Protests over 'bedroom tax' in Coventry

Bedroom tax hitting disabled people hardest, says Coventry council's housing chief



A city councillor is calling on the government to face up to the impact the “bedroom tax” is having on disabled people.

Housing cabinet member Ed Ruane wants communities secretary Eric Pickles to admit the Government’s housing benefit cut has hit disabled families.

The Labour councillor says evidence has emerged to show over half of those affected by the cuts are disabled people now forced to choose between eating a meal or heating their homes.

The “bedroom tax” amounts to an estimated average cut of £15 a week to social housing tenants deemed to have more bedrooms than they need.

Coun Ruane estimate 3,000 Coventry homes have been affected by what ministers have preferred to call the “spare room subsidy”.

He said: “More than half of those hit by the bedroom tax are disabled, and nine out of ten disabled people who are not receiving discretionary housing benefit are cutting back on food or bills and having to choose between heating or eating.

"Does the minister advise them to put on another jumper, skip a meal, or move to a non-adapted property that then has to be adapted at huge cost to the taxpayer?

“The truth about the bedroom tax is that it is unfairly hurting disabled people and their families up and down the country.

“For many disabled people, the extra bedroom is used by their partner when sleeping together is difficult or to store essential equipment.”

Coventry council leaders have said a government compensation fund is not enough to help everyone in need – and have accused ministers of trying to pass the blame to councils.

Ministers claimed the policy would free desperately needed larger homes for bigger families, and bring housing benefit in line with the private rented market.

Very convenient how Ruane 'forgets' it was LABOUR who first imposed a 'bedroom tax' on people living in private rented accommodation?

Some have short (and selective) memories Dutchman.

Bedroom Tax: Thousands to get money back after being wrongly charged



Up to 40,000 renters who have lived in the same home for more than 17 years could get their cash back, after a mistake by the Department of Work and Pensions

Thousands of social housing tenants hit by the hated Bedroom Tax are in line to get their money back after they were wrongly charged, it has emerged.

A loophole in the Government's welfare reforms – revealed in the Daily Mirror's Real Britain column on Wednesday – means what ministers call the spare-room subsidy does not apply to certain renters who have lived in the same home for more than 17 years.

Housing experts said 40,000 claimants could be affected, but the Department of Work and Pensions says it thinks a maximum of 5,000 tenants are likely to have been caught up.

It has written to local authorities alerting them to the glitch and insists new regulations will be introduced swiftly to rectify the oversight.

Shadow welfare reform minister Chris Bryant said: "This is the latest example of the chaos and confusion within the Department of Work and Pensions under Iain Duncan Smith.

"Rather than closing loopholes in the policy, the Government should scrap their hated Bedroom Tax. If they don't, the next Labour government will."

Under the Government's welfare reform, social tenants deemed to have more bedrooms than they need have had their housing benefit reduced.

Ministers say private sector renters do not get spare rooms for free, and argue the change will save around £500 million annually.

But it has sparked protests across the country with opponents claiming it is forcing families into poverty and will increase the benefits bill by pushing people into the private sector.

The error affects tenants in social housing on housing benefit whose claim has not changed since before 1996 as they are covered by old regulations, which were mistakenly left unchanged under the Government's reforms.

It could amount to a refund of at least £640 per claimant.

Joe Halewood, an independent housing consultant, said estimates that 40,000 people were affected were based on projections following information from Exeter City council, which has found that 4.5% of those hit by the penalty were wrongly held liable.

"Forty thousand is actually a conservative estimate," Mr Halewood said. You're looking at one in 25 of housing benefit claimants being affected."

Ros Wynne-Jones who writes the Real Britain column, contacted the DWP on Tuesday about the loophole after being alerted to it by campaigning bloggers.

"The DWP said that they 'expected very few people to be affected' - which told me they did accept there was a loophole," she said.

"This could now give hope to tens of thousands of people affected by this cruel and incompetent tax."

A DWP spokesman said: "We are looking at this issue carefully and working with local authorities, and we will take any necessary action in due course.

"We expect very few people to be affected."

Urgent Update

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued guidance to councils on 8 January 2014 concerning people who have been resident in their Housing Association (or council owned) property since before 1st January 1996. In general terms, the benefit reduction will not apply if residency and housing benefit have been continuous since this date. We are working closely with Housing Benefit will be backdated and people will be notified during late January/early Febraury 2014.

More information avout Housing Benefit and Council Tax support in Coventry can be found here: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/200118/ ... atest_news

Maybe this is how it ought have been done?

