Housing Benefit and the Emergency Budget of June 2010

An examination of, and response to, the measures relating to housing benefit, announced in the emergency budget of June 2010.

There is a clear need for long term reform of housing benefit and the wider system of support with housing costs. The emergency budget of 22 June 2010 announced several changes to housing benefit.

Several months before the general election BSHF planned a Consultation to be held from 22 – 24 June at St George’s House, Windsor Castle, which brought together practitioners and academics from a wide range of housing-related backgrounds to examine the subject of support with housing costs. This meeting proved to be more timely than could have been expected, with an emergency budget being presented on the first day of the meeting, containing a substantial focus on housing benefit.

Housing benefit reforms announced in the emergency budget could have significant financial and social costs for individuals and communities without making savings on public expenditure. The paper reveals major concerns over the housing benefit measures announced in last week’s budget. The paper accepts that there is a clear need for long term reform of housing benefit and the wider system of support with housing costs, but calls into question many of the measures announced in the budget.