This week Conor and fellow Labour MPs called a vote to halt Conservative plans to cut housing benefit support for thousands of elderly and vulnerable people across the country, which could put at risk 2675 homes in St Helens North.
Supported housing provides specialist care for groups including the elderly, the homeless, disabled people, veterans, people with mental health problems, young people leaving care and women fleeing domestic violence.
Experts say that across the country 156,000 supported homes are at risk of closure due to the Chancellor’s cuts.
In Parliament Labour called on George Osborne to exempt supported housing from his housing benefit cuts and to consult with charities, councils and housing associations to safeguard this vital accommodation. However, Conservative MPs voted down Labour’s motion to protect these homes.
Conor McGinn MP said:
“These cuts will hit the most vulnerable in our community and shows just how out of the touch the Tories are.
“That 2675 supported homes will be put at risk in my constituency is simply unacceptable.
“We should be doing all we can to help those most vulnerable in society, not making life more difficult for them.
“This is more of the same from a Tory government whose woeful housing policy is making large swathes of the country unaffordable for low income households to live.”
John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Housing, said:
“George Osborne’s crude cuts to housing benefit could force the closure of thousands of specialist homes for vulnerable people across the country.
“This would be a catastrophe for those who can least afford it. There is no way these people or the organisations who support them could make up the yawning shortfall these cuts are set to open up.
“Labour is calling on the Chancellor to urgently exempt supported housing from his housing benefit cuts and consult fully with the organisations that provide this vital accommodation.”