Just over a week since George Osborne declared as “unbelievable” the Welsh government’s opposition to many of his welfare reforms, the BBC has today unearthed evidence demonstrating the extent of the impact of the bedroom tax.
Just over a week since George Osborne declared as “unbelievable” the Welsh government’s opposition to many of his welfare reforms, the BBC has today unearthed evidence demonstrating the extent of the impact of the bedroom tax.
With ministers in Westminster now pledged to take away from housing benefit claimants 14 per cent of their benefits where they have a spare room in a social house and 25 per cent where they have two spare rooms, BBC Wales is reporting that its own inquiries have shown there are “70 times more tenants than smaller properties available” for those affected to move to.
Incompatible
The report, based on a survey of Welsh local authorities and compiled by BBC Wales economics correspondent Sarah Dickins, shows that across the country more than 28,000 people are in social housing that is considered under-occupied as a result of having spare rooms.
However, there are just under 400 one-bedroom homes to move to. In four council areas – Ceredigion, Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire and Torfaen – there are, the report notes, “no one-bedroom houses available with local housing associations”.
Coupled with the 70,000 families or individuals currently on the social housing waiting list in Wales, the devastation being imposed on Wales by the bedroom tax is clear for all to see.
Whilst so much of what Westminster is trying to do is, in Cameron’s words, about injecting fairness into the system, the impact of the changes in Wales is now also increasingly being seen through the lenses of it breaking entire communities up.
Human cost
In its report, the BBC highlights the case of 43 year old Dennis Tranter who lives in a family home on the Cefn Golau estate near Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, where he lived with his mother and father and six brothers and sisters. His mother, however, passed away last year and he has two spare rooms which means he is expected to move house or face a 25 per cent cut to his housing benefit.
“It would be devastating [to move] because I’ve been here all my life basically I’ve built a home here and I don’t want to give it up. I know everyone and they’ve grown to know me.The neighbours are tidy and I get on with everyone up here.”
Picking up on the devastation being inflicted on Welsh Communities, John Puzey, director of Shelter Cymru, has said:
“We are talking about people here who have lived in these communities for a long time and I know housing managers are really worried that long-term residents and stable neighbourhoods will be forced to move on.
“That could change the nature quite drastically of those kind of neighbourhoods so I think there’s real concern about what this will mean in terms of neighbourhoods and community cohesion.”
Concurring with the sentiments, a spokesperson for the Welsh government has outlined the concerns of housing minister, Carl Sargeant, over the “devastating impact” it will have “on many poorer households across Wales.” The spokesperson continued:
“The Welsh government is committed to doing all it can to ensure that the change does the least possible damage to our communities. However, we are under no illusion. We know that people will suffer hardship and this will put even more pressure on public services that are already straining to cope due to the current financial climate.”
An assessment by the Department for Work and Pensions suggests that Wales will be hit proportionately the hardest by the bedroom tax with 46 per cent of social sector tenants likely to be affected by the tax.
49 Responses to “The bedroom tax is already ruining Welsh communities”
Sarah A
Tim Kelly you ask where the claimant finds the money to pay for the spare room reduction to rent. that is easy to answer. the 14% equals what is given in child benefit and income support for a under 5 year old to a family . In other words Maggie took the free school milk form the school childs dinner table in 1976 and Cameron came back in 2013 for the weeks shopping and clothes for the child on welfare. check it out and you will see i am right.
griff
Benny oh Benny where to start… nobody denies there are people who swing the lead. Can you honestly say the number of these scumbags who claim benefit out number genuine cases? So we should all be punished and have no sympathy and deserve all we get because of this minority. Simple answer to your frustration my friend….contact DWP and inform these scumbags. But first yourself. ly may I add the simple fact that because you don’t see them in a wheelchair or limbs missing…. should cancer sufferers carry a big banner “I have cancer and 6 months to live”? Same for those with serious mental health issues. The old cliche of because you don’t see a bandage does not mean they are not disabled/ill ! People like you make me vomit. As to your other comment about more rooms than you, obviously if you become ill I take it you shall moveto a single room bedsit and refuse any benefits you are offered due to unfairness. Good on you Mr martyr. Oh and of course you shant visit any public houses as you see it disabled should not be allowed thus. Do you know of any tradesman that do cash in hand jobs hence paying no tax? Nothing mentioned of this tax evasion ever. Hey why not go all the way and bring back workhouses for us disabled. Think before opening your mouth. Your free to inform anybody you feel warrants it to DWP may I remind you. Please excuse my grammar as unfortunately I have mental health problems adding to 3 fractures to my spine but I shall get this tattooed on my forehead to make it simpler for the like of
Grendlsmother
Many people have to move regularly for work,my kids have been in 3 different primary schools. Life isn’t about what is easy…its about what its necessary to achieve independence. We simply would grind to a halt as a country if people retained the status quo in an attempt to live/be/act how they had always acted. I lived in a tiny 2 bed flat when I was young with 4 siblings!
wayne mee
Simple just drop the housing benefit prices most house’s have been brought time and time agine if they gave £20 housing this would cover any maintainance for any home me for one not had any maintainance in 19 years so £20 x50 x 19 where’s that money gone