Friday 9 September 2016

They own land! Give them money!

From The Evening Standard:

Housing benefit would be increased for tens of thousands of people in London under Liberal Democrat proposals.

Lib-Dems are proposing to link local housing allowance, which private renters on housing benefit can receive, to average rents locally "so that the benefit reflects the actual cost of renting. LHA is currently capped and linked to the lowest rental costs in an area.

This would mean huge rises in housing benefit for many people who live in high-rent areas such as Westminster, Chelsea, Kensington, Fulham, Islington and Richmond.

The Lib-Dems estimate the housing benefit reform would cost about £3 billion a year by 2020-21.


Or more accurately:

Housing benefit would be increased for thousands of landlords in London under Liberal Democrat proposals.

Lib-Dems are proposing to link local housing allowance, which private landlords whose tenants are on housing benefit can receive, to average rents locally "so that the benefit maximises the value they can extract from society". LHA is currently capped and linked to the lowest rental costs in an area.

This would mean huge rises in housing benefit receipts for those who own several homes in high-rent areas such as Westminster, Chelsea, Kensington, Fulham, Islington and Richmond.

The Lib-Dems estimate the housing benefit reform would benefit the Duke of Westminster by about £3 billion a year by 2020-21.




9 comments:

Steven_L said...

Why are they being stupid? With the tories annoying the landlords with their landlord taxes and the homeowners with Heathrow, why shouldn't they be trying to win back their trendy west london constituencies?

Mark Wadsworth said...

L, SL seems to have a good answer.

Bayard said...

They've only got eight MPs. They can promise what they like. Moon on a stick, anyone?*

*a friend of mine actually got given one of those once.

benj said...

It's ok folks because with LibDem Alter President Vince Cable in the party, something like this could never happen, even if they did get into power.

Bayard said...

Has Uncle Vince been reprogrammed to talk sense, now that the Lib Dems are no longer in power, or was the re-mapping of his brain that happened in 2010 permanent?

Mark Wadsworth said...

B, true, although I don't believe the second bit.

BJ, to be fair, they did trial the mansion tax lite for foreigners aka ATED.

B, I don't think VC counts for anything any more now he is no longer an MP.

Dr Evil said...

Fortunately Lib Dems have no chance of attaining any power. They are idiots with other people's money. Housing benefit should be scrapped or only available for a limited time. Get a job or lose your house, just as in the real world.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Dr E, I actually agree with you, with the caveat that the same logic applies to people who bleat that "LVT doesn't relate to ability to pay" and to ameliorate the harshness, I'd have a Citizen's Income and more social housing.

James Higham said...

Which is an interesting stance for the LibDems to take.