Should council tenants who don't try hard enough to find a job lose their homes? Housing minister Caroline Flint seems to think so. STEPHEN LEWIS reports.

AT LEAST Norman Tebbit only told jobless people to get on their bikes.

Labour housing minister Caroline Flint seems to be going one worse: by saying they could lose their homes.

In her first major speech in her new job, the MP suggested unemployed people could be made to look for work as a condition of their council or social housing tenancy.

But she immediately found herself under fire from housing charities, who accused her of "risking a return to the workhouse".

Ms Flint said many long-term unemployed people living in social housing may be able to find employment with the right support.

She suggested new tenants could sign commitment contracts' agreeing to actively seek work as a condition of getting a home. The contracts could also be extended to existing tenants.

The proposal comes as statistics reveal the number of unemployed council tenants has risen by 20 per cent, to 55 per cent, since 1981.

Calling for a national debate on breaking the link between social housing and unemployment, Ms Flint said: "The link between social housing and worklessness is stark. I am concerned about what has been called a collapse in the number of people in council housing in work over the past 25 years."

She said: "Council and social housing must continue to support the most vulnerable in society, but it should also be a springboard to opportunity, not just a safety net."

Shelter chief executive Adam Sampson said: "The Government wants to return Britain's unemployed to the workhouse by throwing them out on the streets.

"What is being proposed would destroy families and communities and add to the thousands who are already homeless."

Community leaders in York reacted with shock today at Ms Flint's proposal.

Tom Gibson, vice chairman of the Tang Hall Residents' Association, said: "If it was a definite proposal I'm sure it would worry people - especially if you've got a family and you're doing your best to find a job.

"Even just the suggestion is going to cause an awful lot of worry.

"Yes, unemployment is low in York at the moment - but there is little out there for people who are unemployed to apply for."

He said the proposal unfairly stigmatised people living in council and social housing as workshy'.

"That's not true," he said. "The vast majority of people on this estate are working."

Rosie Wall, a member of the Chapelfields community house steering group, said the mere threat that a family might lose their home if they were unable to find a job would be enormously stressful.

"That might actually stop people being able to look for work, because they are worried about losing their house," she said.

"And if there are children involved, it's not their fault they haven't go a house. I think even talking about this will really scare people."


What the politicians say

LOCAL politicians of all parties were scathing about the proposal.

"I'm totally appalled by the suggestion," said Coun Sue Sunderland, the Liberal Democrats' executive member for housing on City of York Council.

"This will terrify some of our residents, and I think it is a slur on people who access social housing."

Coun Sunderland said according to the law, people who claimed unemployment benefit had to be actively seeking work anyway.

It was legitimate to give those out of work encouragement to find a job - and to tighten up on those who were wrongly claiming benefits, she said.

"But to simply point the finger at tenants living in social housing - I'm appalled."

Andy D'Agorne, Green group leader on the council, agreed there was nothing wrong with offering people help to find work.

However, it was wrong to pick on people who lived in social housing. "It is irrelevant where they live. This is demeaning," he said.

Conservative group leader Ian Gillies said he accepted there were people claiming benefits to which they were not entitled.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with cracking down on them, he said. But benefit cheats lived in private housing and private rented accommodation as well as social housing, he said.

"Just because someone lives in social housing should have no bearing."

Even the Labour shadow executive member for housing, David Horton, found it hard to say anything good about Ms Flint's proposal.

"I would like to look behind the headlines, but on the face of it, it would worry me," he said. "It doesn't sound very Labour."