Housing Benefit Reform

That the Parliament notes the UK Government’s plan for housing benefit reforms that will have a devastating impact on tenants, especially in some of Scotland’s poorest communities, and, as a result, on social and private landlords, local authorities and support agencies; regrets that, despite significant, well-evidenced and considered lobbying by Scottish stakeholders against the reforms, the UK Government pushed through the Welfare Reform Bill largely unchanged; notes that the UK Government’s housing benefit reforms cut across devolved responsibilities, compromising the Scottish Government’s capacity to deliver on its housing ambitions for Scotland, and acknowledges that, now that the Welfare Reform Bill has gained Royal Assent, the Scottish Government, local authorities, landlords and others must work together to minimise as far as possible adverse impacts on some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people and to develop thinking on the Scottish delivery of housing support costs under any changed future constitutional arrangements.