Households in social housing could fall into fuel poverty because of government cuts to benefits and increased rents according to the New Local Government Network.

The Government has recently announced a 10 per cent cut in the council tax benefit budget, and have also said that those claiming jobseekers allowance for over a year will have their housing benefit cut by 10 per cent. There are currently 3.1 million social housing residents in receipt of means tested benefits in England, including 2.7 million who receive housing benefits. Around 4.9 million across all tenures receive council tax benefit, and a high proportion of social housing tenants are likely to qualify for this owing to their low incomes
The NLGN has warned that 1.1 million households could be affected by the cuts combined with plans to charge 80% of private sector rent for new social housing tenants.

Read more on BENEFIT CUTS AND RISING RENTS LEADING TO FUEL POVERTY WARNS THINKTANK…

The unprecedented budget cuts across the public sector make it imperative to review social housing procurement to encourage more integrated working.

Procure Plus, the North West regeneration social housing consortium, has called for greater collaboration in the housing sector following the recent Comprehensive Spending Review. The consortium believes the CSR should be the trigger for a positive review of social housing procurement to encourage more integrated working.

Registered providers of social housing have been urged to work more closely with other agencies and the construction industry, especially when it comes to the purchase of building materials and services.

The call comes against the background in the housing sector for organisations, and to some extent, individuals, to work independently.

Read more on CALL TO INTEGRATE SOCIAL HOUSING PROCUREMENT…

This guide from LG Improvement and Development shows how councils are using information from community engagement to inform the ways services are planned and delivered. It includes a range of examples that show the variety of approaches that councils have used.

Read more on INTEGRATING COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT WITH SERVICE DELIVERY…