News from the Residential Property Investor, the bi-monthly magazine for RLA members other artilces from the February / March 04 issue RPI news archive

Government sidelines HB anti-social penalty idea - February / March 2004

A proposal that anti-social tenants should be penalised by withdrawal of any housing benefit has been sidelined by the Government.

Announcing the results on consultations on the idea, Minister for Work and Pensions Chris Pond admitted there had been 'mixed views' on whether housing benefit was an appropriate weapon for dealing with anti-social behaviour.

'There is already a wide range of tools the Government can use to deal with behaviour that makes people's daily lives a misery, such as anti-social behaviour orders and acceptable behaviour contracts. The Government has recently strengthened these existing powers with further measures in the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 and new proposals in the Housing Bill currently before Parliament. All these measures will give councils a varied tool kit to tackle the blight of anti-social behaviour in their own areas.

'We want to judge the effectiveness of the range of existing measures before introducing a new one. But we have not ruled out using other means, in the future as we learn from experience and establish what works', he said.
 

other artilces from the February / Marc 2004 issue

• HB numbers do not add up
• RLA calls for more landlords powers
• Government sidelines HB anti-social penalty idea
• CALA homes in on housing shortfall
• Shrewd operators make 20 per cent letting returns
• Asylum support 'has improved'
• Landlords 'may not understand' risks
• Plan to boost northern cities
• Pathfinders already losing their way