Child poverty charity welcomes Conservative proposal to restore choice on housing benefit

22.10.09

Commenting on today’s proposal by the Conservative Party to restore the option for tenants to have housing benefits paid directly to landlords Kate Green chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group said:

“It has always been our position that tenants should have a choice as to whether their payments are paid to them or directly to their landlord. Direct payments are a useful budgeting tool for families on low incomes who find juggling food, fuel and school costs on inadequate benefits difficult enough.

We welcome this sensible proposal and would urge the current government to adopt this policy also.”

Notes for editors

• See news story ' Increasing the housing supply and helping vulnerable tenants' at http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2009/10/Increasing_the_housing_
  supply_and_helping_vulnerable_tenants.aspx
• The Child Poverty Action Group opposed the removal of the option to have housing benefit paid directly to landlords that came with the introduction of the Local Housing Allowance http://www.cpag.org.uk/info/briefings_policy/CPAG_Welfare_Reform_Green_Paper_response.pdf [pdf].
• Child Poverty Action Group’s manifesto, published in March 2009, can be found at: www.cpag.org.uk/manifesto
• For up-to-date background facts and stats on UK poverty, visit: www.cpag.org.uk/povertyfacts/
• CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.
• CPAG is one of over 150 member organisations of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, campaigning for public and political commitment to ensure the goals of halving child poverty by 2010 and ending child poverty by 2020 are met.

For further information please contact:
Joshua Fenton-Glynn
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
jfentonglynn@cpag.org.uk