The government is entitled to take legal action to recover social security benefits it pays by mistake a judge has ruled. In a test case at the High Court the Child Action Poverty Group (CAPG) argued that government has no power to seek to claw back overpayments where theRead More →
More than 100 Labour MPs, including some senior cabinet figures, have backed a campaign to top up benefits or tax credits to low-paid parents. In an open letter to the Observer, the MPs argue that giving tax cuts to the middle classes may see money squirrelled away into savingsRead More →
A 0.9 per cent increase in house prices in June has fuelled hopes that the property market it stabilising. Figures from Nationwide Building Society show that the average house price has increased just below one per cent for the month in June, and by the same amount in theRead More →
One in four English local authorities would take more than 10 years to house everyone on their council housing waiting list, it was revealed today. HHSE says a total of 82 authorities would take between a decade and 33 years to clear their waiting lists, orRead More →
Heat generated for homes and businesses is going to waste, when it could be harnessed for use, a report by the Institution of Civil Engineers said. While traditional electricity disposes of the excess heat, the ICE suggests ‘combined heat and power’ technology would capture and reuse the waste heatRead More →
Hundreds of stalled developments have been shortlisted for a share of a £925 million pot to help restart housing construction that has been stopped by the downturn. John Healey, housing minister, said yesterday that 270 schemes had been shortlisted as part of the ‘Kickstart’ programme. The projects have beenRead More →
No eco-town will make the government’s shortlist unless they meet the highest standards, Margaret Beckett has insisted. She said that they still all need work to meet the green standards set by the government. She added she was hopeful that 10 schemes would make the mark but that ifRead More →
More than 1 million householders have used credit cards to pay their mortgage or rent in the last 12 months, a new survey by LPW reveals today. Despite restrictions on credit and reports of many people paying off personal debt, an exclusive YouGov poll for LPW magazine reveals aRead More →
A flood of unsellable homes has forced down rental prices as homeowners instead turn to renting their properties, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The number of housing transactions is at the lowest level since records began as banks limit the availability of finance to buyers. SomeRead More →
Stirling council has become the first local authority in Scotland to ban the practice of evicting tenants who fall behind on their rent payments. Latest figures show the authority had evicted 23 such tenants in 2015, in moves the councillors called ‘draconian’. HHSE Scotland said it was delighted withRead More →