Badenoch has denied that a Conservative proposal to reduce the housing benefit bill would result in people becoming homeless.
The Conservatives say £4bn could be cut from housing benefit as part of a plan to help pay for increased defence spending. The proposal links welfare savings directly to the party’s wider aim of putting more money into defence.
Housing benefit supports people with housing costs, meaning any proposed reduction to the bill is likely to draw scrutiny over its potential effect on households relying on the payment. Badenoch has rejected the suggestion that the plan would make people homeless.
The material supplied does not set out how the Conservatives say the £4bn reduction would be achieved, when the changes would take effect, or which claimants would be affected. It also does not include any detailed response from other parties, housing organisations or defence officials.
The latest position is that the Conservatives are presenting the proposed cut as a way to help fund higher defence spending, while Badenoch is denying that the measure would lead to homelessness.
