Lib Dem DWP Committee calls for further exemptions to under occupancy penalty

The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee for Work and Pensions has called on the Government to introduce further exemptions for groups of society from the under occupancy penalty, as well bringing forward a full and proper review of the policy once it is implemented. Current exemptions are those of pensionable age; those in local housing shared ownership; those in temporary housing; the recently bereaved, who have protection for 52 weeks; and those who are provided with overnight care by an unpaid carer.

The Committee has called for further exemptions to the policy, as well as calling for the Government to bring forward a full and proper review the policy following its implementation, to ensure that the policy is doing what it set out to do and is not having any unintended consequences.

Co-Chair of the Lib Dem DWP committee, Greg Mulholland said: "There is a need to a deal with the chronic shortage of social housing that is the legacy of previous Tory and Labour Government's failure to deal with the problem. It is therefore important to encourage people who are under occupying to move in smaller accommodation to free up desperately needed family homes.

"The current proposals, however, do not exempt some people, for example in a case where two partners who have to sleep in separate rooms for medical reasons or because of a disability and separated parents with shared custody of children, where the room is clearly being used and not spare at all. I hope the Secretary of State will look at this policy again as I strongly believe there needs to be further exemptions made and a review of the policy once it is implemented to ensure there are no unintended consequences."