<p>Social Housing Developments</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:02 pm on 5 July 2016.

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Photo of Dawn Bowden Dawn Bowden Labour 2:02, 5 July 2016

First Minister, during questions to the Cabinet Secretary last month, I was able to highlight a report from Sheffield Hallam University, which identified the disproportionate adverse impact of Tory Government welfare benefits cuts on poorer communities, with particular reference to limiting the local housing benefit to the local housing rate. Another proposal under the new arrangements is to raise the threshold below which payment is made at the shared accommodation rate—i.e. that’s the lowest rate—from 25 years of age to 35 years of age, effectively making it more difficult, if not impossible, for younger people to afford social housing. Can I urge the First Minister, in any discussions with the UK Government on this issue, to caution against this change, which is already resulting in some Welsh social housing bodies questioning if they can continue to provide social housing for that age group?