Welfare

Nicola Sturgeon First Minister Nicola Sturgeon encourages more people to take part in the Scottish Government’s Social Security Experience Panels.

Jeane Freeman Families with children will be among those worst affected by a number of UK government changes which came into force yesterday, Scotland’s social security minister has said.

Jeane Freeman Control over Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) has been transferred to the Scottish Government as of Saturday 1 April under the Scotland Act 2016.

Terrie Alafat The gap between the help with housing costs that young, single people in the private sector get and their rents is making housing virtually inaccessible, new Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) research has revealed.

The UK government is to make households that are made homeless exempt from Universal Credit following reports that the new benefits system has led to an increase in rent arrears. According to The Guardian, local authorities in London have said that rent collection levels for homeless tenants placed

Ashley Campbell By Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at CIH Scotland

Angela Constance Support has been stepped up for young people at risk of being pushed into homelessness due to UK government changes to housing benefit, social security secretary Angela Constance has said.

Mary Taylor A request by Scottish ministers for an immediate halt to the roll-out of the full service of Universal Credit “until problems with its implementation are fully resolved” has been welcomed by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).

Maureen Cope The deliberate exclusion of social landlords from the Universal Credit system means arrears levels are even worse than was originally feared, according to the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF).

On a quiet Friday afternoon, the DWP laid draft regulations to end automatic entitlement to housing benefit for 18-21 year olds. Worryingly, these regulations are due to be implemented incredibly swiftly and will be in force from the beginning of April 2017, less than a month after the initial layin

The UK Parliament’s work and pensions and communities and local government committees will hear from housing associations and local authorities today on the UK government’s planned shake-up of supported housing funding. The sessions form part of the committees’ joint inquiry into the future of

Annie Mauger CIH Scotland has added its voice to growing concerns about the negative social impact and spiralling costs of implementing Universal Credit.

Mary Taylor The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and the Scottish Government have accused Chancellor Philip Hammond of failing to alleviate the welfare cuts that the UK government is directing at some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Jeremy Hewer The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has warned that the Scottish Government’s increase in funding for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) is likely to be “overwhelmed” by the further cuts in social security entitlement.

Jeane Freeman Almost £58 million will be spent mitigating the impact of the UK government’s welfare reform on households across Scotland, it has been announced, as Westminster vows to press on with plans for further cuts to housing benefit.