Welfare Reform Bill 2011: Lords 2 nd Reading Briefing, July 2011
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- Domenic Neil Nichols
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1 Welfare Reform Bill 2011: Lords 2 nd Reading Briefing, July 2011 About Mencap - Mencap is the UK s leading charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers. Together, we are fighting for a fair deal for everyone with a learning disability and those that support them. We campaign for change at every level of government locally and nationally. And we support people with a learning disability to speak up for themselves, to fight for the changes they want in their local area, and to get involved in the life of their communities. We also provide a wide range of services housing, education, employment and leisure that give people the chance to lead fulfilling, active lives with as much independence as possible. About learning disability: A learning disability is caused by the way the brain develops before, during or shortly after birth. It is always lifelong and affects someone's intellectual and social development. It used to be called mental handicap but this term is outdated and offensive. Learning disability is NOT a mental illness. The term learning difficulty is often incorrectly used interchangeably with learning disability. People with a learning disability and benefits - Given the multiple barriers to employment faced by people with a learning disability, many are reliant on benefits, including Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, and benefits like Disability Living Allowance (DLA) which recognise the extra costs of disability. Less than 7% of people with a learning disability known to social services are in any form of paid employment. 1 Even where people do work, it is often for low pay and for part-time hours. However, research shows that 65% of people with a learning disability want to work and that with the right support they can and do make a significant contribution to the workplace. Contributory Employment and Support Allowance [Clause(s) 51-52] Mencap wants to see: Removal of the time-limiting of contributory ESA. Maintenance of IB/ESA in youth provisions The Bill proposes a time limit (from April 2012) for contributory ESA to a maximum period of 365 days for those in the work-related activity group, even where the period of limited capability for work exceeds this period. Contributory ESA applies to those people who have paid sufficient tax and National Insurance and are deemed to be able to take steps towards work. It also provides for a time limit for contributory ESA for those with a youth entitlement and further abolishes the youth condition in contributory ESA. This 1 Social Care and Mental Health indicators from the National Indicator Set Provisional, August : 1
2 youth entitlement allows claimants under the age of 20 (or 25 in some circumstances) to qualify for contributory ESA without having met the usual national insurance contribution conditions. The policy rationale and the debate so far - The decision to introduce a one year time limit is not based on evidence relating to the amount of time it may take someone to adapt to a health condition or disability and find an appropriate job. There will be many people who are further from the labour market and who may take longer to move into work than 365 days. For example, a recent Pathways to Work report 2 states that only 12% of those with mental and behavioural disorders (including people with a learning disability) found employment within one year. During the House of Commons Committee discussions, the government rejected an amendment to the Bill to remove the reference to time-limiting ESA to 365 days and stated in its place that contributory ESA would be time-limited to a prescribed number of days (to be set out in regulations), which should be at least An additional amendment was tabled requesting that the Secretary of State put in place a system to monitor independently the effect of time limiting contributory ESA. While this was not successful, the Minister for Employment made some welcome reassurances about monitoring the impact of the changes and fully understanding their consequences. Time-limiting and eventual abolition of contributory ESA in Youth [clause 52] ESA/IB in Youth allows young people who have not worked and therefore been unable to pay contributions to claim IB/ESA, because they have had severe and lifelong disabilities which mean they face barriers to work. We are concerned that the youth rules will be abolished for claimants in the future and that current claimants migrated over from IB will have their contributory ESA (youth) means tested after 12 months. Abolishing the youth rules - Abolishing the youth rules for ESA will, in future, mean that young people disabled from birth or an early age, will only be able to claim incomebased ESA, as they will not have worked and paid the NI contributions needed for contributory ESA eligibility. This policy breaks with a long term approach, whereby disabled young people have been given access to contributory IB/ESA, to enable them to have financial support regardless of any savings they had or income from a partner in employment. Time limiting contributory ESA for youth claimants - We recognise that ESA differs from IB, working more proactively to support people to move towards work. However, it is important to recognise that time-limiting contributory ESA for those receiving IB in youth (and who will be migrated across to ESA) will present serious challenges. This is particularly the case for certain groups (for example, people with learning disabilities) who (being Personal Capability Assessment exempt ), historically, have been considered unemployable, with automatic entitlement to incapacity benefits. We share the government s goal of supporting disabled people to move into work. However, for disabled people who have received IB/ESA through the youth rules, it will be a huge shock to face time limiting of their benefit. Many of these claimants will be facing significant barriers to preparing for and finding work, due to the lifelong nature of 2 Average time to employment for Provider-Led Pathways customers, DWP, January Welfare Reform Bill, Public Bill Committee, Tuesday 3 May
