Housing benefit cuts alarm Boris Johnson - letter to Ian Duncan-Smith highlights widening rich-poor gap in capital

Published: 23 July 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

LONDON mayor Boris Johnson has spoken out against cuts to housing benefit, saying they threatened to widen the gap between rich and poor in central London.

Mr Johnson has written to the work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith to request special treatment for the capital. 

He points out it suffers doubly from an expensive private rental sector and an acute shortage of affordable housing.

His comments mirror those of his London mayoral opponent Ken Livingstone and Westminster North Labour MP Karen Buck, who launched a campaign against the proposed benefit caps earlier this month.

In Westminster, more than 5,000 families will have to find extra money because their rents exceed the new maximum weekly claim of £400.

Mr Johnson wrote: “For many households the potential consequences of this are losing jobs to which they will not be able to commute, having to change their children’s schools and being cut off from their local social networks that are essential to successful communities.”