Council leader's fears on welfare changes
Carmarthenshire's council leader has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions expressing deep concerns on proposed changes to the welfare benefits system.
Cllr Meryl Gravell has acted on behalf of the council following the Government’s plans, particularly those relating to the Housing Benefits scheme.
In the letter to Iain Duncan Smith, Cllr Gravell said: “Naturally, to a Unitary Authority like Carmarthenshire which has an ageing population as well as pockets of high deprivation and unemployment, it is the changes relating to the Housing Benefits scheme that are of immediate concern.
“Council is hardly reassured by the DWP’s own assessment which concluded that these changes are likely to result in an increase in households with rent arrears, evictions and homelessness.
“There is no question that the current benefits scheme is extremely complex and costly, and many will agree that it requires a full and comprehensive review. However it is the range and depth of ...