Labour announced a range of fiscal measures yesterday in their Spring mini-budget, a balance of investments and reductions. The two biggest headlines for social housing tenants, however, could be considered to send mixed messaging.

The pledge of £2bn in further funding for the development of social housing was welcome news, especially given the increasing role social housing must play in the resolution to our worsening housing crisis. The funding was announced with enthusiasm by the Chancellor during a visit to an affordable housing site in Stoke-On-Trent, where she stressed the urgency with which the country must start building.

With prices in the private sector continuing to price out potential home owners, affordable housing is key in ensuring safe, suitable housing for all. The numbers of social homes in England have continued to fall since the introduction of the Right to Buy scheme, with more than a quarter of a million homes for social rent being lost in the last decade.

Alongside this commitment to social housing however, was not one but two announcements of cuts to the welfare system. Reeves’ initial announcement was revealed to not be adequate to balance the books when it came to saving, and further measures were announced during the budget yesterday. For those already struggling within the welfare system, these announcements painted a nightmare picture, although Reeves insisted these measures are vital to ensure future generations are given the appropriate chances to enter the world of work: “If we do nothing, we are writing off an entire generation. That cannot be right, and we will not stand for it. It is a waste of their potential and it is a waste of their futures.”

Lee Bloomfield, Chief Executive of Manningham Housing Association, was appreciative of the funding for social housing, but voiced concerns over the additional burden to society’s most vulnerable:

“I was delighted to hear the Government’s announcement earlier in the week to provide £2 billion of new funding to build 18,000 much needed affordable homes.

“Manningham Housing Association stands ready to assist Ministers in achieving this objective.

“We also support the Government’s ambition to get more people into work and, through our community investment work, have assisted many into meaningful employment in Bradford and Keighley.

“But this should not come at the cost of cutting support for the most vulnerable.

“Grass roots organisations such as Manningham Housing Association were established to support people from some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country.

“With many on the lowest incomes already struggling to make ends meet, I fear the cuts to the welfare budget confirmed by the Chancellor will make this task all the more challenging.”

Some voices went as far as to accuse Reeve’s of announcing the social housing funding in a bid to appease those outraged by the cuts. One thing is for certain, that those outside parliament protesting the reduction of welfare seemed anything but placated.

Dan Bebbington, Debt and Energy Manager at The Wrekin Housing Group, said planned changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit would remove vital support from those who depend on it.

“The proposed reforms to disability benefits are extremely worrying.

“While some measures the Government has put forward, like scrapping the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and investing £1bn in employment support, may appear promising, the overall impact on disabled people could be incredibly damaging.

“One major concern is replacing the WCA with PIP assessments to determine financial support. Many disabled individuals currently reliant on Universal Credit’s health top-up or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) do not qualify for PIP, and the PIP assessment was not designed to assess work suitability.

“With stricter PIP eligibility rules set for 2026, thousands could lose benefits they depend on.”

“The freeze of the Universal Credit health top-up for existing claimants, and its reduction for new ones from 2026 by almost 50%, worsens the financial challenges for vulnerable individuals.

“The delay in access to the Universal Credit health top-up until age 22 will also unfairly impact young disabled people transitioning into adulthood.

“It seems that the reforms being put forward are driven by a desire to cut the welfare bill, rather than improve the lives of people who rely on these payments due to disabilities and health conditions they did not ask to have.”