Moving made easier for the low paid

Low-paid tenants with a job offer are to receive help to find a new home.

Under the Government home-finding scheme, a resident with the offer of work outside their local area will be given help to find affordable housing nearer to their new job.

Housing Minister John Healey is looking to councils and housing associations to support those who are in low-paid work and need help to improve their career prospects and avoid getting into debt.

Tenants will have a single contact point where they can use a brokering service to find the new home they need to take up their job offer.

The scheme will first run in the North-West, North-East and Yorkshire and if successful it will be extended across the country.

Of the 1.3 million working households in social-rent homes, more than half a million earn less than £20,000 a year.

Mr Healey has also outlined plans to give councils and housing associations a greater role in helping tenants in low-paid jobs by holding financial health checks to keep them out of debt and ensure they receive the support they are entitled to.

He will make £1.2 million available next year to run test schemes in up to 15 areas across the country.

This and the home-finding scheme could help over 10,000 people.

Mr Healey said: “Many residents in council and housing association homes are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

“They are more likely to be in low-paid work and often have been more affected by the recession but they are determined to stand on their own feet and work hard for themselves and their families.

“These people are the recession’s real ‘squeezed middle’ and we should recognise their determination, offer help and advice and remove obstacles that might get in the way of taking up a better job.

“Social tenants can often find it difficult to arrange a move to a new social home.

“I’m launching the scheme so tenants with job offers can feel better able to take them up without worrying about where they will live.

“I expect councils and housing associations to be ready to provide much-needed, targeted support.”