Katy against the Bedroom Tax

The ‘bedroom tax’ will affect 105,000 households in Scotland. 79% of them “under-occupy” by one bedroom and so stand to have their housing benefit reduced by 14%. The 21% who “under-occupy” by two bedrooms or more are likely to lose a quarter of their housing benefit. 79% of these households have at least one adult with a recognised disability.

A Scottish Government Committee has been gathering evidence from all the affected parties on what this means in real terms to the people who are faced by these drastic reductions of income. Katy Clark is in no doubt about it. This week, she said, ‘As time goes on the disastrous impact that the bedroom tax is having on Scottish communities becomes more and more apparent. In North Ayrshire 71% of households hit by the bedroom tax are being forced into rent arrears.’ She continued, ‘As local authorities and housing associations see their budgets squeezed by this tax many could be forced into raising rents. Groups such as pensioners, who the Government claimed wouldn’t be hit by this appalling policy, could now end up worse off too.’