Southend Labour Party

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Shelter warns about Housing Benefit cuts

The housing and homelessness charity Shelter has criticised the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government today (18 August) for its plans to cut the Local Housing Allowance next year.

Councillor Ian Gilbert, who represents Victoria Ward, is concerned about the effect on Southends' families with CRISIS, another national homelessness charity, warning that 5,670 people in Southend will be affected.

According to Shelter's figures, a family living in a two bedroom house in Southend will lose £49.49 every month under the Conservative-Lib Dem scheme, whilst those living in a one bedroom house will lose £19.78 per month.

Councillor Gilbert says that these cuts "will inevitably cause hardship to many struggling families, as well as pensioners and the disabled. There are savings to be made in housing benefit, but this 'cut first - ask questions later' approach will cause serious poverty, which will only grow as more people lose their jobs as a result of the cutbacks. As usual, the Conservatives and Lib Dems are asking the poorest to bear the heaviest burden."

Nationally, over 750,000 households will be affected by the cuts to Housing Benefit.