DWP quash rumours that Bedroom Tax will change
- 25 Feb
Following reports that Iain Duncan Smith has asked officials to reassess how the bedroom tax will affect disabled people, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has officially said there will be no alterations.
The rumours of change follow big concerns voiced by charities and campaigners that the cut to benefits will negatively impact those with disabilities.
The bedroom tax is going to be introduced as a way to remove an average of £14 from those who receive housing benefits, but have a spare room in their house.
There have been many complaints that there are few exemptions to this tax, and one group of people that will suffer is disabled people; charities have expressed concern that disabled people who are unable to share a bedroom with their partner, or have over night carers, will be negatively penalised by the introduction of the reduction in benefits.
The government estimates disabled people make up 420,000 of the 660,000 households hit by the policy.
The DWP press office has voiced their official word on the rumours via Twitter, that there will be 'no change in spare bedroom policy', and that it will be introduced as normal from April and monitored.
This has also been confirmed by a spokesperson, who says they will monitor the impacts of the policy but have no plans to change it.
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Responding to the DWP Consultation: Housing Benefit Reform - Supported Housing "It was well-run, in a good location, and very useful. I've only one suggestion; as the session went on it would perhaps have been useful for bullet points of general agreement about what should be in the sector response to be displayed and added to as the session went on, maybe on a flip chart. Regarding your response paper, I particularly like the answer you give to question 9. In fact the general: "if it ain't broke don't fix it" response could be pushed harder." M.P. - Adref Ltd
