Launching the Welfare Reform Bill with the Prime Minister today, Iain Duncan Smith hailed what promises to be the biggest shake up of the system for 60 years.
Central to the Bill will be the introduction of Universal Credit, which will simplify the benefits system by lumping household benefits into one payment by 2013.
There were fears that by paying the housing component directly to tenants, it would push up social landlords' arrears and would prevent them from borrowing at a preferential rate from banks.
Click here to view the whole story Direct payments to social landlords retained in Welfare reform
NetRent Comment
It is crucial to the whole social housing market that direct payments to landlords are re-instated as the norm rather than the exception. The current system does not work for many tenants, most landlords and all local authorities.
