IRRV to Lord Freud: step back from a potential disaster…

16 March 2011
The (Rt Hon. the) Lord Freud
Westminster
House of Lords
London, SW1A 0PW

Dear Lord Freud,
My Institute is the only professional body in the United Kingdom that specialises in the law and practice of local authority revenues and local taxation collection together with the income related benefits that support these processes.

The position of the Institute has been to support the principles behind “Dynamic Benefits” and further to support the introduction of the Universal Credit; however we cannot support the inclusion of housing costs in your proposals.

There are many reasons behind this statement and in order to give your officials every opportunity to advise you to step back from a potential disaster that will make the Community Charge pale into insignificance we wish to offer you a constructive dialogue which will assist your thinking. The dialogue will be in the form of a series of questions (click here to see 105 questions) which we hope, as you answer them; will give you an insight into the problems you will be facing.

The questions will be posted on the “open” area of our website and we will post the answers as your officials provide them. We hope you will welcome this approach and allow every opportunity for a constructive dialogue to take place which will assist you in the difficult decisions you will have to make over the next two years.

The first one hundred or so questions are attached and these have all been raised by practitioners as important issues that will need to be addressed to ensure a successful implementation of the Universal Credit.

May I also take this opportunity to personally thank you for the support you have given the Institute at our recent conferences. If your officials need any clarification on the questions, can they contact the Institutes Chief Executive David Magor on david.magor@irrv.org.uk

We look forward to your answers.

Yours sincerely
Kerry Macdermott
President