Children in Care

Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 21 January 2014.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Hilary Benn Hilary Benn Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities refuse access to housing to care leavers on the grounds that they are not originally from that local authority area.

Photo of Kris Hopkins Kris Hopkins The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

The Department does not hold this information.

In December 2013 we published statutory guidance for local authorities to ensure that only those with a well-established residence and local associations qualify for tax-payer subsidised social housing.

The guidance makes clear that we expect local authorities to make appropriate exceptions to take account of special circumstances, and refers specifically to the need to protect those care leavers who have been placed by their local authority outside their original district.

We have already put in place protections for the armed forces through secondary legislation which ensure that they cannot be disqualified from social housing because of any local connection requirement.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes0 people think so

No1 person thinks not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.