Select committee chair questions Government on ‘UK connection’ and other proposed tests for social housing allocation

The chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee, Clive Betts MP, has written to the Social Housing Minister, Baroness Scott, calling for answers to a series of questions on the Government’s proposed reforms to how social housing is allocated in England.

The Government’s proposals for six new tests, including relating to UK connection, income and terrorism, were set out in a Government consultation which closed on 26 March.

In the letter, written on 25 March, Betts asked Scott the following questions in relation to the proposed UK connection test:

• What is your Department’s assessment of the number of households currently on social housing waiting lists in England that would be affected by the proposed UK connection test, if exemptions for those arriving via safe and legal resettlement schemes and Ukrainian visa schemes are applied?
• What is this figure as a proportion of the total number of households on social housing waiting lists in England?
• Has your Department conducted an impact assessment (or similar analysis) of the proposed UK connection test? Will you publish this?
• Has this impact assessment considered which specific local authorities which may be acutely impacted by the proposed UK connection test? Which local authorities has your Department identified as being at greater risk?
• Has your Department conducted an equality impact assessment (or similar analysis) of the proposed UK connection test? Will you publish this?

Betts’ letter also poses questions on the proposed local connection test, the proposed anti-social behaviour test, and regarding the consultation and legislation.

Clive Betts MP said: “The basic facts are that there is not enough social housing available and that more homes for social rent need to be built. There are understandable concerns that the Government’s proposed introduction of new qualification tests risks pushing people into homelessness. I hope the Minister will be able to respond to the Committee’s questions on the expected impact of the six tests.”

Harry Rodd