3 their disability. Many current claimants will have also been on IB for many years, so these changes will be profound and potentially unsettling and distressing. While some people facing the time limit may be eligible for income-related ESA instead, some claimants will not meet the conditions and will therefore receive no support at all, effectively dropping out of the system 4. It is the right of a disabled person to be financially supported if they are unable to work. The government has said it is committed to promoting independence of disabled people, but if an individual loses their contributory ESA and is not eligible for income-related ESA, they will receive nothing. The impact on disabled people - The equality impact assessment 5 on the youth entitlement estimates that the abolition of the ESA youth provision will affect 15,000 people who would have been claiming contributory ESA. While many people will be eligible for income-related ESA, there will remain many individuals who do not satisfy the conditions. In the equality impact assessment 6, the DWP stated that the policy to time limit is likely to impact on 700,000 people (by 2015/16) on contributory ESA. Of these, it is expected that 40% will not qualify for income-related ESA at all and a further 30% may receive a reduced rate of income-related ESA. Around 94% of those on contributory ESA and in the work related activity group of ESA take over a year to find work 7. The data provided in the relevant impact assessments shows the largest group receiving contributory ESA and in the work related activity group to be those with mental and behavioural disorders, which is likely to include many people with a learning disability. Similarly, 55% of IB youth claimants fall within this same medical condition group. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Clause(s) Mencap wants to see: The power to remove PIP mobility from people living in residential care should be removed from the Bill. The introduction of a biennial independent report on the PIP assessment for a period of 6 years after implementation. Further work is needed on the impact of changes to DLA on disabled people. We remain concerned about the overall objective of a reduction target of 20%. There remains a general lack of clarity about the numbers likely to lose or receive a reduced rate of DLA as a result of the proposed changes, and there has been little discussion about the impact this might have on social care or NHS budgets. 4 After the one year period on contributory ESA, customers will be able to receive income-related ESA if they fulfil the conditions of entitlement. The conditions that a claimant would need to satisfy include, capital of no more than 16,000, their partner (where relevant) should not be working for 24 hours or more a week. 5 Department for Work and Pensions (2011) Abolition of concessionary ESA youth national insurance qualification conditions, EIA, March Department for Work and Pensions (2011) Time limit contributory employment and support allowance to one year for those in the work related activity group: Impact Assessment 7 Parliamentary Question 55206, 16th May
4 The Bill provides for the introduction of a new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA). PIP will continue to be a non-means tested, extra costs benefit but everyone receiving it will have to undergo a new assessment (including people currently receiving DLA). The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is scheduled to be introduced in 2013/14, when the DWP will begin reassessing the working age (16-64 year olds) caseload. Personal Independence Payment will have two components - mobility (based on a person s ability to get around) and daily living (based on a person s ability to carry out other key activities necessary to participate in everyday life). There will only be two rates of each component (currently, DLA has three rates for care which is being reformed into daily living ). Removal of DLA mobility from those in residential care [Clause 83] The Bill provides for regulations to stop the payment of PIP mobility for residents living in state funded residential care homes. At publication of the Welfare Reform Bill the Government announced its intention to delay the removal of the mobility component of DLA/PIP from people living in residential care until March This brings it into line with the introduction of PIP but does not change the reality that under Clause 83 as it stands disabled people will lose out on vital mobility payments. The policy rationale and the debate so far - According to the Impact Assessment, the policy objective for removing DLA/PIP mobility is to identify and remove any overlaps in the way mobility needs in residential care homes are met. However, evidence shows that very little duplication exists, and the removal of this benefit would severely undermine the Government s aim to support disabled people to lead full and independent lives. As pointed out in the reports Don t limit mobility 8 and DLA mobility: sorting the facts from fiction 9, while care packages may meet specific needs such as going to a day centre or a doctor s appointment, they are unlikely to factor in the costs of visiting friends and family and participating in community and leisure activities. While the Government has announced its intention to review the situation 10, discussion of this issue in the House of Commons has