Steven Lambert, the Parliamentary Candidate for Aylesbury, has slammed the Government’s changes to the Local Housing allowance. Steven said “The changes to the housing allowance were sneaked through by Labour in the last budget and the government clearly hoped they would be swept under the carpet. Now we find that, once again, Aylesbury’s residents will feel the brunt of Labour’s failed policies.

The government is destroying the original intention of Local Housing Allowance which was to bring choice and flexibility to the benefits system while also combating poverty. Anyone who has had to get by on a low income or manage a household budget will know that every penny counts and a £15 is a significant amount to lose from your family budget without any warning.

The people who would lose out under this proposal are poorer than those who would have been hit by the 10p tax debacle, and will be hit harder. Worse still, the government will not actually save any money by clawing back these £15 payments. I’m supporting the Lib Dems in Parliament and calling on local Tory MPs David Liddington and John Bercow, to protect low income families by signing the Early Day motion in Parliament.”

This week, Nick Clegg, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats challenged Gordon Brown directly over the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions and the Liberal Democrats in parliament will continue to do all they can to oppose this latest government assault on some of the very poorest families in the country.

Background information
The Early Day motion 2069 was tabled by the Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister Sarah Teather and supported by the housing charity, Crisis, to oppose the government’s proposed cuts for the poorest tenants.
- Link to the policy motion
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39300