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CARMARTHENSHIRE NEWS • EDITION 10 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2012 Housing News Council to build first new bungalows since 80’s
WORK on the first council-built bungalows since the 1980s will begin within months. Contractors have been appointed
through the council’s Contractor Framework, and the first phase of the £3.6million scheme is set to begin in February at Llysnewydd, Llanelli, where five bungalows will be built. The first phase will also include a further eight bungalows at Morfa Maen, Kidwelly. The second phase will deliver 26 more at Y Waun, in Pemberton, Llanelli, with other potential sites in the county also being considered. Housing Minister Huw Lewis cut
will
the first sod at the Llysnewydd site in October. He said: “I am sure these bungalows provide much
needed
accommodation for those tenants who want to take the opportunity of downsizing to new, energy efficient homes whilst releasing their larger properties for families.”
www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Housing Minister Huw Lewis cuts the first sod at the bungalow site in Llysnewydd, Seaside, Llanelli
Help for tenants affected by Government’s benefit shake-up
CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council is preparing to support tenants who could be affected by the Government’s Welfare Reforms, due to come in to force in April. The reforms mark the biggest
FORTY five per cent of council homes achieve the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard years before the end of the authority’s £203million improvement programme. By 2015, all of the council’s homes will achieve the standard, with many of
the work programmes – including loft and cavity insulation - already completed ahead of schedule. Last year alone, £26million was invested with 959 new kitchens and 853
new bathrooms installed; 871 efficient heating systems; 575 hard wired smoke detectors and 878 carbon monoxide detectors. Executive Board Member for Housing, Cllr Tegwen Devichand, said: “The
CHS has made a significant improvement to our tenants’ quality of life. They are more energy efficient – easier to heat and keep warm - which has an impact on their bills and also their health.”
overhaul of the benefits system since it began some 60 years ago. The Government aims to simplify the system, and plans to ensure people are always better off working than being unemployed. One of the main changes will be the introduction of what
your housing benefit will be cut by at least 14 per cent of the rent you pay every week. If you have two or more spare bedrooms, you will lose at least 25 per cent,” said John Gravelle, the council’s Revenue Services Manager. “As has always been the case, you
will have to pay your landlord the difference between your housing benefit and your rent.” Under the Government rules,
is
commonly known as the ‘bedroom tax’. Working-age council or housing association tenants living in a home with one or more ‘spare’ bedrooms may see their benefits reduced. “If you have one spare bedroom,
housing benefit claimants will be allowed one bedroom for each adult couple or any other person aged 16 or over. Two children of the same sex under the age of 16, and two children under the age of 10 - regardless of their sex – will be expected to share. Separate rooms will be allowed for any other child - other than a foster child or child whose main home is
elsewhere - and a non-resident carer for tenants who need overnight care. Cllr Tegwen Devichand, Executive
Board Member for Housing, said: “We would strongly encourage any tenant that may be in that situation to seek advice now. We can help you understand how you could be affected, and help you to plan for any changes.” Council tenants are advised to
speak to their housing officer in the first instance. Housing Association tenants are advised to speak to their landlords. Advice can also be obtained from
the council’s Housing Benefits team - call Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567, text 07892 345 678, or email
direct@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
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