UK Government must take ‘immediate action’ on homelessness, says Somerville

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has written to UK Government ministers on the Prime Minister’s ambition to end homelessness.

In a letter addressed to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, Ms Somerville said she “warmly welcomes” Andy Burnham’s recent commitment to end homelessness.

However, she said that progress to undertake this action in Scotland is being “held back by persistent UK policies including the Local Housing Allowance freeze and mismanagement of the asylum process”.

Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Sommerville (Peter Summers/PA)

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She continued: “I am asking for urgent action in the forthcoming budget by scrapping the freeze on Local Housing Allowance; increasing the move-on period for newly recognised refugees so they have the opportunity to secure permanent accommodation, rather than sticking to the current system that forces them to present as homeless to a local authority; and providing funding to local authorities to help them support these newly recognised refugees, as is done with all other refugees, where enabling local authority support helps reduce homelessness.

“We are taking action to mitigate the impact of the UK Government’s Local Housing Allowance freeze and benefit cap, but it is abundantly clear that we need to have the right policies in place at the UK Government level too.

“Working together we can end homelessness for good and therefore I urge you to take immediate action.”

In August, Mr Burnham announced extra funding to tackle homelessness including his plans to offer those sleeping rough a route off the streets this winter if they need it.

He also announced a national summit on tackling rough sleeping to take place in the autumn.