Andrew Dismore

Dear editor,

The 71% increase in people living in Barnet who are in work yet also claiming Housing Benefit is the result of the Conservative Government’s failure to make work pay, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and build the new homes for rent we desperately need.

These shocking figures are an indictment of the Conservative Government and Barnet’s Conservative MPs.

This huge rise in Housing Benefit  claimants  represent  people who are actually in work, yet still can’t make ends meet. It shows how the recovery is not touching thousands of ordinary Barnet  families.

Their wages have not kept pace with rent inflation and many of the new jobs, especially those with “zero hours” contracts,  do not pay enough for people to meet their  bills.

The failure to provide affordable homes for rent has added to the problem with rents skyrocketing in Barnet. 

There is a massive amount of development  going on, but sales “off plan” on the open market at crazy prices, as encouraged by this Conservative  Council do nothing to help our local housing shortage.

We need a Labour Government, committed to reasonable rent controls, security of tenure and to the building of the homes we need, to deal with this

shocking Conservative created mess.

 

Andrew Dismore

Labour London Assembly member  for Barnet  and candidate for Hendon

79 the Burroughs

NW4 4AX