Feeling the impact
Why we urge tenants to appeal against the bedroom tax
As welfare reform take place the Tenant Advisory Panel (TAP) is profoundly concerned about the effects on the vulnerable and disabled.
TAP volunteers fear that many tenants are not managing with the changes and particularly the bedroom tax and the controls on the uplift not keeping track with rental increases, as Lynn Wilkinson Owen, (TAP) describes: \’The welfare reform has hit families hard, as a member of TAP and other various groups in my housing association I am fully aware that the Act is causing much pain and misery to some tenants.\’
Whilst some landlords have been very supportive of their tenants at this difficult time, having to manage their own financial pressure risks there is some much needed work to be done throughout the social housing sector to help with the burden of accumulating rent arrears. It is worth noting that accumulating burden tenants are having to endure across a range of essential costs. More needs to be done to ensure they are supported to appeal some of the obvious injustices.
So is it worth all the upheaval to free up a handful of properties through downsizing? Tenants are being told after months and in some cases years of waiting for suitable adaptations that they will now be advised to move from their home and begin the waiting process all over again whilst readjusting to a new home and community. Are these extreme measures really cost effective? Well, no – money is being wasted by taking out old adaptations to suit other occupants and fitting new adaptations to new properties. Wales & West Housing, one of the largest traditional associations in Wales, estimates that around £40 million pounds of public money will be wasted.
The Tenant Advisory Panel is also concerned having come across many tenants who have been affected this way, being referred to the Welsh Tenants with the voluntary sector having to pick up the support burden. A common recent case demonstrates its concerns:
Mr and Mrs B live in a two bedroom bungalow. Having worked from a young age Mrs B is now bedridden having to make use of a hospital bed in her bedroom, she has a range of disabling illnesses. Mr B is not able to share a bed or even a bedroom with Mrs B. Recently adjusting to this situation, with much solitude, and obtaining much needed adaptations within the couple\’\’s home, Mr and Mrs B now have to sleep in separate rooms. Although the couple were successful in obtaining discretionary housing payment the process has caused much stress to Mr B is the primary carer, and he is now suffering with anxiety and stress and having to seek external assistance with care.
We can see here that unexpected things happen in life, things that we cannot control, that happen for no apparent reason, at a time when hard working people are asking for a little support, the UK government insists on squeezing every last penny and every last ounce of dignity from tenants.
The Tenant Advisory Panel understands that there are many similar situations like this across Wales and are urging tenants to appeal the bedroom tax. There are other ways to make better use of the social stock that we have, which are not so cruel and invasive. There are ways in which major changes in legislation and policy can be assessed. It is through impact assessments and talking to and listening to those who may be impacted. The problem is that we never see the costs and benefits of initiatives if we ignore the impacts these policies will have on the people that will be effected by them. If only compassion and understanding were considered first and had equal weight to financial savings.
For more information on appealing the bedroom tax please contact Tenantiaid Cymru/Welsh Tenants, Milbourne Chambers, Glebeland St, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AT, nfo@welshtenants.org.uk or telephone 01685 723922.