Lifeline for women’s refuges facing closure due to housing benefit cuts as Theresa May hints at U-turn

Prime Minister says her Government hopes to ‘exempt’ refuges which take in women and their children who have been victims of domestic violence

Theresa May insists her Government was doing ‘all we can’ to both prevent domestic violence and help its victims (Rex)

Women’s refuges facing mass closures because of housing benefit cuts have been thrown a lifeline after Theresa May hinted at a U-turn.

The Prime Minister said her Government hoped to “exempt” the refuges which take in women and their children who have been victims of violence at the hands of their partners.

Women’s Aid immediately hailed the comment – made during Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons - as “great news” and pledged to work with the Government on the rethink. This week, the charity warned that plans to cap housing benefit paid to supported and sheltered housing threatened to destroy the finances of the refuges.

Its survey found that 67 per cent of those operating in England would be forced to close if they are not exempted from the curbs and 87 per cent forced to reduce the support they give to families. In one case, the income at one refuge would be slashed from about £300 to just £60 per room per week. Some refuges depend on housing benefit to cover 90 per cent of their costs, Women’s Aid said.

Until now, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), had said only that it was carrying out a review, head of an announcement before the end of the year. The measure had already been deferred for one year - until 2018 - because of the controversy.

Ms May gave ground when pressed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who told her: “These are very vulnerable women in those refuges. Closure of those refuges would be devastating for them, very dangerous for the most vulnerable people within our society. Would she take action to make sure that the cap does not apply?”

In response, Ms May insisted her Government was doing “all we can” to both prevent domestic violence and help its victims. She added: “That’s why we are working on exempting refuges form the cap.”

Polly Neate, the chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: “We welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to exempting refuges from changes to the housing benefit cap. It is great news, and we do not doubt her commitment to tackling domestic abuse. We hope as that, as this crisis abates, the Government will look to finding a long-term sustainable funding solution for refuges so that they do not keep lurching from crisis to crisis.”

The apparent U-turn came during a wide-ranging attack on the Government’s record on housebuilding, right-to-buy sales and poor quality public housing by Mr Corbyn – who warned the “dream of home ownership” was fading for many.