Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which tenants will be exempt from the Government’s proposed phasing out of lifetime tenancies.

Brandon Lewis

The provisions restricting the use of lifetime tenancies are intended to ensure we get the best use out of our social housing stock – ensuring that social housing is focussed on those who need it the most for as long as they need it. This is essential with 1.24 million households on council waiting lists. The changes will apply to new tenants, but will not apply to existing lifetime tenants who remain in their own home.

If tenants are required to move home by their landlord, for example to allow demolition and regeneration work to take place, they will be granted a tenancy with no less security in their new home.

Where existing lifetime tenants seek to transfer, local authorities will retain a discretion – in limited circumstances – to offer the tenant a further lifetime tenancy in their new home. We will set out the circumstances in which local authorities may exercise this discretion in regulations. We expect these will include where tenants downsize into a smaller home, move for work or to escape violence.