Recent consultations and responses

• Tenant Services Authority - Homeless Link has responded to the TSA consultation, Building a new regulatory framework which seeks feedback about their proposals for regulating social housing. We highlighted concerns that the new framework does not include vulnerability or support needs as a separate standard, which may lead to clients needs being overlooked. We also called for further discussion around how the new regulations will relate to existing monitoring frameworks, to minimise new data collection requirements being introduced for providers.

• Local Housing Allowance - Homeless Link has written to the DWP in response to their proposal to cut the excess of LHA payments. We are concerned about the impact that this removal will have on individuals and families. While we appreciate the need to make savings to the public purse, we feel that savings are unlikely to be achieved through this change and that which are realised will be at the expense of many individuals who face a daily struggle to make ends meet. We call on the DWP to examine all the available options open to it before pursuing the proposed cuts.

• Fair Access to Care - Homeless Link has produced a summary of the new guidance on eligibility criteria for Adult Social Care and the forthcoming consultation from the Department of Health on Fair Access to Care Services. This is an important document as it guides local authorities on changes they should be making to their approach to commissioning services and assessing individual need.

• New Horizons - The Department of Health have launched a new strategy New Horizons which promises to 'promote good mental health and well-being, whilst improving services for people who have mental health problems'. It is vital that the new strategy addresses the needs of homeless people and Homeless Link will be responding to the strategy which is currently open for consultation until the 15th October 2009.

• Call 4 Evidence - Homeless Link responded to St Mungos Call 4 Evidence on Mental Health. St Mungos asked for views about homelessness and mental health which will help inform a report due for publication in the Autumn. We submitted our recent Mental Health Policy briefing as part of our feedback to this consultation.

• Reducing Reoffending in London - Homeless Link has written to the National Offender Management Service in response to the Reducing Reoffending in London 2009-11 consultation, which outlines the proposed priorities for the delivery of prison and probation services in the capital and the joint working to reduce reoffending.

• The Social Fund - Homeless Link has responded to the Department for Work and Pensions on the reform of the Social Fund

• VAT - Homeless Link has written to Stephen Timms MP on the withdrawal of VAT concessionary arrangements for supplies of temporary workers - the issue could have large staffing cost implications for homelessness agencies. See the response we received from HM Revenue and Customs

• Social Care and Support - The UK Coalition on Older Homelessness, based at Homeless Link, has responded to the national debate on the future of social care and support

• The Future of Supporting People - Jenny Edwards, Homeless Link Chief Executive, has written to Communities and Local Government about the future of Supporting People Jenny sits on the Supporting People Sounding Board, which has been consulted on this issue.

• Welfare Reform Green Paper - Homeless Link has responded to the Welfare Reform Green Paper No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility Our response includes a map of the services that homeless people need to help them on their journey to employment and outlines three key things that DWP must consider as they implement their welfare reforms. Earlier, we produced an overview of the Green Paper for the National Advisory Council and Homeless Link members.

• Comprehensive Area Assessment Consultation - Homeless Link have responded to the Audit Commission second consultation on Comprehensive Area Assessment

• Empowerment Fund - Homeless Link has responded to the Communities and Local Government consultation on the Empowerment Fund

• Internal Review of Housing Benefit - Homeless Link has written to Stephen Timms MP on the internal review of housing benefit currently being undertaken by the Department for Work and Pensions.

• Consumer Focus - Homeless Link has responded to the Consumer Focus Forward Work Programme, highlighting how the new organisation can help protect the consumer rights of people experiencing homelessness.

• Glover Review - Homeless Link has responded to the Glover Review into the Role of SMEs in Public Procurement, highlighting the issues faced by homelessness agencies

• Rough Sleeping Discussion paper - Homeless Link has responded to Communities and Local Government's discussion paper on an updated rough sleeping strategy.

• Human Rights in Britain - Homeless Link has responded to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission's call for evidence around their forthcoming inquiry into the state of human rights in Britain.

• Informal adult learning: shaping the way ahead - Homeless Link response to Dept for Universities, Innovation and Skills consultation highlights the positive outcomes of meaningful activity in the homelessness sector as a form of informal learning.

• Proposed changes to housing benefit backdating - Homeless Link has written to the Social Security Advisory Committee outlining its concerns around proposed changes to housing benefit backdating arrangements

• Focussing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) on Community Cohesion - Homeless Link response to Dept for Universities, Innovation and Skills consultation highlights the needs of Central and Eastern Europeans, and homeless refugees and asylum seekers.

• Drugs: Our community, your say - Homeless Link response to Home Office consultation on drugs strategy

• A possible ESRC research programme? - New report published on developing priorities for future research into 'multiple exclusion homelessness' summarises the feedback from service providers, government departments and people with experience of homelessness on what the focus of future research should be.

• Department of Health: Care Programme Approach - Homeless Link response to DH consultation on Care Programme Approach

• Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 - Find out about Homeless Link's research findings and submission around the Comprehensive Spending Review

• Homeless Link responds to the consultation on of the future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration Homeless Link has responded to The Charity and Third Sector Finance Unit's review of the future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration. To read our response to the third sector review.

• Homeless Link submits a response to Tackling homelessness consultation Homeless Link has submitted its response to the Housing Corporation's consultation, Tackling Homelessness. For more information, please contact oliver.hilbery@homelesslink.org.uk
• Homeless Link and OSW submit joint response to welfare reform consultation Following a consultation with members, Homeless Link and Off the Streets and into Work have provided a joint response to the Department for Work and Pensions' consultation on the welfare reform green paper. For more information, please contact Alice.Evans@homelesslink.org.uk.

• Response to the government's Supporting People strategy consultation Homeless Link has now responded to the consultation.