MPs must oppose this bill

Frank Field's housing benefit (withholding of payment) bill, which is due to come before MPs today, would remove benefit from households guilty of anti-social behaviour. The government proposes to amend this sanction to one of reducing benefit. We oppose any sanction based on the withdrawal of benefit. It will do nothing to tackle anti-social behaviour. Rather, it will make families homeless because they will not be able to pay their rent. Many of those families will have to be rehoused in temporary accommodation, creating further difficulties. Problem families will be shuttled around the country in increasingly desperate circumstances.

Mr Field's stated aim is to drive anti-social tenants out of his constituency and many will share his frustration at the damage that small numbers of people can inflict on communities. But enshrining nimbyism in statute will not address the real problems. Anti-social behaviour must be challenged with more rigorous use of existing sanctions, with people offered opportunities to reform through resettlement and support. There are ways of dealing with this problem effectively, and we would like to work with the government to take them forward. We hope MPs will resist the temptation to introduce this ill-thought-out piece of legislation.
Ben Jackson and Mary Marsh
Shelter, NSPCC and 20 other poverty, housing and welfare groups