Amendments to Social Housing Bill put forward

The government has tabled a new amendment to its Social Housing Bill that is intended to provide greater support for domestic abuse survivors.

Protection for abuse survivors was already at the heart of the legislation. A measure included in the original bill gives landlords and family law courts power to remove perpetrators from social housing properties. This will mean survivors can remain in the home instead of being forced out due to the abuse. The proposed amendment is simply designed to further back this up.

It would ensure that, once protection orders have been granted, a survivor does not need any additional proof of abuse. As with the earlier proposals in the bill, it is something any domestic violence solicitor in North Wales or England will approve of.

Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, was quoted by Today’s Family Lawyer as saying:

“Abusers will no longer be able to use a shared home as a weapon of control. Survivors will get the certainty of knowing their tenancy and their social home are protected.”

The reforms featured in the bill address a very real issue. During 2025, roughly 15,000 victims of domestic violence were forced to seek new social housing to escape from their abusers. Meanwhile, the Crime Survey for England and Wales in March 2025 shows 3.8 million cases of domestic abuse.

The Social Housing Bill was first brought to Parliament in May.

At Bennett Smith Solicitors, our family law team handle domestic abuse cases with customer care as a priority. Call our team of solicitors in Llandudno now.