Compensation for homeless families in B&B's have been delayed
- 29 May
The Westminster Council broke the law by keeping over 400 families and pregnant women in B&B's for more than 6 weeks since 2011.
The council has paid £153,968 in compensation to 81 homeless families who were illegally kept in the Bed and Breakfast accommodation, according to Inside housing.
Westminster agreed to pay £500 as compensation for each family kept longer than six weeks with an extra £83.83 payment for every subsequent week.
Last September, a Local Government Ombudsman reported of 'Mal-administration causing injustice' at Westminster Council and recommended that the financial remedy be paid, however, to date, Westminster has paid less that a third of the total coat it esimated, according to the council.
Labour Council leader for Westmister, Paul Dimoldenberg accused the council of 'dragging their feet' about contacting the families affected.
Mr Dimoldenberg also said:
"The council knows where the families are living and should have made this a priority after it had been found guilty of breaking the law in so many cases.
"You get the feeling that the conservatives simply do not care about the damage they have caused to so many vulnerable families."
Picture Source: (http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2012-10-05-croydon-racks-up-1-5m-bandb-bill-for-homeless-families)
Related articles
- 11 Sep
New service to support homeless people in Birmingham
A new dedicated Homeless Street Triage car will be responding to the rising number of calls reporting homelessness, begging and anti-social drinking in the city, reports 24dash.In the last year –...
- 09 Sep
Gym in Kent hopes to improve health and fitness of homeless people
Riverside is a specialist in working with single homeless people to help them get their lives back on track and into accommodation. Their new project, a gymnasium, has been funded by the Riverside...
- 08 Sep
The cost of homelessness in Hackney doubles
Figures have shown that the cost of homelessness in 2009/10 was £3,092,255 compared to £7,167,440 in 2014/15, with a cut on staff spending from £3,239,653 to £2,608,491 reports 24dash.Hackney...
- 04 Sep
Two homelessness services to be investigated
The Scottish Housing Regulator is set to investigate every aspect of services offered by Dumfries and Galloway Council, whilst also examining how homeless people access help and support at Scottish...
- 03 Sep
Homeless project for young people under threat due to cuts
Platform for Life was expected to attract interest from numerous housing associations with its scheme to convert properties into accommodation for young people in further education, training or work,...
- 01 Sep
Charities warns Irish government of homelessness crisis
Social Justice Ireland is calling for a new funding system that will meet the demand and reveal that only 20 council homes for families have been completed within the first three months of this year,...
- 26 Aug
Newspaper office to become a centre for homeless people
The old office for the Doncaster Free Press is being transformed into flats and other facilities for people who are homeless, reports Hold the Front Page. The building is being turned into...
- 20 Aug
Cuts leaving people in Cheltenham needing homelessness support
Bosses at CCP and Cheltenham Borough Council have said the “devastating impact” of benefit cuts in the town are causing issues for many people, report the Gloucestershire Echo.Over the past few...
- 19 Aug
Concern that homelessness in Cambridge is at ‘tipping point’
Not only do figures show a rise in quarterly numbers by 24 households, they also reveal that over 350 cases were placed in temporary accommodation over the last year, which was a rise of 50 cases on...
- 11 Aug
Charities say Wales is “setting an example” for homelessness
A joint report by Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has praised Welsh laws that are trying to address the issues of homelessness, reports the BBC.However they warn that the removal of...
Exempt Accommodation, Welfare Reform and Vulnerable Tenants Another excellent session from Support Solutions - excellent value for money and excellent training D.A - St Vincent's Housing Association
