Councils fail to spend £1m earmarked for people at risk of homelessness
Six local authorities spend only half the money allocated to them for needy families by the Department for Work and PensionsCouncils have failed to spend almost £1m earmarked by the government for poor...
View ArticleReturn of right-to-buy creates a raft of uncertainty for councils
Last year's sudden revival of the Conservative policy has forced local authorities to review their housing strategiesGovernment plans to revive the right-to-buy, unveiled at last year's Conservative...
View ArticleFixed-term tenancies: from starter home to security of tenure
How are social landlords responding to government plans to scrap lifetime contracts for social tenants?Speaking prior to the last general election, David Cameron strongly denied allegations by Labour...
View ArticleCouncils turn to arm's-length bodies to save money on public services
They proved a success for housing. Now local authorities are setting up Almos for leisure facilities, social care and child servicesCouncils that set up arm's length management organisations (Almos) to...
View ArticlePlaying the system: getting the most out the new homes bonus
Research by former housing minister Nick Raynsford suggests the incentive is paid to councils even if no new homes are builtMore than 150,000 properties added to the council tax register last year by...
View ArticleCouncils underspend payments for struggling households by £8m
A quarter of the £30m fund for discretionary housing payments left untouched compounds concerns over the scheme's efficiencyMillions of pounds earmarked by the government to help families struggling to...
View ArticleData disappears as housing no longer compelled to share information
The government's 'light touch' regulation regime means it is up to tenants to gather the right information to scrutinise landlordsHow much do we know about what is happening in housing? On the face of...
View ArticleCouncil tax benefit reform: who's doing what, and where?
Four authorities are taking very different approaches to managing the new council tax welfare systemNearly three quarters (72%) of local authorities in England are imposing a minimum council tax...
View ArticleWhat happens if housing associations' commercial ventures fail?
Housing associations increasingly use commercial ventures to fund social housing but what happens if they go bust? The HCA intends to find outAt times, the pace at which housing associations are...
View ArticlePost-Brexit postgrads: what's in store for higher education?
The UK’s imminent split from Europe threatens both Brits and EU nationals studying abroad Sjoukje van Oosterhout is sick of hearing about Brexit. “My life is dominated by it. I hear the word even more...
View ArticleNew-style apprenticeships: all the education, none of the debt
For school leavers who want to earn, or older career changers, apprenticeships cover all the basesLater this month, Buckinghamshire New University will welcome about 50 students who have chosen to...
View ArticleNew-style apprenticeships: are they living up to expectations?
Taking their cue from industry, new-style apprenticeships were heralded as a way to broaden vocational training all the way up to degree level. However, take-up has been mixedApprenticeships are among...
View ArticleSkills minister Anne Milton: ‘The default should not just be university'
Anne Milton believes apprenticeships offer a vital alternative to university for school leavers Anne Milton is passionate about apprenticeships and struggles to see why anyone would think differently....
View ArticleBest of both: how degree-level apprenticeships blend work and study
Described as a ‘magic card’, higher or degree apprenticeships mix undergraduate-level academic study with hands-on experience Leaving full-time education at 18 is not always the best move, especially...
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