Ian •hits out at Tory/Lib Dem plans to claw back over £1.7 billion a year in housing benefit by 2014/15.
Ian said,•“These shocking figures prove that the Coalition Government plan to continue attacking the most vulnerable people in our community over the term of this Parliament, these housing benefit cuts will push thousands of people into poverty and homelessness.

•

“Almost every private sector tenant in the country on Local Housing Allowance is going to be badly hit by these plans – including over 50,000 of the poorest pensioners on pension credit who will lose on average £11 a week.

•

“These figures show that the Coalition government’s housing benefit reforms will mean almost a million households will lose on average £12 a week from next year.• Over half a million will lose more than £10 a week, and over 40,000 households will lose more than £20 a week.

•

“However the Coalition government are deliberately concealing the whole truth, as these figures only relate to 2011 which shows £580m worth of cuts when we know that the full Housing Benefit cuts by 2014/15 are over £1.7bn.”

•

“It is scandalous that despite the evidence showing the terminal impact these cuts will have on our community the Tory/Lib Dem government still think it is a good idea to not only go ahead with their plans but to go much further too -; including savage cuts for working people and pensioners who won’t be able to afford their rent.”

•

Key points:

•

• 936,960 will lose on average £12 a week, and 522,890 will lose over £10 a week and 44,330 will lose over £20 a week.

•

• The budget only covers the measures to be introduced in 2011/12 totally around £580m, however the total cuts in Housing Benefit in 2014/15 is £1.76bn according to the Budget Red Book.

•

• •308,000 people either on sickness benefits or who are lone parents will lose on average £13 a week

•

• •51,000 pensioners on pension credit will lose on average £11 a week

•

• •Hundreds of thousands of working people will lose on average £12 a week

•

• •Labour ditched the proposal to remove the £15 excess in the December 2009 consultation paper, which was welcomed by the Tories and Liberals:

•