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MP slams 'flawed' DCLG home scheme

Jaimie Kanwar

A government scheme to improve social housing is having a serious negative impact, warns one MP...

Hundreds of people who bought former council flats in England are receiving bills for thousands of pounds for repairs they say they cannot afford. The work is being carried out as part of the Decent Homes initiative. The government says it recognizes the problem and has put a range of measures in place to deal with it. Leaseholders have always been liable for repairs but it is the scale of improvements triggered by the Decent Homes Initiative which appears to have caught many leaseholders by surprise.

Karen Buck, Labour MP for Regents Park and Kensington North, knows many constituents who have been affected: “All the agencies involved need to get together to find a solution: We've got hundreds of people whose bills are £20,000, £30,000, £40,000, £50,000 and the consequences are they will lose their homes."

A spokesperson for the The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said: “The government has spent £23bn on improving social housing in England over the last 11 years. Owning a home carries responsibilities for its maintenance and we are working with councils to offer a range of flexible payment options. Homeowners could refer disputes to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.