogger.com (John Wickenden) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:27:00 +0000

The Local Government Association claims that spending review cuts could lead to councils scaling all activity back to cover statutory responsibilities only. Its 'Anycouncil' modelling estimates a...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Queen's speech 2013

noreply@blogger.com (John Wickenden) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:21:00 +0000

The Queen's speech has promised a continuation to the current government's plans to support the private sector, reform welfare benefits and increase home ownership. Delivered at the state...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Universal Credit will do nothing for 90% of people in poverty, says TUC

noreply@blogger.com (John Wickenden) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:05:00 +0000

A joint report from the TUC and Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) claims the government's Universal Credit scheme could fail to deliver its key objectives. While acknowledging that Universal...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Landlords to bid for renewable energy options

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:07:00 +0000

A new competition, launched by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), aims to get renewable heating options installed in social homes. The competition is part of the extended...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Next week's Queen's Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:05:00 +0000

Ahead of the Queen's Speech on Wednesday 8 May the Guardian has outlined what it expects to be included. It is likely that this will be the Coalition's last programme of major legislation before the...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Build our way to recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:02:00 +0000

The Conservativehome blog yesterday recommended that the government increase taxes on land banks and other forms of property speculation and use the proceeds to invest in urban regeneration. By...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Universal Credit pilot goes live

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:31:00 +0000

The government's Universal Credit pathfinder got off to a slow start today in Ashton-under-Lyne, where single childless jobseekers with straightforward circumstances newly claiming benefits will...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Bids open for final round of £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:59:00 +0000

Housing Minister, Mark Prisk, today called on the voluntary sector, social enterprises and homelessness services to bid for the last slice of £20 million in Homelessness Transition Funds, offering...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Report raises concerns about Help to Buy scheme

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:01:00 +0000

Set against the backdrop of yet another UK ratings downgrade and the IMF's recent criticism of George Osborne's austerity programme, the Chancellor faced a fresh attack this week as the influential...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

10,000 new homes for private rent

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:01:00 +0000

Housing Minister Mark Prisk has announced the first 45 build-to-let projects to receive a share of £700 million out of the £1bn Build to Rent Fund, with the potential to deliver between 8,000 and...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Government considers changing definition of exempt accommodation

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:17:00 +0000

The government has confirmed it will consider changing the definition of exempt accommodation for supported and specialist housing. In a letter to stakeholders, Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Research reveals full force of welfare reforms

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:07:00 +0000

New research from Sheffield Hallam University sets out the impact of the UK Government's welfare reforms across the whole of Britain. The research was jointly funded by Sheffield Hallam, the...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Tougher regulation for social housing providers

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:57:00 +0000

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Regulation Committee has today outlined proposals to protect social housing assets in what it sees as a more complex and risky operating environment for social...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Report on impact of immigration from Bulgaria and Romania

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Kenny) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:04:00 +0000

A recent report on the impact of immigration from Bulgaria and Romania (known as the UE2 countries) following the lifting of transitional controls at the end of the year predicts that it may increase...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Personal Independence Payment ends 'lifetime awards'

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Webb) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:03:00 +0000

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has today introduced a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for eligible working age people aged 16 to 64....

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Landlords encouraged to bid for Digital Deal

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:01:00 +0000

The Government has announced a scheme encouraging social landlords to bid for a share of £400,000 to provide low cost internet access for tenants. Landlords who succeed in securing bids will have...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Select committee welfare reform warnings

noreply@blogger.com (John Wickenden) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:26:00 +0000

The Communities and Local Government (CLG) select committee has published a report assessing the changes instigated by the Government's welfare reform agenda. The report focuses on implementation...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

April changes

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Kenny) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:50:00 +0000

1 April saw the introduction of a number of changes in social policy with potentially huge implications, and generated much discussion in the mainstream press. Housing benefit cuts of between 14...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Coroner issues Lakanal House verdicts

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:08:00 +0000

Following the tragic Lakanal House tower block fire of 2009 when six people were killed, and around twenty people were injured, an inquest has been considering the case, and a jury recently returned...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Prisk announces DFG funding for 2013/14

noreply@blogger.com (John Wickenden) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:59:00 +0000

Housing Minister Mark Prisk has published details allocating £180 million of Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to local authorities for 2013/14. DFG is paid to individuals who need building work to...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

New Homes Bonus 'not adequately monitored'

noreply@blogger.com (John Wickenden) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:49:00 +0000

The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report appraising the Department for Communities and Local Government's (DCLG's) handling of its £1.3 billion New Homes Bonus. The Bonus, which...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]

Committee considers impact of welfare reforms

noreply@blogger.com (John Robinson) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:50:00 +0000

The Public Accounts Committee - chaired by Margaret Hodge MBE MP - has released a report examining the overall impact of housing benefit reforms implemented by the Department for Work and Pensions...

[To read the full article, please visit CoalitionWatch by clicking on the title of the article]