Westminster Council Handicapped by Housing Benefit Cuts

Westminster Council has been forced to house families in West End hotel rooms due to the introduction of Housing Benefit caps. Council officers have admitted that the council is having to pay between £758.31 and £1,540 per week per room. Over 120 families with children have been in hotels for more than six weeks and Council officers expect this to rise to over 150 in the near future. This long term temporary housing is contrary to law but the council does not have suitable housing available. Other councils such as Camden are also affected. Camden is debating radical measures to house people in the West Midlands.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said;

"These figures show the financial incompetence of Westminster Conservatives. Having lobbied heavily for the introduction of Housing Benefit caps, Westminster Conservatives suddenly find out that there are not enough homes available for those in housing need and are now having to pay massive weekly payment to four star hotels which are costing up to six times more than the Housing Benefit cap levels. Every Westminster tax payer is having to foot the bill for the Council's gross incompetence and yet the Conservatives still refuse to apologise for this expensive shambles"