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”
Alec
Oh, okay, that settles it.
What? Like the principle of general taxation which goes to roads and education or a health service which I might not necessarily use? Yes, you sound as if you’re trying to say something but don’t have the guts to admit to it.
Yes, because this is all about Denis Tranter and no other case. It’s not about, for instance, the small change this policy is going to save (definitely not in comparison to private rent which makes up the bulk of HB, and which is unaffected) or the complete lack of alternative accomodation or that individuals like Denis Tranter have found themselves in such situations through no fault of their own (mother inconsiderately dying, presumably unemployed; or, if he is employed, either on depressed wages which employers might not be encouraged to increase because of liberal use of tax credits, i.e. “other people’s money”).
That must be why you’re homing in on single issues.
No it’s because they feel they pay enough through taxes as it is, and the money is there as seen by the willingness of the Government to leave private landlords alone.
~alec
Nigel McCorkell
There’s a lot of hand wringing about this cruel policy, when will people start to call it out for what it is. The bedroom tax is designed to cause harm and nothing else, it is designed to break up established communities where they are lucky enough to still exist. It is an unnecessary and vindictive policy of which the results are bleeding obvious. I just wish people would start to criticise it from the perspective in which it was designed rather than pretend that the govt. are clueless or inept. They know exactly what they are doing to people
7rin
Of course they can do the maths, they know exactly who they’re shifting the money to.
Nigel McCorkell
Just to add…the whole debate on benefits is completely bogus, a smokescreen to distract from the weaknesses in the economy and who caused this mess, and to stigmatize benefit claimants and to open up a debate which the Tories hope will lead to the end of a benefits system. This is ‘kill the poor’ as policy
Robert Malcolm
Time to change the way we protest. Every week a letter with the words No Bedroom tax sent to No 10 and every day an email or fax to the appropriate number or address until they get the message. The details can be obtained from the government contact us webpage. http://www.number10.gov.uk/contact-us/
we can also take to the streets place notices in our windows.