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
A great many on HB also are working, and you’re advocating a system which could put more money into the hands of private landlords.
~alec
LB
Far from it.
I’m pointing out that you don’t care about those living in cramped conditions because otherwise you would have brought it up.
You don’t like the fact that someone pointed out that you either misread, never read or deliberated lied. e.g. He’s got one extra bedroom where as he has too.
So come on, stump up the facts.
You said
“Yes, because this is all about Denis Tranter and no other case.”
Lets talk Tranter.
” that individuals like Denis Tranter have found themselves in such situations through no fault of their own”
Why is he on welfare? How many jobs has he applied for? Is anyone working in his house?
“His mother just died”? No its been some time, read the article. again.
The real problem is that people like Tranter want lots of other people’s money. The money they are receiving is people’s state pension contributions.
Now you take the short term view that he must have it and he must have it now, and bugger the consequences. Just like short termism in the city.
Now the state pensions debts come to 5,300 bn, and that’s hidden off the books. That’s too large to be paid with the other debts. Taxes only raise 550 bn, and spending is 700 bn plus.
The consequences are that for the 30% who would be destitute within a month if they were unemployed, is that they are completely reliant on the state. The debts are so large that the state won’t be able to pay them.
That’s evil. That’s the consequence of people like you demanding spare bedrooms.
Alec
Oh, that settles it.
Liar.
Too late to start asking probing questions. Far, far too late.
The basic, most elementary rule of argument is to make the most charitable assumption until proven otherwise. He might well be working. Or he might be seriously disabled. He might just have lost his job. He might have applied for scores of jobs.
YOU DON’T KNOW.
There are more than enough claimants who meet these criteria and more. You’ve had your fun with unverifiable counterfactuals. Try discussing the policy itself.
A
~alec
NO PRISON TAX
Should also point out that ALL pensioners are declined ” disabled” status so they cant get motobility unless & i quote ” you can time travel”!!!! YOU MUST APPLY FOR MOTOBILITY UP TO 30 YEARS B4 YOU ARE ILL!! can you believe the benefits agency say this? Cameron lied in his pre erection debate-carers are the backbone of society& should be paid a wage not a benefit( a massive 37 quid a week-npw cut to 34)
This is illegal under the human rights act -right to liberty & the enforced removal of money or monies fronm people without permission (given “permission” invalidates your council house agreement!!)
Tax =Income tax is from the sodding bible & i am NOT religious so i do not conform to the church of jesus christ or its enforced taxation without prior permission.The church is the biggest business on the planet-no product-it sells NOTHING ,no warehouse,no stock,yet they always need a new roof?!? yet the church in the last 10 years has had a whopping QUADRILLION POUNDS GO THOUGH THATS MORE THAN OIL & GAS COMBINED WORLDWIDE!7Tax is not needed or required there is enough money to provide for 42.771 million people in the UK.We have had a populus problem since churchill in 1953-cut the populus=cut the so called defecit that doesnt also exist-hopw can it? we ONLY trade with each other-how can you lose a bubble in a spirit level??? impossible !
benny
i didnt advocate anything. i would just prefer it if people on benefits weren’t allowed to have more spare bedrooms than people in work