Duncan Smith in row with charity over the meaning of homelessness

By
Jack Doyle

Last updated at 6:58 AM on 24th January 2012


Row: Iain Duncan Smith claimed yesterday that a family on benefits were regarded as homeless if two of more children had to share a bedroom

Row: Iain Duncan Smith claimed yesterday that a family on benefits were regarded as homeless if two of more children had to share a bedroom

Iain Duncan Smith was embroiled in a row with a charity yesterday after he said families on benefits were officially regarded as homeless if two children were forced to share a bedroom.

As the Work and Pensions Secretary sought to defend benefits cuts, he said the public would find the official definition of homeless ‘strange’.

But the comments drew criticism from homelessness campaigners, and officials were forced to clarify his remarks.

Mr Duncan Smith told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘The public thinks that homelessness is about not having any reasonable accommodation to go to.

‘That is not the definition. The definition inside government and places like Shelter is that children have to share rooms.

‘For most people who are working, their children share rooms. They would find that a strange definition.’

But the charity Shelter insisted that was not its definition.

Chief executive Campbell Robb said: ‘The Secretary of State said that, according to Shelter, a family where children share a bedroom would be defined as homeless. This is simply not true.

‘Shelter uses the same definition of homelessness as the Government, as set out in the Housing Act 1996, passed by the last Conservative government.’

'Do you have to do this every night?!'

Officials said later that a house could be seen as ‘overcrowded’ if a girl and a boy, both older than ten, were sharing a room.

Overcrowding can be a reason for giving a family a new home.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: ‘When people hear the term “homeless” they will instantly think that this means a person without a home. This is not the case.

‘In legislation, homelessness can mean that you are eligible to be housed by the Government.

‘A person can be eligible for housing for a number of reasons, one of which is overcrowding.

‘If accommodation is so overcrowded that there is no practical alternative to a boy and girl older than 10 having to share a bedroom, their home may be statutorily overcrowded.

‘It is up to the local authority to make decisions based on individual cases.’

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NO COMMENT-WHY BOTHER? THE MAN is coming over to all who have dealings with him as an IMBOCILE!!!!!

Funny the double standard but all the immigrant workers living 10 15 to a house and that is allowed? A Great civilization is destroyed from the inside before it is destroyed from the outside… RIP GB.

So policies instituted by IDS’s OWN government are considered ‘strange’ to him? THAT’S what I consider strange.

So IDS lied then. He should resign.
This ridiculous divide and rule game the govt is playing needs to stop. The rules on homelessness are the same whether you work or not.

DM I think that you have forgotten to mention that this only applies to asylum seekers.

Doesn’t Duncan Smith understand the difference between ‘homeless’ and ‘overcrowded’?
The last Tory government, who introduced the classifications, obviously did, so what bit is he finding so hard to grasp?
It’s frightening when he doesn’t appear to know the basics.

This definition of overcrowding has existed for many years. I don’t think it’s the same as homelessness, though clearly it’s a long way from ideal.

IDS = liar. As with most polititians he lies to get what he wants, he lies to make his case and he rolls out the really big whoppers when things aren’t going his way. Am I surprised? not on you’r life which is why we take everything these dispicable people utter with a grain of salt.

IDS has a point. Pressure groups will use whichever definitions suit their case – I recall Fiona MacTaggart (clueless Labour MP) not that long ago talking about how most prostitutes were “forced” into prostitution – it then turned out that by “forced” she meant they needed the money, rather than any coercion taking place. Pretty disgraceful stuff.

The government rely on rhetoric and lies to push through reforms that will hurt people. Surely you know that Daily Mail 😉 nudge nudge wink wink

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