The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
16
1240/5/1(387)
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY
BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 4TH JULY 2017
Question
Further to the answer to written question 1(252) on 2nd May 2017, in which a cumulative total of approximately £12 million was given as required for additional support for the rental component of Income Support over the period up to 2019, will the Minister inform members what sums it is envisaged will be required for the decade 2020 – 2029, along with the total spend required in the three categories (Andium Homes; Other Housing Trusts; Private Sector) over this period; and will she state whether she considers those sums to be sustainable, and, if not, what action she intends to take to achieve sustainability?
Answer
The impact on the Departmental budget of the Assembly's adoption on 16th May 2013 of The Reform of Social Housing' (P.33/2013) and the agreement that rents in social housing would be charged at 90 per cent of market rents is set out in P.33/2013 and these figures were used to provide the answer given on 2 May 2017. It should be noted that the total figure of £12 million included an additional investment in the rental support available for private sector housing which was agreed by the States Assembly in parallel to the main social housing project.
The figures for the period 2020 to 2029 can also be found in the report accompanying P.33/2013 and this amounts to a total of £16 million for Andium and £4 million for other housing trusts. The additional costs for the private sector will be £10 million.
These figures relate to the additional cost to be borne by Income Support following the decision to move to 90% market rentals. They do not include inflation.
This ten year period spans 3 separate MTFP periods and at the start of each MTFP period, budgets and cash limits will be set to cover the coming expenditure. The States will agree these cash limits and take steps to ensure that income and expenditure is appropriately balanced over each period. This includes the significant income received from Andium each year. The MTFP process ensures that the envelope of public spending is well understood in each planning cycle and that the government's overall spending plans are sustainable. The Social Security Minister at the time will play their part in taking appropriate actions to ensure that benefit spending is sustainable.