THE Scottish Government has called on the UK Government to take “immediate action” to end homelessness.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has written to UK Government ministers on the Prime Minister’s ambition to end homelessness.
In a letter addressed to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, Somerville said she “warmly welcomes” Andy Burnham’s recent commitment to end homelessness.
However, she said that progress to undertake this action in Scotland is being “held back by persistent UK policies including the Local Housing Allowance freeze and mismanagement of the asylum process”.
Somerville urged the UK Government to take "urgent action" in the upcoming Autumn Budget by scrapping the freeze on Local Housing Allowance.
She also called for an increase in the move-on period for newly recognised refugees so they have the opportunity to secure permanent accommodation, rather than "sticking to the current system that forces them to present as homeless to a local authority".
Somerville also urged the UK Government to provide funding to local authorities to help them support these newly recognised refugees, where "enabling local authority support helps reduce homelessness".
She continued: “We are taking action to mitigate the impact of the UK Government’s Local Housing Allowance freeze and benefit cap, but it is abundantly clear that we need to have the right policies in place at the UK Government level too.
“Working together we can end homelessness for good and therefore I urge you to take immediate action.”
In August, Burnham announced extra funding to tackle homelessness including his plans to offer those sleeping rough a route off the streets this winter if they need it.
He also announced a national summit on tackling rough sleeping to take place in the autumn.
The National has approached the UK Government for comment.
