One city to see over three thousand disabled tenants hit by bedroom tax

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Local Government

Up to 3,400 disabled tenants are due to be hit by the government's forthcoming bedroom tax in one city alone, according to welfare experts.

Now the Mayor of Salford has highlighted the plight of one disabled couple in the city who are set to be struck by the under-occupancy charge.

Graham and Grace Jarvis live with their adult daughter in a three-bedroom home which has been fully adapted to meet their needs.

From April 1, the Walkden couple will see £15.62 per week cut from their housing benefit for having a 'spare bedroom' - even though it is currently used by Mr Jarvis.

The couple both have significant mobility problems and need to use two bedrooms to ensure they both get a good night's sleep.

Mrs Jarvis suffers from back spasms meaning she is unable to walk unaided and has to use a specially adapted bed.

Mr Jarvis has neurofibromatosis which means he suffers from tumours all over his body. He has to permanently wear a plastic cast after a broken leg didn’t heal and he is currently in remission from cancer.

Mrs Jarvis said: “If we don’t want to move, we will be forced to live on £62 a month less. How can we afford to do this? This house is the best house we have ever lived in and it took a long time to get it this way.

“The government are trying to get blood out of a stone. We struggle to eat healthily with the money we are on now and we haven’t had a holiday for years.”

Mr Jarvis currently receives lower rate disability living allowance, industrial injury benefit and employment support allowance.

Ian Stewart, Salford City Mayor, said: “It is despicable that disabled people like the Jarvis's who are amongst the most vulnerable people in our community, are being treated so unfairly and cruelly.

"These are the people that the Tory leader Councillor Garrido has told to take in a lodger to avoid the tax.

"The Jarvis's are a fine upstanding Salford couple who are now being victimised for their serious disabilities by the government's bedroom tax.

"It is penalising people like these who are in real need, forcing them to live on less money or move home. The government should scrap their bedroom tax immediately.”