Anti-social neighbours could lose their housing benefit under proposals being consulted on by the department for work and pensions, writes Clare Jerrom.
Work and pensions secretary Andrew Smith issued a consultation document this week to seek views on using housing benefit sanctions to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Smith said: “The government sympathises with those who question whether it is right for the state to support the housing costs of people whose behaviour brings misery to the lives of individuals and communities.
“The aim of a housing benefit sanction would be to provide a workable measure that could be applied swiftly and fairly in response to such behaviour,” he said.
The government announced in a white paper published in March that it intended to consult on whether to give local authorities an 'enabling power' to withhold housing benefit from tenants where they believe it is the most effective way of tackling anti-social behaviour.
The consultation describes two options: a sanction triggered by court convictions for offences involving anti-social behaviour and a sanction triggered by a separate local authority administrative process. Both would be delivered by the local authority housing benefit service.
The deadline for responses is 12 August.
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