Nottingham City Council urges Government re-think on Bedroom Tax

Today Nottingham City Council has launched a petition to urge the Government to re-think its introduction of the so-called 'Bedroom Tax.'

Portfolio Holder for Housing, Adults and Community Sector, Councillor Dave Liversidge, presented a motion to the Full Council which was agreed on Monday February 11^th, to seek an amendment to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 to repeal the 'Bedroom Tax' changes to housing benefits and to lobby the Government to rethink its plans to cut housing benefit for thousands of citizens. People can support the petition by filling out the form below.

Click here to sign the Bedroom Tax Petition

St Ann’s Councillor David Liversidge  says: This change is not only going to reduce 6,000 people’s income in this City, income that naturally is spent in this City, it is going to cause heartbreak and uncertainty to all those families and even their neighbours, not knowing what is going to happen from one month to the next.

“If this second reason is genuine, the government could look at where the real problem lies. There are many older people who are not affected by this benefit cut who have lived in their homes for longer, and who are finding it more and more difficult to keep their home going. The government could find help and incentives for older, through their own choice, to move to a new home that meets their needs. This would free up these larger family homes. But I don’t believe this spurious second strand that the Government are trying to push. It is financial and it is aimed at cutting down the poor to help the rich. It is an attack on the welfare state.

“I am bringing an emergency motion to allow us to lobby the government to change this ill thought out bedroom tax and I will be asking the citizens of Nottingham to help in petitioning for a removal of this tax.”

The move by the Government, contained in the Welfare Reform Act 2012, is due to take effect from April 1^st this year and will reduce the amount of housing benefit people receive who live in social housing which is deemed to be 'under-occupied.'

This means that If someone receives full or partial Housing Benefit and has spare rooms in their home a reduction could be made to their Housing Benefit based on a percentage of eligible rent. The Government has set this as 14% less housing benefit a week for one extra bedroom and 25% less for two or more extra bedrooms.This equates to tenants paying on average an extra £14 a week for their housing.

In Nottingham, it is estimated that around 6,000 low income households, many of which include working or disabled occupants, will be affected and face extra financial burdens they may have difficulty meeting. It is feared it could lead to rent arrears and debt and will take spending power out of the local economy.

The Government suggests social housing tenants in this situation could move to another property, ask relatives to contribute to the rent or take in a lodger. The City Council is concerned these options may not be available to all tenants - in particular that appropriate alternative housing may not be available.

The Government has provided the City Council with some money to alleviate the impact of this scheme - £274,000 this year and £696,000 next year - but this is not enough to help all 6,000 affected households and may not continue beyond next year.

Some consequences of the Government's 'Bedroom Tax' rules include a family of four with two teenage girls under the age of 16 being considered to be under-occupying a three bedroom house and children under ten of any gender being expected to share a bedroom. There are concerns that the move may lead to an increase in homelessness, undermine community cohesion with families having to move children away from their school, and disproportionately impact on women and disabled people.