Rent money owed to Caerphilly County Borough Council has jumped by a third in the 12 months since the ‘Bedroom Tax’ was introduced.
Council figures obtained by Caerphilly MP Wayne David show that rent arrears from council tenants has hit £1.2 million.
This time last year the figure was just under £950,000.
Mr David has blamed the removal of the Spare Room Subsidy, which critics have labelled the ‘Bedroom Tax’, for the rise after it came into effect last April.
He said: “It is very clear that people are struggling to meet the increases in rent which they are facing and many people are unable to make the payments.
“This highlights the fact that the ‘Bedroom Tax’ is placing a huge and unfair pressure on those who cannot bear the burden.”
Changes to housing benefit by the UK Government, aimed at saving over £500m a year, resulted in working-age housing benefit recipients facing a cut of 14% to their payments for one spare bedroom, and a 25% cut for two spare bedrooms or more.
The Government claim they are reducing the number of ‘under occupied’ houses but critics claim that children are being forced to share bedrooms and that over 50% of those affected are disabled.
There have been no evictions by Caerphilly County Borough Council of tenants not able to pay the extra rent, but the rise in money owed by tenants has raised fears that evictions could follow.
Karen Jenkins, a campaigner with the group Caerphilly Against the Bedroom Tax, said: “We will oppose all evictions through pressure on the council and a presence at the homes of tenants should they face eviction.
“They should be taxing people who live in mansions not social tenants living in two-up two-downs.”
A Freedom of Information request by Plaid Cymru has also revealed that the number of people receiving supplementary benefits to help with rent has almost quadrupled from 236 in 2012/13, to 937 in the first nine months of 2013/14 – costing the council more than £240,000.
Cllr Colin Mann, Plaid Cymru group leader on Caerphilly Council, said: “These figures are shocking and show that many tenants are struggling to make ends meet because of this unfair tax.
“There just aren’t the one-bedroom properties available to allow tenants to downsize even if they wanted to. The ‘Bedroom Tax’ should be scrapped because it has made many people who are already poor even poorer.”
The Welsh Government has provided an extra £1.3m to local authorities to help tenants affected by reforms and Caerphilly County Borough Council has received an extra £120,000 to use for supplementary benefits.
Labour councillor Gerald Jones, the council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, welcomed the extra funding but said the issue won’t be resolved until the ‘Bedroom Tax’ is scrapped.
He said: “The extra funding is providing additional support. It does not take away from the unfairness of the tax, but does help mitigate the effects in the short term.
“We want to avoid evictions at all costs but the tax is the law of the land and we have to abide by it.”
He added that council staff had visited tenants affected by the changes, offering advice on energy consumption, utility provisions and debt management.
Cllr Mann also welcomed the support given by the council, and said “We recognise the efforts made by council officers to mitigate where possible the worst impact on those struggling because of this appalling tax.”
Bedwas councillor Ray Davies, who has worked with constituents affected by the ‘Bedroom Tax’, said council policy had been successful in protecting people who are struggling to pay the extra rent and acknowledged that councillors cannot break the law.
He added: “I will never stand by to see a vulnerable person evicted, personally I would stand in front of the house and stop the bailiffs.”
The UK Government claims the policy is a success and that in Caerphilly there has been an 8% drop in the number of tenants “under occupying”.
• Caerphilly County Borough Council is offering advice for tenants looking to move home, with a series of exchange events.
Home exchange events are being held on: Friday March 28, 12.30pm to 2.30pm, at Blackwood Miners’ Institute; Wednesday April 2, 1pm to 3pm, at White Rose Information and Resource Centre, Elliotstown and Monday April 7, 1.30pm to 4pm at The Twyn Community Centre, Caerphilly town.
Labour MP's had a chance to defeat the bedroom tax last year in Parliament but 47 of them didn't bother to turn up to vote. Fact! Rank hypocracy from Labour whose motto is "dont do as I do, do as I say!"
"They should be taxing people who live in mansions not social tenants living in two-up two-downs.”
NO! NO! NO! I despise of 'Robin Hood Politics' I.e. taking from the rich to give to the poor.
People who live in mansions bought the mansion themselves. They don't rely on someone to help pay rent. The idea of targeting those to help people who can't cover the rent themselves is appalling.
Equality is not brough about by making the rich poorer. Instead, make the poor richer (and not artificially richer by handing out more benefits) Increase the minimum wage, decrease income tax but increase VAT and raise the tax bracket before you start paying tax to £20,000 install a simpler two tier system on anything above that.
From the 1st of April 2013, the ‘bedroom tax’ brought in new rules for people claiming housing benefit for their council or housing association homes. There is now a limit on the number of bedrooms housing benefit will help pay for. So the £950.000 debt, was before bedroom tax, CCBC working well as usual.
Typical top comment from a Plaid supporter. For heaven sake, the tories are the enemy. So pathetic.
Would a private landlord want the same amount of rent for a three bedroom house as a two bedroom house? I doubt it, the taxpayer can no longer afford to subsidise social housing tentants who live in a house with a spare bedroom or two – tough changes to the bloated benefits system have to happen, it's hard initially and may not seem fair but life isn't fair.
The way to defeat the Bedroom Tax is in the courts. People are winning tribunals all over the country. A family in Monmouth had their appeal granted, their housing association said their home was four bedrooms and the court ruled that two of the rooms were not bedrooms. An upper tribunal in Bolton ruled that if a room doesn't have a bed in it or it wasn't used for sleeping then it isn't a bedroom. If anybody wants to appeal it is free of charge. Contact caerphillycountyagainstthebedroomtax@gmail.com or phone Gillian on 07930337450 or join our group on facebook. We are holding a rally on 29th March at 1 o clock in Caerphilly by the Tommy Cooper memorial.
