This report reviews the existing evidence of the impact of welfare reforms on housing policy in Wales.
There have been several studies of the impact of welfare reforms across the UK as a whole and in Wales. These suggest that the changes will hit the most deprived communities and most vulnerable groups hardest, potentially leading to increased levels of debt and poverty. This in turn is likely to put increased pressure on health, local government and other services, meaning that reforms made in Westminster will have significant implications for the Welsh Government’s budget.
Although a number of studies assess the impacts of welfare reform, there are very few that focus on the implications for housing policy. The report recommends commissioning research to shed more light on the ways in which housing policies could help to mitigate the impacts of welfare reform and whether there is a case for the Welsh Government to have more powers to enable it to address this issue.