Chartered Institute of Housing Research Report on Benefit Cap in Haringey

Can I urge you to read the Guardian news item today, 23 October, headed Benefit cap is failing to achieve its aims. An independent research study by the Chartered Institute of Housing found that the Benefits Cap is neither forcing unemployed people to take a job nor saving taxpayers' money.

"Research in the borough of Haringey in north London found just a handful of the 747 households affected by the cap have secured a job or increased their working hours since it was introduced six months ago, despite intensive and personalised support from councils and local jobcentres."

Yesterday the Dear Leader Claire Kober sent an email to councillors explaining that Haringey: "had formed a partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) who would be conducting an independent evaluation of the impact of the benefits cap in the borough. This is a year-long piece of work broken down into several phases. Phase one of the evaluation took place between the cap’s introduction in April and the end of August. Since then CIH have been analysing the quantitative and qualitative data collected and have produced a report setting out their findings."

Sincere congratulations to Cllr Kober for her involvement in getting this research done. To my knowledge, it's the third sensible thing she has done since becoming a councillor.