confirmed that this is to be an internal review, with no terms of reference and with no published findings. We are concerned therefore that with no publicly available information about the review and its remits, Peers are left voting on a measure without being provided with all the relevant information. While, ultimately, Mencap wants to see the Bill amended to remove the provision of regulations to stop PIP mobility payment, we welcomed the decision by the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller MP, in the House of Commons to give a firm undertaking that the regulations will be made under the affirmative procedure to ensure that we get the debate that I know the House wants on the matter 11. The Welfare Reform Minister, 8 Mencap et al (2011) Don t limit mobility Mencap et al (2011) DLA mobility: sorting the facts from fiction 10 DWP (16th February 2011), Disability Living Allowance Reform Impact Assessment, 11 Maria Miller MP, Welfare Reform Bill 2011, Report: 2 nd sitting: House of Commons 15 June
5 Lord Freud, has since confirmed that he will be tabling the relevant amendments in the House of Lords to ensure this happens 12. Mencap believes it is wrong to remove the mobility component from those living in residential care as providers are not required to meet all of an individual s mobility needs. While PIP daily living component is not to be paid to those living in residential care (as all their care needs should be met by the service), support with mobility needs is very different. A significant part of mobility needs would not be eligible as part of a social care package. This is due both to local authorities threshold for providing support which is at a far higher level of need than that for DLA/PIP and to the fact that local authorities are not expressly required to meet mobility needs. Disabled people living in residential care want to be full and active members of their local communities and maintain relationships with family and friends in just the same way as disabled people not living in residential care - DLA/PIP mobility helps them to achieve this. We feel strongly that the power to remove the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment should be taken out of the Bill. The impact on disabled people - While we do not know the numbers in relation to learning disability specifically, we know that the impact on the 80,000 disabled people to be affected will be huge, with many left unable to afford to leave their homes and denied the independence most people take for granted. The resulting savings of 160 millions are relatively small in contrast to the total of 81 billions in spending cuts the Government plans to make by 2014/15. Many people living in residential care have all their income taken to pay for their care, and are left with just the 22 per week Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) to cover all personal costs, such as clothes, toiletries and phone bills, and DLA mobility component to meet their mobility needs. Without DLA mobility component, the PEA is not enough to cover additional mobility costs and people will be left without the money needed to meet basic mobility needs. Biennial independent review [Clause 86] - The Bill provides for an independent review of the PIP assessment. While this is welcome, given the impact of the new assessment on disabled people, we believe that more than one review is necessary. The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is subject to an annual independent review for the first five years of its operation (as per the Welfare Reform Act 2007). The policy rationale and the debate so far - From experience of the WCA we know the benefits of an on-going independent review, although the yearly requirement has meant insufficient time for the introduction of one review s proposals before the next commences. During discussion in the House of Commons 13, it was noted by the Government that the proposed one-off report is one means of close working and testing the implementation of the new measure. However, this does not necessarily guarantee a fit for purpose assessment. The independent review of the Work Capability Assessment has shown a process that is not working as it should be. If a similar scenario is revealed for the PIP assessment, the Government should act swiftly in order to ensure disabled people are appropriately supported. Household Benefit Cap [Clause 93] Mencap wants to see: 12 DWP annual forum, 06 July See Welfare Reform Bill 2011, Committee: 19th sitting: House of Commons 12 May
6 An exemption from the benefit cap to be extended to the following groups of people: Personal Independence Payment Employment and Support Allowance Carer s Allowance An additional exemption made for anyone living in supported/exempt accommodation, to ensure this form of accommodation can be provided in the future. Further consideration should also be given to a regional adjustment of the household benefit cap to allow for regional variations of for example housing costs, which are traditionally much higher in London and the South East than elsewhere 14. Introduction of an overall cap on benefits for households [Clause 93] Clause 93 introduces an overall cap on benefits for households and individuals not in employment. The upper limit of benefits a family can receive is 26,000 ( 500 per week) and that for an individual 19,000 ( 350 per week). Prior to the introduction of the Universal Credit, it has been suggested that the benefit cap would be administered by local authorities. Households which include a member entitled to the following will be excluded, once regulations are laid: Working Tax Credit Disability Living Allowance Attendance Allowance Constant Attendance Allowance The impact on disabled people - The Equality Impact Assessment shows that approximately 50,000 households stand to receive lower