Coventry campaigners welcome abolition of Bedroom Tax in Scotland

Campaigners in Coventry have welcomed a decision by the Scottish government which has effectively abolished the controversial ‘bedroom tax’ north of the border.

Pressure group Coventry Against the Bedroom Tax said the decision meant funding for ‘discretionary housing payments’ had been increased to ensure tenants would not be affected by the unpopular tax.

Spokesman Robert McArdle said: “This is a victory for campaigners against the bedroom tax across the UK.”

It's ridiculous that some people have to pay it while others - who may be better off - don't.

Coventry is now one of the few places in the country where the tax is enforced at all.

Bedroom tax must be axed says Nick Clegg in dramatic Lib Dem U-turn



Nick Clegg will set the Lib Dems on a major collision course with the Tories over his plea to axe the hated Bedroom Tax.

The Deputy PM has finally agreed the crippling penalties are battering the poorest in society and will push for change before next year’s general election.

But if Mr Clegg cannot persuade his heartless Coalition partners the Bedroom Tax is a disastrous flop before Britain goes to the polls, he will make ditching it a Lib Dem manifesto pledge.

The shock U-turn, unveiled in today’s Mirror, came after Department for Work and Pensions analysis found the tax – brought in to cut benefits to households that have spare rooms – has failed.

Figures showed nearly 60% of the 550,000 tenants affected were in rent arrears and only one in 20 had been able to move to a smaller home.

Hundreds of thousands of disabled people have been unfairly targeted, including couples who need separate bedrooms because one or both of them have a medical condition.

Until today, Lib Dem ministers had staunchly defended the tax and voted for it repeatedly in the Commons.

But senior party figure Danny Alexander said the DWP findings prompted him and Mr Clegg to review the situation and call on David Cameron to act.

Under the Lib Dem reforms, all disabled people would be permanently exempt from the tax. And as part of a complete overhaul, nobody would have their housing benefit cut unless they can be offered a suitable smaller home.

National Housing Federation chief executive David Orr said: “This is ­recognition from the Lib Dems that the policy is not working. I’m not going to move away from my stand that it should be abolished completely but any recognition it’s a bad policy that needs changing is a welcome step.”

Mr Clegg’s decision will pile ­pressure on the Tories to ditch the Bedroom Tax. If Labour decides to bring in legislation before May’s general election calling for similar measures, the Lib Dems may have to back it.

That would leave the Conservatives as the only party supporting the tax.

Anyone would think there was a general election coming?

Clegg only thinks of himself.

I'd trust that particular as far as I could throw him. The man isn't fit to hold office!

Coventry bedroom tax campaigners save vulnerable man from eviction



A group of bedroom tax campaigners in Coventry have successfully stopped a vulnerable man being evicted from his home after he struggled to keep up with his rent.

Campaigners from Coventry Against the Bedroom Tax were able to prevent bailiffs from evicting Archie Millar from his home in St Margaret Road, Stoke, yesterday after he fell into rent arrears.

Mr Millar, who receives £72 in benefits per week, was unable to keep up with his rent payments since nearly a third of his benefits each week would go towards paying the bedroom tax.

He lives in the family home he used to share with his mother, who died some years ago, but was hit by the bedroom tax when it was brought in because her death had meant there were two spare bedrooms in the property.

It meant that each week Mr Millar was left with just £45 to pay for his rent and feed himself and his dog.

According to John Boadle, the campaign’s organiser, Mr Millar had tried to move to a smaller property – but was caught up in a vicious circle when the rent arrears meant he was unable to do so.

Mr Boadle said a 30-strong protest had sprung up outside Mr Millar’s house.

He said: “We suddenly got a call from a chap about to be evicted. He’d left it to the last minute to try and avoid the situation.

“It’s the first time it’s ever come to an eviction.

“We would be there peacefully to prevent the eviction being accomplished.

“The police were called but they won’t get involved unless there is the threat of violence or disorder.

“We had a one hour stand off.

“There were phone calls between a Whitefriars agent and their head office.

“There was also some intervention from Dave Nellist – triple combination of a large protest, the media and negotiations.”

The possession order issued by the court against Mr Millar has now been suspended for about two months.

Mr Boadle said: “We will look what has happened with Whitefriars and sort out the situation.

“It’s not totally in the bag, but he will be okay for a few months."

He added: “We’re delighted with the outcome.

“The poor bloke was in a state of shock.

“When he got up (on Monday) he didn’t know if he would have a place to lay his head down that night.”