Thousands of people on a low income in Northumberland face
the prospect of a ‘bedroom tax’ in April at the same time that people earning
over £1m/year are due to get a tax cut of almost £100,000 per annum.
The new
rules say that people only need one bedroom for each of the following: a
couple, a person who is not a child, two children of the same sex, two children
who are under 10, any other child and a carer providing overnight care. If you
have an extra bedroom under these rules you will lose 14% of your housing
benefit (25% if you have two extra bedrooms).
Nationally 660,000 people will
be affected. The Government says people will be able to move to smaller
properties but councils and housing associations say there are not enough. So a
couple with two children aged 8 and 4 who live in a 3-bedroom flat face a 14
per cent cut in their housing benefit because the rules say they are ‘under
occupying’. To avoid the penalty, they are forced to move to a privately rented
2-bedroom flat. They lose their security of tenure because - with private
tenancies - their new landlord can evict them without a reason after just 6
months. Their private rent for a 2-bedroom flat is higher than their old rent
for a 3-bedroom property and the housing benefit bill to the taxpayer goes up.
The
council needs to be absolutely clear about how many people in Northumberland
this affects otherwise our discretionary housing fund will be under further
pressure as we look to prop up this mindless Condem policy.
It's just bad
social policy and it does not make economic sense.
Source: ‘Council has ‘lost’ 1825 families hit by
‘bedroom tax’ – Grant Davey
http://northumberlandlabour.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-labour-party-in-northumberland-have.html
The
Labour party in Northumberland have uncovered a ‘major black hole’ as the
Liberal run administration in County Hall struggle to come to terms with the
impact of the so called ‘bedroom tax’. Figures show that families will face
penalties of £496 per year for 14% ‘under occupancy’ by one bedroom and a
whopping 25%, £886 per year for those who ‘under occupy’ by two bedrooms
The
‘tax’ brought in by the coalition government to tackle ‘under occupancy’ has
been branded as ‘a chaotic and unfair tax on struggling families’ by Labour in
Northumberland.
The
council estimated the ‘charge’ would hit 3,397 families across Northumberland
but Labour has uncovered a ‘hidden group’ who the council didn’t know existed.
Figures released by the National Housing Federation show that the actual figure
impacted by the bedroom tax is 5,222.
The
council now face accusations that ‘they’ve lost control and have seriously
underestimated the impact of the tax on Northumberland’.
The
storm over the impact of the tax also extends to the lack of affordable housing
available in the county as the council also acknowledged in its Housing Needs
Survey that it would need to build 240 homes every year for decades to meet the
need for affordable housing.
Labour
are demanding council leader Jeff Reid makes a statement clarifying the true
council’s true position on the impact of the bedroom tax and its impact on the
recently agreed council budget.
Labour
group leader Grant Davey said
‘The
council has ‘lost’ 1825 families while it has been preparing for the impact of
the bedroom tax. How can we have confidence that the council is ready for the
‘tsunami of misery’ unleashed by this regressive tax? Jeff Reid needs to get a
grip on his council and come clean about the true impact of this raid on the living
standards of people living in social housing’.
Notes
to Editors
Attached
letter to Ronnie Campbell MP which gives the number affected by the ‘under
occupancy’ charge as 3,397 across Northumberland
Source:
See attached letter
Research
for NHF shows that in
1. Wansbeck – 1355 households will be
affected
2. Blyth – 1321 households will be
affected
3. Berwick – 1335 households will be
affected
4. Hexham – 1211 households will be
affected
Total
affected – 5,222
Source:
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