§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have on the number of homeless people who have been refused hostel places because they do not possess two pieces of identification. [HL1823]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)Information is not available on people who are refused hostel places. We are aware of concerns about the impact on homeless people of the level of verification required in connection with Housing Benefit claims following the introduction of the Verification Framework. A number of changes were made in November 1998 in response to the problems faced by homeless people. We are actively considering what further steps are necessary to ensure that this vulnerable group is not disadvantaged, and looking at the impact on hostel providers.