Anti Social behaviour plans - "a recipe for punishing the poor"

Scottish Council for Single Homeless has today criticised government plans to tackle anti-social behaviour as penalising people for being poor. SCSH also warned that the proposals confuse the issue of anti-social behaviour with other issues and could undermine Scotland 's new homelessness laws.

The plans by the Department of Work & Pensions seek to stop housing benefit payments to tenants if they or someone visiting them is guilty of anti-social behaviour. They include plans to dock Housing Benefit from pregnant women and those with a chronic illness.

SCSH Director, Robert Aldridge, comments:

In summary

"SCSH supports effective methods of reducing anti social behaviour. However we are not convinced that the government's proposals are either equitable or that they will reduce anti social behaviour."

Punishing the poor

"Anti social behaviour is perpetrated by people in all tenures and in all income brackets. SCSH welcomed the introduction of anti social behaviour orders which could be applied regardless of tenure or wealth. However, we do not support this particular proposal which only targets tenants, and specifically those who are poor.

Welfare benefits should not be concerned with social engineering or creating the dangerous distinction between 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor. The concept of linking assistance to good behaviour is based on the same principles as the workhouses of the 19 th century, surely an inappropriate model for the 21 st Century. The equitable response to illegal behaviour is to fine the culprits. In that way those with a mortgage are equally treated with those who are tenants, and rich and poor tenants face the same penalty.

We find it astonishing and totally unacceptable that the DWP is even considering imposing any sanction (even if it is a reduced one) on households where there is pregnancy or serious illness, perhaps endangering the health or life of those affected."

Confusing the issue

"The DWP paper confuses very extreme cases with other forms of neighbour nuisance, which though distressing in their own right, can best be dealt with by other well tried and effective measures such as good housing management or, for example, improvements to the fabric of houses to tackle soundproofing problems. "

Undermining Scotland 's homelessness laws

"Having served on the Scottish Executive's Homelessness Task Force, I am extremely concerned at the impact the proposals could have on the ability of local authorities to carry out the new duties which are included in the Homelessness etc Scotland Act 2003. Under the provisions of that Act local authorities will have a duty to ensure that a 'short tenancy' including appropriate support is provided to households found to be intentionally homeless.

This will apply not only to the vast majority of cases which relate to debt problems, but also to the minority of cases where anti social behaviour is the cause. It is the aim of the legislation to ensure that we do not simply punish people, but tackle the root cause of the problem. Effective work in combating anti social behaviour currently exists and succeeds in reducing anti social behaviour. It would undermine this aim if local authorities were to have to finance such work without being able to recover the rent costs (where appropriate) through housing benefit."

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1. SCSH is the national membership organisation for individuals and organisations working with homeless people.
2. The response is to the DWP paper "Housing Benefit Sanctions and Anti-Social Behaviour – A Consultation Paper". Full copies of the response are available on SCSH’s website (www.scsh.org.uk)
3. This response is the result of consultation with our Executive Committee and draws on a survey of members undertaken during the passage of the similar Private Members' Bill promoted by Frank Field MP during the last parliamentary session.