benefit payments as a result of the cap, subject to their circumstances and eligibility for transitional protection. Approximately half of all the households affected by the cap have a disabled member (as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act), but may not be eligible for DLA. A further 30,000 disabled households, who would normally be affected, are exempt as a result of the exemptions made. 15 Mencap is concerned by the fact that around 25,000 of the people affected by the caps are classed as disabled under the DDA, some of which are likely to be people with a learning disability. This number is likely to increase as the changes to the Disability Living Allowance are introduced and fewer people are found to be eligible, and therefore lose their exemption from the benefit cap. This could have particularly severe implications on people with a learning disability, if this also impacts on the provision of supported accommodation, a concern raised by the Welfare Reform Consortium. Supported accommodation tends to have higher running costs, thereby increasing the need for higher rental charges 16. The policy rationale and the debate so far - The objective of the policy, as outlined in the impact assessment, of the overall household benefit cap is being implemented for 3 reasons: (i) to deliver fiscal savings, (ii) to make the system fairer, ensuring that no 14 An example of regional adjustments elsewhere is the London Weighting policy 15 DWP (March 2011), Equality Impact Assessment: Household Benefit Cap 16 Joint Briefing Welfare Reform Bill Clause 93, National Housing Federation, Shelter, Crisis, CAB, Homeless Link 6
7 household earns more money than any working household receives in pay, and (iii) to improve working incentives for those on benefits. Proposed amendments have not been accepted by the Government, yet a clear statement of intent has been issued during the debate by Chris Grayling, Minister for Employment: I want to make it absolutely clear that it is right to exempt households if a claimant, their partner or a dependent child are entitled to DLA or an equivalent benefit in recognition of the fact that there are additional disability-related costs. That is a clear statement of intent by the Government We have made it clear that working families entitled to working tax credit will be exempt, and there will be an exemption for working families on the universal credit... The Bill creates scope for further exemptions, if we or future Governments consider it appropriate. However, the case for exemptions must be set against the reasons for needing a benefit cap. During discussions of the Bill in the House of Commons, the amendment tabled to extend the exemptions from the cap was not accepted. Housing Costs [Clause(s) 11 and 68] The Bill proposes a number of changes to Housing Benefit regulations, opening up the possibility of extensive changes to the Housing Benefit system. Among the proposed changes are restricting Housing Benefit payments for working age claimants in the social housing sector in line with Local Housing Allowance size criteria and the up-rating of the Local Housing Allowance, once integrated into the Universal Credit, along CPI lines rather than real market rents. The details of the changes will be set out in detail in regulations, with little detail provided on the face of the Bill. New size criteria for social housing - [Clause 68] Mencap wants to see: Exemptions for disabled people from this policy on the face of the Bill; these exemptions should apply to people in receipt of DLA, ESA and those in adapted properties The policy rationale and the debate so far - According to the Impact Assessment, there are 4 reasons for introducing this policy: to (i) contain growing Housing Benefit expenditure, (ii) encourage greater mobility within the social housing sector, (iii) make better use of available social housing stock and (iv) improve work-incentives for working-age claimants. From the impact assessments undertaken by the Government, it is clear that the expectation is that few people will move, basing their cost-analysis on the basis that only a small proportion will do so. Case study - J is 43 years old and has Downs Syndrome. He now lives in his own flat in Suffolk but it has taken him over twenty five years to get a home of his own. J has now been living independently for just over two years in a social housing two-bedroom flat. He did not request the two-bedroom flat, but it was the only one that was offered to him. He has now finally settled in and to him it is his "home". Since moving in, he has adopted the extra bedroom as his "office" complete with a computer. The room also has a spare fold-out bed for family and friends to visit and stay. J and his parents are now very concerned that he may have to move as a result of this new policy, taking him away from his local community and support networks. They feel that it 7
8 would be very disruptive and affect his mental well-being. Since moving to his flat, J has for the first time felt that he also has some rights, as well as some choice over his own life. Having to move would destroy his aspiration to live more independently and would most likely have a negative knock-on effect on the many new skills he has acquired, as well as undermining his confidence. J currently lives a relatively short distance from his parents, who support him as much as they can. He also gets 17 ½ hours support from a support worker. If J was forced to move further away from his parents and support network as a result of the changes to the Housing Benefit regime, this would most likely lead to J needing more support paid for by the State. The proposed new size criteria in the social housing sector will apply local housing allowance rules from the private rented sector to social housing. In effect, this, in many cases, will