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1% rent reduction: Representations on the Welfare Reform and Work Bill 06/08/2015 Labelled as Consultation

The proposals announced in the Summer Budget to reduce social rents by one percent per year over the next four years will have major implications for stock retained councils. 


The powers to enforce this are contained within the Welfare Reform and Work Bill which will reach the Committee stage in Parliament in September 2015. 


We intend to submit evidence at the Committee Stage of the Bill and are calling for evidence from ARCH members of the impact of these proposals.

 

The Welfare Reform and Work Bill is currently making its way through parliament and the Public Bill Committee will now scrutinise the detail of the Bill, which includes the provisions to decrease social sector rents by one percent each year for the next four years, and the Committee has launched its call for evidence.

 

We would like to make a submission to the committee on behalf of ARCH members. We'd like to include evidence of the adverse impact that the proposed rent cuts in the sector will have on stock retained councils' HRA Business Plans and new build programmes as well as your work on tackling worklessness, providing apprenticeships and training, if any. 

 

Our submission needs to be made by the beginning of September in order to give the Committee sufficient time to consider it before the committee stage ends (Thursday 15 October).

 

  • We're therefore asking all ARCH member councils to submit their evidence on the impact of the proposed rent cuts by email to matthew.warburton@arch-housing.org.uk.  
  • We'd also like you to complete the questionnaire circulate by the District Council's Network in July.

 

Please complete both surveys by Thursday 20 August. This will give us sufficient time to review and put together a submission for early September.

 

We recognise that it is likely that each council will be impacted in different ways. However, if you can assess the impacts on your own individual HRA business plans and highlight the necessary changes in services, additional projects or plans for new development that you would otherwise be considering, it would be most appreciated. We will also look to use some of this evidence in our submission to the CSR. 

 

It's important that the stock retained sector highlights the impact that these proposals will have on their Business Plans. we look forward to hearing from you and also urge your authority to consider making representations and submitting evidence direct to the Public Bill Committee.

 

Details of the Public Bill Committee and timetable for consideration of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill can be found here

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