By Richard Johnstone | 16 December 2013
A committee of MPs has called on the government to scrap the so-called bedroom tax after finding that the reform had placed a ‘cruel burden’ on vulnerable people.
The Scottish affairs committee said the policy – under which Housing Benefit is removed if claimants are deemed to have a spare bedrooms in their home – should also be suspended immediately for tenants who are unable to find reasonable alternative accommodation.
In a report published yesterday, MPs said that the policy, formally known as removal of the spare room subsidy, should be overturned as there were not enough smaller houses available for affected tenants in Scotland to transfer into. The vast majority will have been allocated their social housing before the reductions in Housing Benefit – which amount to 14% for one spare room and 25% for two – was introduced in April.
Committee chair Ian Davidson said that the reform is ‘little more than a cut in public expenditure, designed to hit the poorest’.
He added: ‘We have produced an interim report because some glaring flaws are already apparent and notwithstanding our call for the tax to be abolished, we wish to draw these faults to the government’s attention while it is conducting a review.
‘We intend to explore more fully not only design flaws but also what can and should be done by the Scottish Government, social landlords and others to mitigate its effects on the vulnerable in Scotland.’
Responding to the report, a spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said the reform ensured families receive Housing Benefit for the number of bedrooms they need, but taxpayers did not cover the costs of claimants’ spare rooms.
‘We have protected the most vulnerable by ensuring a disabled child can be have their own room and bedrooms are allowed for live-in carers – as well as providing Scottish councils with over £10m to help tenants through our reforms,’ he added.
Responding to the report, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said the bedroom tax was causing misery for thousands of Scots who are paying a heavy price for Westminster decisions.
'The Scottish Government is already doing all it can with the limited powers available to mitigate the worst impact of those decisions, including the provision of up to £40m to local authorities between this year and next year for discretionary housing payments to help those people who are struggling the most,' she added.
