Hitting Home: Single People, Housing Benefit Reform & Equalities Law

This project considers the ways that single people without dependents have been affected by the recent cuts to UK housing benefit. It asks: what new hardships and vulnerabilities have been created by changes to housing welfare? The research focuses upon a specific policy that solely impacts on the lives of single people: the changed age threshold regarding eligibility for Local Housing Allowance (LHA). This is a form of housing benefit (HB) for people who are living in the private rental sector and who cannot afford their rental payments. From 2012 onwards single people (without dependents) aged between 25 and 34 were only entitled to a Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) of LHA - whereas previously they could claim for a 1-bedroom property. This meant that single people under 35 could only claim enough support to cover the cost of a single room in a shared property. The change to LHA has become one of the most severe cuts in HB, resulting in making certain areas of the country entirely unaffordable. In some areas, these changes mark a extremely significant reduction in the amount of support to which a person is entitled- e.g. in central London the SAR is £126 per week, whereas the 1 bedroom rate is £255 (Valuation Office Agency, 2013), marking an over 50% reduction in benefit. Increasing the SAR rate to the age of 35 is seen to have increased demand for an already limited pool of available shared properties (Rugg et al, 2011).

While existing research (Beatty et al 2012; Rugg et al, 2011) has provided important insights into the impact these changes to LHA have had on claimants, my research will be the first to look at these changes specifically through the lens of equalities legislation. In the Equality Impact Assessment (DWP, 2011: 14), the government noted the need for further quantitative and qualitative research to assess the unintended adverse impact that these changes may have had on protected groups. Accordingly, the aim of the research is to assess what impact these changes to LHA have had on groups who are protected under the 2010 Equality Act (women, ethnic minorities, LGBT people and disabled people). This research asks: what housing options do these people now have, and at what risk? Have these changes to LHA led to a lack of safe and secure housing options for protected groups? Above all the research is concerned with people's lived experiences of these changes to LHA - and the research sets out to explore what impact this change in policy has had on their everyday lives.

The first stage of the research involves a quantitative survey of 500 people who have been affected by these changes. The survey will provide a large-scale dataset that will enable identification of the effects of these changes on protected groups. The second stage of the research involves in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 50 people. The interviews will ask participants to talk about their housing biographies, and to discuss what impact these changes in housing benefit have had upon their everyday lives. The interviews will discuss people's experiences of trying to find affordable housing, in particular looking at the availability and appropriateness of shared housing for protected groups. Ultimately, this research will produce important new quantitative and qualitative data about people's experiences of these changes to LHA. The project will integrate and illuminate key debates, adding new empirical material and new theoretical insights. The rich empirical data will then be used to feed into existing policy debates, and the research is designed to have direct policy impact. The findings will be important to a number of non-academic groups, such as housing charities, equalities groups, public sector workers, and policy makers concerned with the disproportionate effect of welfare reform on protected groups.

A key aim of the research is that it makes a real world impact by influencing and improving policies that affect people's lives. The research will produce timely evidence-based data that will fill gaps in the existing policy literature surrounding the impacts that changes to UK housing benefit are having on protected groups. The government has recently closed a key consultation in this area, 'Local Housing Allowance: Targeted Affordability Funding' (2013), recognising the need for future reform to LHA. This research is thus ideally placed to influence these future debates. The research has the potential to benefit a wide range of users; many representatives from these groups have already agreed to participate in the project (see Pathways to Impact).

1. THIRD SECTOR ORGANISATIONS. Particularly homeless and housing charities (Crisis; Shelter); LGBT groups who focus on housing issues (Stonewall Housing; The Albert Kennedy Trust), Women's Rights groups who are concerned about the effect these changes will have on women (Fawcett Society, Women's Budget Group); and black and minority ethnic organisations (Race Equality Foundation). These groups will benefit from new empirical research into the impact that these changes to housing benefit have had on people's wellbeing. These organisations will receive an interim report, a final research findings report and a shorter document containing a list of policy recommendations. Data provided will enable groups to form evidence-based responses to future government consultations, and will be useful in formulating lobbying campaigns.

2. POLICY-MAKERS AND PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS (Department for Work and Pensions, Government Equalities Office, Department for Communities and Local Government, Homes and Communities Agency, Local Authority housing officers). These groups will directly benefit from the interim report, final research findings report, and shorter report on policy recommendations. These reports will contain suggestions for future reforms that may aid policy-makers in drafting their own new policy solutions, and will potentially influence future debates about reform to housing benefit. The reports will provide a rigorous evidence base that will enable policy-makers to evaluate the effects this change to LHA is having on protected groups.

3. HOUSING PROVIDERS / FRONT-LINE WORKERS (Local authorities and housing charities who provide front-line support and legal advice). A document will be sent out to Local Authorities and front-line charity workers, advising them on how best to support the diverse needs of multiply marginalised groups, providing them with further information about specialist housing organisations for protected groups - e.g. Stonewall housing and the Better Housing Network. This will lead to an increased awareness of the needs of protected groups amongst front-line workers, and also will raise awareness about the work of key charities who support the housing needs of protected groups. Furthermore, it is also hoped that the research will raise awareness about the intersectional needs of the multiply marginalised, which may be useful for specialist charity groups who may need to cross-refer people to different support groups.

4. INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY CHANGES TO HOUSING BENEFIT. Individuals will benefit from practical advice contained in an information document (this advice will not just be applicable for those affected by LHA, but also for all of those struggling with other changes to housing benefit). The document will be directed at those who are part of protected groups and will be available in multiple languages, available online and distributed key organisations. The document will provide advice on how to access support, a clarification of their rights, and a list of key specialist services to contact. The research will also help raise awareness of the needs of protected groups (amongst local authorities, front-line workers and policy makers).