News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government

Almshouse Association receives letter from National Housing Federation

What we see is a robust response to the death of Awaab Ishak through a speeding up and enhancement of the Social Housing Bill. This will have implications for all Regulated Housing Provider almshouses and may have implications for all almshouse charities in the future. We will monitor, engage and report to members as applicable. Full letter below:

Dear Nick,  

In response to the inquest into the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, the Department for Levelling, Housing and Communities has published an open letter from the Secretary of State calling on all social housing providers to “read and absorb” the lessons in the coroner’s report. Michael Gove also set out an expectation that social housing providers assess damp and mould in properties and which actions will be taken to redress these issues. The sector is told that a letter from the Regulator is also imminent.  

I know from speaking to a number of Chief Executives over the last week how shocked and upset the sector is about Awaab’s death.  As your trade body, the National Housing Federation (NHF) is committed to ensuring that our members understand the critical lessons from this case and the action that is needed to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. We will do this through briefings and face-to-face meetings that support practical change.  

You will also know that earlier this year the NHF and Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) commissioned an independent panel to review poor quality in housing association homes and make recommendations for improvements. The Better Social Housing Review, led by housing and social care expert Helen Baker, has met with residents, front-line staff, sector leaders and key stakeholders across the summer to understand the challenge. The final report from the review is expected soon and the NHF and CIH will be developing an action plan from its recommendations to make sure every resident has a good quality home.  

There is a problem with the quality of some housing that must be fixed. We want to address this urgent issue, learn where things are going wrong, and work with you to tackle the root causes of these problems.  

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the NHF’s work in this area.  

Best wishes,
Kate Henderson
Chief Executive, National Housing Federation

Energy bills and decarbonisation

Housing association homes are on average more energy efficient than any other homes, however, the sector still faces a significant challenge to decarbonise the 2.7 million homes owned by housing associations by 2050.
Yesterday’s announcement of an extra £6bn for energy efficiency measures is a welcome and necessary step from the government.
This funding will be vital in helping housing associations to continue making progress towards their individual net zero targets and will contribute to the government’s ability to meet their legally binding target for the UK to reach net zero by 2050. It will also help better protect tenants from soaring energy costs in the future.  
To mitigate the more immediate impact of the energy crisis, the Chancellor announced an extension of the energy price cap guarantee which will now continue from April for a further 12 months. This cap of £3,000 per year for the average household will limit the impact of any further hikes to energy costs.  

Welfare and benefits

In his statement, the Chancellor took steps to protect those on the lowest incomes who will feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis most keenly in the coming months.

  • Benefits will be uprated by inflation, with an increase of 10.1%. For the first time since 2016, the benefits cap will also rise with inflation next year.
    We welcome this news, having signed an open letter to the Prime Minister earlier this month with over 100 organisations calling for these measures. We believe it will ensure the benefits system continues to function as a financial safety net. Whilst these measures are welcomed, it is important to note that claimants need to wait until April 2023 to benefit from the uprating. This means that they will still face this winter without any increase in their income.  
  • There will be additional Cost of Living Payments of ÂŁ900 to households on means tested benefits, ÂŁ300 to pensioner households and ÂŁ150 to people on disability benefit.
  • In a move to support older people, the pension credit will also increase by 10.1%, which will protect the triple lock pension and mean an extra ÂŁ870 for each state pensioner.    
  • An extension of the Local Authority Household Support Fund with an additional ÂŁ1bn of funding available.
  • It was announced that the planned movement of Employment and Support Allowance claimants (not in receipt of child tax credit) onto Universal Credit would be delayed until 2028.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 21 November 2022