Bedroom Tax
In less than two months thousands of people who live in Caerphilly county borough and receive housing benefit will be worse off.
Changes to the system brought in by the UK Coalition Government will mean that those individuals or families who are judged to have too many bedrooms in their homes for their needs will have money taken off them.
Under the scheme, one bedroom is allowed for each adult couple, two children of the same sex under 16, two children aged under 10 and any other child.
Anyone ‘under-occupying’ their home by one bedroom will see their benefit reduced by 14 per cent which on a £90 weekly rent would be £12.60 a week. It rises to 25 per cent or £23.75 A WEEK if the tenant has two or more extra bedrooms.
This is a significant amount of money taken away from needy people each week. The only alternative people have is to move out of the home they have lived in – perhaps all their lives, to a smaller property – if they can find one suitable and in the right location for their needs.
We know how tough people are finding it just to keep afloat with food and energy prises rising while incomes for many remain static and yet this callous initiative by a London government will make things worse for people in Caerphilly.
Most of the people affected by the bedroom tax are in employment and it will not just affect those in large houses. Foster parents who keep a spare bedroom for children will be regarded as ‘under-occupying’. And even parents of children in university who keep their rooms for them will be regarded as ‘under-occupying.’ I have huge sympathy for people affected as someone who was brought up in a council house in Penyrheol.
Plaid Cymru is pushing for the Welsh Government to develop an alternative social protection plan for Wales. We know worse is to come and we cannot afford to wait.
British-Irish Council
This week I attended a meeting of the above organisation in London which is looking at credit unions. I’m a member of the Caerphilly credit union but in Wales they are small in number compared to Ireland and I want to encourage their development. Credit unions do a great job in making loans available to savers at affordable rates, compared to the truly eye-watering charges levied by payday loan companies and illegal loan sharks. If you’re not in a credit union, think of signing up.
Lindsay Whittle
Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East