reduce the number of bedrooms that an individual is entitled to. As a result, some tenants will receive a reduced amount of Housing Benefit or be forced to move to different accommodation. It is estimated that the new rules will affect 670,000 working age people living in the social housing sector and reduce their housing benefit by on average 13 per week. By 2020 the Government anticipates that 760,000 will be affected by this proposal. The Equality Impact Assessment shows that 450,000 (66%) of those effected will be disabled people, 200,000 of which the Government estimates to be in receipt of DLA 17. Mencap is deeply concerned by this proposal which we believe will have a disproportionate effect on disabled people. We are also concerned that the cost-analysis undertaken by the Government implies that savings would only be made if a large proportion of people remain in their current accommodation, and take the cut in Housing Benefit. This suggests that the Government is very much aware of the difficulties tenants will face when trying to find smaller homes, and is relying on some of those with the lowest incomes, meeting the shortfall in costs. Adapted properties for disabled people - Representations made by numerous organisations have made it very clear that there is a shortage of suitably sized properties available to people who would under the new rules be deemed to be underoccupying their home. Furthermore, representations have also been made that there are around 100,000 properties adapted specifically to suit the needs of the individuals living in them, which would be affected by the new rules, meaning that should they have to move, new adaptations would have to be paid for. Both identify issues that Mencap believes should be addressed. During both the Committee and Report stages in the House of Commons, Maria Miller MP, Minister for Disabled People, responded to the concerns raised, making some concessions in relation to adapted properties but suggesting that a blanket rule of exemption for adapted properties should not apply: When somebody has been in a property that has been adapted for their disability, does it make sense to move them to a different property and have more spent on another set of adaptations We want to make sure that there is a sensible approach. I can see the 17 Written Answer, HC Deb, 19 May 2011, c317w 8
9 sense in the argument that has been presented, and we will explore the matter further. Providing an exemption for all adapted accommodation would not be the right approach, because we must ensure that we understand the degree of adaptation necessary to ensure that, if an exemption is made, it is warranted and that it would be more expensive to adapt another property rather than allowing someone to stay where they are. However, no changes have been made to the Bill. Uprating of Local Housing Allowance in line with CPI - [Clause 11 & 68] The Welfare Reform Bill enables the Government to change the way that Local Housing Allowance is calculated in the future through secondary legislation. Currently the Local Housing Allowance is calculated based on the 30 th percentile of all rents for a particular type of property, which is already a reduction from the average on which it was based prior to April As the Local Housing Allowance is integrated into the Universal Credit by 2013, the Bill suggests that it should in the future be up-rated along Consumer Price index (CPI) lines, in a similar way to other benefits, disconnecting market rents from the level of benefits available. Research by Shelter and the Chartered Institute of Housing has shown that this change will over time increase the shortfall individuals in receipt of the Local Housing Allowance will experience, between the money they will be asked to pay for rent and what they will receive in Housing Benefit. The research suggests that by 2030, 60% of local authority areas would be unaffordable to LHA claimants 18. Furthermore, research undertaken by Communities and Local Government that landlords are currently already reluctant to let their properties to individuals who a) are on Housing Benefit and b) people with a learning disability 19. This situation is likely to worsen as a result of the changes introduced in the Bill. A recent survey undertaken by the National Landlords Association clearly shows that around 58% of landlords questioned in the survey said they would have to cut the number of properties they let to tenants on Housing Benefit, with 90% planning to do this over the next 18 months 20. This has potentially severe implications for people with a learning disability. Not only will it be problematic for those who are already renting from a private landlord, it will also, as a recent Laing & Buisson report has shown, prevent much needed further investment in housing through private providers and contribute to the reluctance of banks to finance supported living housing in the future 21. A table provided in the Laing & Buisson and Department of Health report Illustrative Cost Models in Learning Disabilities Social Care Models 22, highlights the shortfalls experienced by one housing association between 18 Shelter, Welfare Reform Bill 2011 Briefing for Report Stage and 3 rd Reading 13 th / 15 th June CLG (March 2010) PSA 16 (Socially Excluded Adults) qualitative research on settled accommodation Roe, David (May 2011), Cost & Cost-Effectiveness Issues in Learning Disabilities Social Care Provision, Laing & Buisson 22 Laing & Buisson (2011) Illustrative Cost Models in Learning Disabilities Social Care Models, p.38. Line 1 of the table refers to the basic lease or purchase cost per tenant of acquiring the property (and does not include the cost of adaptations, furniture, fire systems etc. which all still need to be covered over the period of the lease), Line 2 provides the local LHA rate and Line 3 the self-contained one-bedroom rate. Line 4 provides the level of Housing Benefit charged to take account of additional costs such as fire extinguishers etc, Line 5 outlines the cost of all these elements minus the profit, and the final 2 lines give the shortfall between the LHA rates and the exempt rate (minus profit). 9
