Nearly 700,000 to be hit by bedroom tax

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Finance, Universal Credit

The government's imminent bedroom tax will hit 659,987 social housing tenants, according to estimates by the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Based on regional level data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the NHF's figures suggest that Manchester Central will suffer the greatest hit in the country, with an estimated 4,160 households set to lose some of their housing benefit after April 1.

Meanwhile, residents in Tooting can expect to feel the greatest financial pinch, with those with one spare bedroom expected to lose £912 a year in housing benefit and those with two or more losing £1,629 annually.

The NHF's chief executive, David Orr, said: "This perverse tax is doing exactly what the government promised it wouldn’t – hitting the most vulnerable people in our society. They are being penalised for a weak housing policy that for years has failed to build enough affordable homes and reduce the housing benefit bill.

“The bedroom tax is ill-thought, unfair and will force thousands of people to cut back further on food and other expenses in order to stay in their own homes. It takes no account of disabled people’s adapted homes, of foster parents who need rooms to take children in, or of parents sharing custody who will lose the room for their child at weekends.

“It is also incompetent as it will cost the nation money rather than saving it. The government must repeal this ill-conceived policy, but at the very least right now it must exempt disabled and other vulnerable people from these cuts.”

The NHF's full list of local authorities and the predicted impact of the bedroom tax can be seen here.