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• Reference: 2013/0005-1
• Question by: Stephen Knight
• Meeting date: 13 March 2013

What do you perceive will be the impact on London of housing related welfare reforms - including linking the uprating of Local Housing Allowance to the Consumer Price Index rather than rent inflation and introducing under-occupation penalties - given London's existing shortages of affordable rented accommodation and overcrowding problems?

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 13 March 2013

I want to follow up from Stephen Knight's questioning on the CPI. Perhaps I could ask Kate, because she did not get a chance to answer. Have I got it right that the CPI is going to mean that rents are now going to be tagged to the CPI, rather than to rent inflation? Further, as the CPI has always risen at a much lower rate than rents, the 30th percentile which the LHA is tagged to will drop to perhaps 20th or 10th percentile available? Have I got this right?

• Question by: Stephen Knight
• Meeting date: 13 March 2013

I wondered if I could very quickly ask Mayor Pipe a question on the Ministerial statement yesterday on the 'bedroom tax'. It appears to me that what is being said is rather than change the actual proposals so that the categories talked about are exempt, what is being done is that the Government is asking local authorities to use discretionary payments to effectively pay that money back. Is that right? Can you explain what the process would be and, importantly, is the Government actually funding this?