Response - Changes to Local Housing Allowance

Whilst one of the unintended consequences for the Government of the £15 excess provision has been an overspend in their housing benefit budget, at this stage the decision to remove this both undermines the original policy intentions of LHA, but also comes ahead of the DWP two year LHA review due in 2010. We feel there are anomalies in addressing this issue now ahead of the planned review, as well as raising questions relating to what the LHA programme has set out to achieve.