Haringey Labour News from your Haringey Labour Team
Haringey Council’s Labour Cabinet has agreed to top up payments to residents struggling with the costs of their housing, following cuts by the Conservative Central Government.
These payments, known as Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP), are made available by the Council to people in dire financial need, who are at potential risk of becoming homeless if they are unable to meet their rent payments or not able to pay for the deposit for a flat.
Tory policies are creating a pincer movement which puts the poorest families into the jeopardy of potential homelessness. Haringey’s Labour Council is acting to try to give some protection to those at the highest risk.
The Government’s 1.9% cut in Haringey Council’s DHP allocation will mean that there is even less funding available especially at a time when the Council’s budget continues to be hit by the Government’s austerity programme. Other resources will now be used to top up the funds available in our DHP budget, to offset the cut in our allocation made by central government.
Noah Tucker, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Insourcing said that ‘Attacks by central government on the living standards and security of the least well off people continue to make the lives of Haringey’s families on low incomes much harder.’
‘Benefit cuts due to take effect in 2019/20, including the lowered benefit cap, will significantly reduce the amount of Housing Benefit paid to Haringey’s poorest households and put more children and adults into the risk of becoming homeless.’