Another great big government cock-up

The Department of Work and Pensions, in it's oh-so very finite wisdom, decided to stop paying landlords of benefits claimants directly sometime back, instead paying the claimants who would then pay the landlord...

Anyone not know what happened next? The claimants stopped paying the landlords! Quelle surprise!

We have landlords getting their properties repossessed, as without the cash coming in cannot make their mortgage payments, and getting attack by tenants who think all their Christmases have come at once.

What is the DWP's view?

"The LHA is a fairer, simpler way of calculating housing benefit with safeguards to protect the interests of landlords.

"If a customer cannot manage their rent payments, the local authority pays the landlord directly."

And what is the landlords response?

The National Landlords Association warned that homelessness would increase if the LHA was introduced.

Its research has found that 52% of landlords will no longer let to LHA tenants because they often fall into arrears.

Another New Labour success! They've just halved the number of people willing to let to benefits claimants, thus helping that social housing concept along just nicely!