New Professional Resource on Welfare Reform and Housing

Housing Rights has just produced a new Professional Resource on Welfare Reform and Housing. This timely publication should prove to be essential reading for anyone giving advice to clients on the impact of the welfare reform measures.

Changes to welfare in Northern Ireland

Over the last few years there have already been a number of changes to the social security system in Northern Ireland; particularly in relation to financing private rented accommodation. For example, setting the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate at the lowest 30th percentile of rents and capping the number of bedrooms considered under LHA. The impact of the welfare reform measures still to come will be far reaching, especially for all working-age benefit claimants and social rented tenants. 

Implementation of welfare reform in Northern Ireland

Differences between the pace of introduction of welfare reform in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK has led to some confusion over what measures are being introduced and the proposed timescales for implementation.

This Professional Resource clarifies what measures have already been applied and those which are still to come, including proposed dates for introduction. It covers a range of topics including:

• The background to the welfare reform changes in Northern Ireland, including the mitigation package;
• Universal Credit: what it is, who can claim it, how it’s calculated and sanctions;
• Issues affecting social rented accommodation: the bedroom tax, applying local housing allowance rates to the social sector, changes to service charges;
• Other reforms including the benefit cap, abolition of the social fund, changes to Support for Mortgage Interest.

Buy your copy of Welfare Reform and Housing

You can buy your copy online. Members of Housing Rights will pay £5.20 (voluntary / community) or £9.95 (private/ statutory) for a Professional Resource. Non members will pay either £6.50 or £11.95 depending on type of organisation. 

Make sure you are logged in to our website to get the discounts. You can also order your copy by email.

Housing Rights have a full range of professional resources covering housing legislation, policy and practice in Northern Ireland.