Welfare Reform Bill

My Lords, I support the amendment, which was so comprehensively moved by my noble friend Lady Hollis. One of the concerns of the organisations that have written about the Government’s proposals relates to the plan to reduce housing benefit for working-age tenants who are allegedly underoccupying social homes. From 2013, some 670,000 social housing tenants receiving housing benefit could lose an average of £676 a year, because under the new rules their homes could be deemed too large for their needs. The cuts could force them to choose between moving away, and thus leaving any local support networks or supportive neighbours, or going into debt. This could be particularly difficult for disabled claimants, many of whom could have had their homes adapted to deal with their disability. A spare bedroom may be necessary should family members visit or if the aid of a carer is required. There may well be no similar accommodation available in the locality. Some of the amendments before the Committee attempt to deal with these problems. Some of the organisations that have written to us have cited case studies. I have read them carefully but one particularly struck me. It caused me to look at my own circumstances and imagine how I would feel if these strictures were imposed on me. It concerned a woman who is disabled and widowed. She is on benefits and lives alone. Under the Government’s proposals she would be underoccupying two bedrooms and would therefore get a 23 per cent cut in her housing benefit. If, as seems likely, she could not afford this, she would need to move out of the home that she has lived in for 15 years. Fortunately, I am not in a completely similar position. I am not on benefits and I own my own home. However, I certainly began to wonder how I would feel if I were in that situation. I wondered how I would feel if I were told that I had either to make some payments that I could not afford or to pack up and move out. I would be absolutely devastated. A home is very special to most people. It is a life, full of possessions, and surrounded by neighbours who are also part of one’s life. This is particularly true for someone who is disabled, for whom the support and kindness of neighbours are of great importance, particularly for a widow living alone, such as the woman in the case history. Therefore, we must look carefully at this section of the Bill. It is possible to come to agreement if people living on their own are happy to move and live somewhere smaller that is easier to manage. However, this must be by agreement. It is quite wrong to proceed by means of enforcement. Agreement rather than enforcement must be the way forward here. I hope that, in view of the comprehensive statement that we have heard this afternoon from my noble friend Lady Hollis, the Minister will agree that the amendment is well worth supporting.