10 local housing allowances and the full cost of rents required to cover costs of housing provision. The policy rationale and the debate so far - The aim of this policy is to exert a downward pressure on Housing Benefit expenditure. It is also understood that this measure would simplify the process of setting rates and can be incorporated with longterm reform measures. Amendments have been put forward throughout discussion of the Bill in the House of Commons aiming to ensure that the Government reviews the relationship between housing costs in the private rented sector and the level of housing contributions in the Universal Credit annually. In addition, attempts have been made to ensure that regulations would need to be amended where necessary to ensure that at least the 30 th percentile of privately rented homes in each locality would remain affordable to claimants. Mencap was already concerned that the initial reduction in the Local Housing Allowance would seriously impact on the availability of accommodation for people with a learning disability, and this concern has only been exacerbated. We see the link to market rents to be essential to ensure that some private investment, both from charities and other providers in the independent sector, continues to be made to provide housing opportunities for people with a learning disability. The Government made it clear that, while they would not accept any of the amendments put forward, they would keep such matters under review 23. During the report stage in the Commons Maria Miller MP also highlighted that the Government has already commissioned independent external research to evaluate the impact of the housing benefit reforms that we announced in June 2010 in the Budget and in the spending review. It is intended that findings will be made available in 2013, with initial findings available in Mencap seeks assurances that the rates paid under the Local Housing Allowance do not reduce below the 30 th percentile and continue to be linked to real rents on the ground. Mencap was previously concerned that the initial reduction in the Local Housing Allowance would seriously impact on the availability of accommodation for people with a learning disability and this concern has only been exacerbated. We see the link to market rents as essential to ensure that some private investment, both from charities and other independent providers, continues to be made into providing housing for people with a learning disability. Mortgage payments under Universal Credit - [Clause 11 ] The Bill looks to introduce regulations laying out not only how Housing Benefit costs can be integrated into the Universal Credit, but also how mortgage costs would in future be covered in this context. No further details have yet been made available as to how this will be taken forward into the future. The DWP is currently working on some ideas, but none of these have been made public as yet. Until recently, Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), the housing cost payment, people could receive under certain circumstances, enabled individuals with a learning disability to buy a property via the Homeownership for People with a Long-term Disability scheme. 23 Commons Report Stage (Day One), 13 th June Commons Report Stage (Day One), 13 th June
11 People on income support had no time-restriction put on how long SMI would be paid. This in addition to the higher rate available for SMI until October 2010 meant that some mortgage providers were willing to lend to people on the scheme for people with a longterm disability, providing very specialist mortgages. We are aware of around 1,000 people with a learning disability who have so far bought their own homes through this route. However, since October of last year, the lower rate for SMI has meant that these mortgages are not available anymore, meaning that this route into housing for people with a learning disability has in effect been closed down. In addition the Government has implied they do not consider Support for Mortgage Interest to be a long-term measure. Mencap believes that it is important that this route (Home Ownership for People with Long-Term Disabilities, (HOLD)) is re-instated, particularly since it is still a product that the Homes and Community Agency endorses. We believe that there are a number of potential cost-benefits that the Government could derive from ensuring that this scheme can continue into the future. Mencap wants to see: In order for this scheme to be possible to carry on into the future, Mencap thinks the following things need to be set out in the regulations on mortgages under the Universal Credit: Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) Payment needs to continue to be available in the long-term for those on income support/the equivalent under Universal Credit. The SMI rate should be increased for claimants assessed under Schedule 3 of the 1987 General Income Support Act, paragraph 4 and sub paragraph 9. Thought should also be given to how disincentives to work can be removed from the mortgage payment arrangement. Disabled people who have paid work of more than 15 hours per week may not currently receive support towards their mortgage payments. Furthermore, in order to ensure this scheme is cost-effective, consideration should be made as to how capital can be recouped for the Government once an equity release is possible. For more information: Peter Hand Mencap s Senior Parliamentary Officer. peter.hand@mencap.org.uk Mobile: Tel:
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