SFHA Launches Campaign For Fairer Welfare System

Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:37

The SFHA yesterday (30th September) launched Housing Benefits, the campaign for a fairer welfare system, at its Tackling Poverty event in Glasgow and swiftly secured backing from Scotland's two biggest political parties.

The campaign, which aims to challenge the Coalition Government's welfare reform proposals on the grounds they'll hit the poorest hardest, is backed by the SFHA's sister federations from around the UK.

SFHA, the National Housing Federation (England), Community Housing Cymru and Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations have joined forces to highlight the impact the proposed reforms to housing benefit will have on tenants and social landlords.

And the Scottish Government and the Scottish Labour Party have both come out in support of the campaign.

Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil said:

"The Scottish Government welcomes the SFHA campaign and agrees on the vital importance of protecting vulnerable people.

"We are setting up a stakeholder working group to help us better assess the impact of the UK Government's proposals and communicate our shared concerns to them.

"We look forward to working with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Chartered Institute of Housing, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and others on these crucial issues."

Mary Mulligan MSP, Scottish Labour's housing spokesperson, said:

"The Scottish Housing Association Federation is absolutely right to launch this campaign exposing the deeply damaging impact the coalition government's proposed changes to Housing Benefit will have on the poorest in our society.

"There is a real danger that reforms to Housing Benefit system as proposed by the coalition government will hammer the poor and drive up demand for affordable housing which is already in short supply.

"At every turn the Tories and Lib Dems seem determined punish the most vulnerable people in society and unfortunately the planned changes to the Housing Benefit system are no different.

"Scotland always suffers when the Tories get into power, and this is beginning to look like a repeat of the past.

"The coalition seems determined to cut the deficit faster than is safe and the Lib Dems won't stop them."

SFHA Chief Executive Mary Taylor said:

"The SFHA will be rolling out the campaign over the coming weeks to aim to raise awareness of the disproportionate and damaging effects the reforms will have, and achieve more backing for the aim of achieving a fairer system. Housing Benefits society - so should the welfare system."

Pictured l-r at the launch: Dave Moxham of the STUC; Mary Taylor, SFHA and Amada Oliver, Community Housing Cymru