A very risky step to take, Roy Davies!
Ultimately it comes down to the judge's political opinions. Seeing as there is no legal definition of a 'bedroom' the judge would have to decide. As we know, judges can be inconsistent. The decisions aren't carried either.
Who is paying for the legal action? The taxpayer via legal aid?
The big winners there are the lawyers.
I think a counter rally needs to be held at the same time supporting the bedroom tax. Let's make things interesting…
Perhaps I should take Caerphilly Council to court for overcharging on my council tax, I live in a 3 bedroom house ( which I worked for ) but only sleep in one of the bedrooms – therefore the other 2 bedrooms are not bedrooms they are just empty rooms, I'm paying council tax on the value of a 3 bed semi when I should only be paying council tax on the value of a 1 bed semi.
Why should taxpayers subsidise social housing tentants if they have spare bedrooms in a house which does not belong to them whilst there are people on the housing waiting list, the problem is that people do not like change but change has to happen, sometimes for the worse and sometimes for the better, you can't please everybody all of the time but you can please most of the people most of the time.
Maybe instead of moaning and going the courts trying to get these appeals, which costs more money via legal aid etc people should spend some more time working or earning money to pay for the extra room if they want to keep it. Social housing needs reform and the 'bedroom tax' seems to be the only thing that has got people to take notice. You have couples living in 3 bedroom house as its the home where they brought their kids up, I'm sorry but sentimentality of that kind cannot be a factor with the housing shortages in the country, without the bedroom tax people in such situation wouldn't have even dreamt of moving to a smaller house.
Everyone seems to be overlooking the fact that this 'spare-room subsidy' was actually introduced by the Labour Government in 2008 – but it only affected private tenants. The coalition Government expanded the scheme to include tenants of social landlords so, whether you agree with it or not, at least ALL tenants are now being treated the same. Why did it take 5 years for protests to begin?
Why do people read the sun and then think they are qualified to talk about politics. All the smug mortgage payers who call people who are claiming on National Insurance parasites and scroungers. Realise your mortgage is subsidised to the tune of 37 billion annually
socialist politicians are quick to jump on the bandwagon,choosing to ignore the financial realities.tenants have had it too easy and cannot any longer live free in houses too large for their present family.in the private sector people have to graft hard to pay their mortgages and if they can only afford a small house then they work longer and harder to move up.
Where does Roy think the money comes from? The government doesn't have an unlimited supply of money and using the larger curve, taxes can't forever increase to bring in more money.
There will be a point where enough is enough! That point has been reached. The state can't forever subsidise rent.
But it can subsidise millionaire bankers
Socialists are quick to take a cheap dig at the hard working bankers when all else fails, I dare say some of them have a bedroom or three going spare and probably read The Sun, I don't read The Sun I just look at the pictures, but I do work , pay taxes and I do get off the couch and go out and vote, which makes me qualified to talk about politics – whether I am correct or not is somebody else's opinion.
Roy, it's a myth that billions are sent to the bankers. The subsidised banks are too make sure that when you go and draw money out, that money can be given to you. You don't want a situation like in Greece where money in the accounts of people disappears overnight.
The big bonuses are not the fault of the individual bankers but the directors and shareholders who allow them. In a similar way, councillors allowed CEO pay rises in Caerphilly; it wasn't the CEO himself.
What about we don't subsidise the banks and allow your money to disappear? I'm sure you would be okay with that because more people would be poor with you?
Most people in receipt of housing benefit today actually work. More than a million working people claim housing benefit. The biggest group of people who over occupy social housing are pensioners who are not liable for bedroom tax. So if you think the bedroom tax is about freeing up homes for homeless people you are sadly mistaken. There are not enough smaller properties for people to move into. If people go to court because they think a decision is wrong it is not dependent on the judge's opinion it is down to whether the original decision maker applied the law correctly. If the decision is overturned it is clear that the original decision was flawed. I feel from the comments that care and compassion are in short supply in Caerphilly, I hope that none of you guys are ever made redundant or become too ill to work because your beloved Tory government are dismantling the welfare state and there won't be anything for you. Hundreds and thousands of hard working people are on minimum wage and are unable to afford mortgages. You are all very lucky and should count your blessings that you have such fantastic jobs and are able to afford to pay your subsidised mortgages. And for your information I work full time whilst suffering from a variety of painful illnesses and yes there are some families on benefits who receive more than me and I don't begrudge them a penny of it.
"There have been no evictions by Caerphilly County Borough Council of tenants not able to pay the extra rent"??????
Anghahrad, there hasn't been any increase in evictions as people are going without food and warmth in order to pay. They would rather starve than lose their homes. I've met people who are living on less than Ten pounds a week. It's clear from some of the comments above that there are some horrible uncaring people who don't care whether people live or die, so long as they pay their rent or get a job. If anybody is suffering and doesn't know where to go for help they can come to us. We will be in Caerphilly Saturday afternoon, and if Dean is there with his bedroom tax supporters, we can educate him and his friends.
If you need help or advice PLEASE contact the Tenancy Support Officers of CCBC who WILL provide a helping hand….. More infor phone : 01495 235600. If CouncilTenant text RENTHELP to 81400. Other tenants & homeowners can access support by telephoning 01443 864548 or text HOUSUPPORT to 81400. If however you want to speak to Tenants you can find us on FB : Caerphilly Homes, People & Communities or Twitter : Caerphilly Tenants @CaerphillyHomes. Kind regards.