Best frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 28th October 2013 – from unqualified teachers to housing, disability policy and mental health.
“Affordable” rent gives social landlords the financial incentive to evict the bedroom tax tenant
“Have you ever wondered why social landlords have not stood four square behind the social tenant in the bedroom tax? Could it be the governments ‘affordable’ (sic) rent programme gives social landlords a strong financial incentive to evict the bedroom tax tenant?” Joe Halewood explains why social landlords benefit from the bedroom tax but taxpayers don’t.
Best frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 14th October 2013 – from the new ‘social contract’ to welfare reform and the bedroom tax to the teachers strike and the Ofsted report on the Al-Madinah free school.
The bedroom tax: only fair to private tenants?
“Of all the arguments made for the bedroom tax, the most slippery is the one about it being ‘only fair to private tenants’. That should change after an all-party report published this week.” Jules Birch points out why the bedroom tax is unfair to social tenants compared to private tenants.
Bedroom tax for inept ‘social’ landlords is change quickly or die
“…(the) speed of the welfare reforms will see the social housing model I have known for the past 20 years, the model …will disappear because of the inept indifference of the alleged sector and their inability to respond to change and challenge.” Joe Halewood argues that social landlords need to change or die.
Frontline Friday 11th October: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 7th October 2013 – from education, welfare reform to mental health and social care.
Bedroom tax - unfair, unworkable and counterproductive
“The only way this course is changed is through resistance – from councils and housing associations refusing evictions and supporting court actions to individuals and communities supporting each other and resisting eviction.” Birmingham Against the Cuts describe their campaign for a no eviction policy.
Why it won’t work
“Any organisation thinking of bidding for probation work ought to be fully aware that despite all the rhetoric and spin, every Government policy from now till the next General Election will be designed to make the task of Transforming Rehabilitation as difficult as possible…” Jim Brown explains why the probation reforms won’t work.
The bedroom tax: A triumph of framing
“The success of the framing of the Bedroom Tax should give Labour great cheer that it is possible to win seemingly unpopular battles. Applied well and on the right issues we are capable of moving the agenda and the electorate.” Emma Burnell takes heart from Labour’s success in framing the Bedroom Tax as a regressive policy.
Miliband’s housing promises reflect an escalating crisis
“At the very least Miliband’s speech suggests Labour is taking the housing problem seriously. He has grasped that the current suite of policies is inadequate for the task. Something more substantial is required.” Alex Marsh reflects on what Ed Miliband’s speech at Labour Conference means for housing.
Frontline Friday 27th September 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 23rd September 2013 – from local authority cuts, supporting families to the bedroom tax and Labour Party conference.
Labour to scrap the bedroom tax – a huge political mistake and huge opportunity missed
“The Labour Party has vowed to scrap the bedroom tax. They have finally said it after so long. A cause for celebration you would think but as usual the Labour Party makes a pig’s ear of it.” Joe Halewood questions the Labour Party’s approach to scrapping the bedroom tax.
10 things I want to hear at the Labour Conference
“That time of year is coming when once again I dare to hope that Labour will become I party I can support again. It’s a hope that is pretty forlorn, and has been for many years, but I seem to be unable to stop myself from dreaming of the possibilities.” Paul Bernal sets out 10 things that he hopes to hear at Labour Conference.
Frontline Friday 23rd August 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
In exam week, here’s our list of the A* frontline blogs that we’ve particularly rated from the week of 23rd August 2013 - from what’s wrong with the Labour Party, to powerful stories about the impact of welfare reform.
Trying to work but living below subsistence level
“What a shame it is that the welfare system is not designed to facilitate those people who want to work, even if only part time, but instead makes it impossible for them to work.” The Masked AMHP tells the story of a couple who typify the unintended consequences of recent welfare changes.
Every local council got every bedroom tax decision legally and badly wrong
“Everyone of the 660,000 bedroom tax decisions was legally flawed. Everyone of the 660.000 bedroom tax victims should appeal the decision. EVERY council got the bedroom tax decisions wrong.” Joe Halewood argues that bedroom tax decisions made by local authorities are flawed because they have not taken into consideration room size.
An open letter to Andrew Stephenson, MP for Pendle
Dear Mr. Stephenson, As you are very much aware, I have been affected by the Bedroom Tax since April, despite the Coalition claims that disabled people like myself would be unaffected. You are also very much aware of how much I despise this ridiculous and unfair tax on those least well off in society or, […]
The bedroom tax DHP – the catastrophic and unseen effect on social housing
The myths of the discretionary housing payment, the DHP, has never been fully considered yet it needs to have far more consideration by the tenant, the landlord (social and private) and local councils. To not look at DHPs is a huge mistake for all of these actors or stakeholders. The coalition have been saying to […]
Frontline Friday 12th July 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 8th July 2013 - from the potential for an ‘Education Spring’ and the new National Curriculum, to food banks, the bedroom tax and DWP’s handling of statistics.
The Under Occupation Regulations, aka the Bedroom Tax, may result in perfectly good homes being demolished
Housing, it’s a funny old thing. And successive governments have struggled to come up with coherent strategies to deal with the challenges. It all began going horribly wrong with: a fundamental shift in the 1980s away from capital investment, replacing it with increasing revenue support, resulting in the spiraling cost of housing benefit (I have blogged […]