Peter Dixon, who is to take the helm from Baroness Dean in October, told Housing Today that he does not believe housing associations should pay their board members.
The corporation ruled that associations that wished to pay their boards could do so 鈥� if they presented a 鈥渞obust business case鈥� 鈥� in July (HT 4 July, page 7).
He said it was 鈥渘o secret鈥� that he did not support payments, adding: 鈥淚t would be daft of me to try to deny that.鈥�
However, Dixon has vowed to put his personal misgivings to one side and toe the official line. Asked if he would consider rescinding the policy, he replied: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that would be remotely appropriate. It鈥檚 been through a long consultation process, a decision has been reached and that鈥檚 the decision.鈥�
He added: 鈥淚 think it is going to be important that the organisations that do decide to pay board members are prepared to produce the suitably robust business case which the Housing Corporation is suggesting. And that the payments are commensurate with what they鈥檙e getting out of the board members.鈥�
Any tenant board members that are paid under the new policy will have their welfare benefits docked, despite efforts by Baroness Dean to persuade the Department for Work and Pensions to change the rules (HT 27 June, page 8).
Dixon said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to have a general public service exemption in respect of housing benefit so I just don鈥檛 know how one gets round that. Brenda [Dean] had a go at it and I鈥檓 aware of that and I think it remains an on-going issue.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a solution for that one.鈥�
Source
Housing Today
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