NI Conservatives’ social development spokesman, Trevor Ringland, has called upon the executive to implement the government’s housing benefit reforms with sensitivity to special circumstances in Northern Ireland.
“The government proposes to make housing benefits fairer and ensure tax payers are not paying to provide people with houses which are bigger than they need”, Trevor explained. “The principle is a good one. However, in Northern Ireland, we have a shortage of smaller accommodation with one or two bedrooms.”
“That is largely down to failures by successive social development ministers and the various housing associations to build smaller homes for social housing, despite the appeals of a number of charities. We don’t believe that it’s fair to punish people who claim these benefits for the fact that the executive has failed to provide them with suitable houses.”
“We would like to see the restrictions on spare bedrooms waived, wherever the housing association is unable to offer suitable alternative accommodation within the locality. The minister can recoup this money from associations which have failed to provide the necessary mix of social housing.”
“Devolution means that the executive has the ability to respond to Northern Ireland’s particular circumstances, while retaining the principle of parity with the UK welfare system. The spare room subsidy is one area where it is appropriate to show such sensitivity.”