CASE for review of welfare reforms

The Consortium of Associations in the South East (CASE) is a research group of nine major housing associations providing affordable homes in the South East of England. The objective of the group is to share thinking on best practice, as well as to prepare and commission research on matters of common interest. With plans to lobby MPs and influence opinion-makers, today CASE launches a paper entitled ‘The impact of welfare reform on housing’.

The CASE paper finds a number of policy areas where perceived short-term savings are likely to be overshadowed by a set of complex problems in the longer-term. Most critically, it finds a direct link between proposed reforms and a reduction in future build capacity. The danger is that as the Department for Communities and Local Government embarks on a programme to increase housing supply, the Department for Work and Pensions is preparing to implement policies that are certain to do the opposite.

Lindsay Todd, Radian’s Chief Executive, says; “In principle, CASE understands the need for welfare reform. The true aim of the system should always be to help people back to work and stability; we all agree that in order to achieve this, aspects of the system require modification. It is also reasonable to seek to contain public expenditure under the current economic climate. The challenge for the housing sector is how best to manage these choices in a way that does not worsen existing problems.”

CASE comprises The Guinness Partnership, The Hyde Group, L&Q, Moat, Paradigm, Radian, Sovereign, Thames Valley Housing and West Kent.