'Lifeline' housing payments being cut back

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The government is cutting the amount of money councils can hand out to people through discretionary housing payments. The payments have been described as a lifeline by recipients, many of whom were affected by the spare room subsidy, called by Labour the 'bedroom tax'. Derby City Council says in 2015/16, it will have half the money it needs to hand out to people facing rent arrears. The government says its housing benefit reforms are restoring fairness to the system. Josie Gadsby from Littleover received one of the discretionary housing payments from Derby City Council.