Thousands of sheltered housing tenants look to have won a last minute reprieve on their housing benefit entitlement, it emerged this week
Earlier this year government proposals on the interim arrangements for funding supported housing included a dated and narrow definition of the term sheltered housing (Housing Today, 8 July).

The proposals said that tenants with non-resident wardens would only be eligible for counselling and support costs if they shared a common room.

It is understood that the final regulations, which were due out this week, no longer include a reference to common rooms. The regulations will cover arrangements from April next year until the 2003 when the Supporting People plans come into force. The concession, which follows lobbying from councils and housing associations, broadens the definition of sheltered housing. It will mean that housing benefit will cover the cost of non-residential wardens for thousands more tenants.

The concession is in line with providers' efforts to modernise or remodel sheltered homes, since this often involves scrapping common rooms and residential wardens.

National Housing Federation head of management and support Kathleen Boyle said she "confidently hoped" the concession would appear in the regulations.

She added: "For sheltered housing providers it is great news." Anchor Trust welfare rights development officer Geoff Ferres said: "It's a welcome concession, but all it means is that the government have held to what they said they would do - that the transitional scheme won't take away support. We were hoping for more significant changes." Hanover housing's group manager for strategic support Peter Shearer said: "The concession is wonderful news, it makes it so much less complicated. But what they should do now is take sheltered housing out of Supporting People altogether."

Source

Housing Today