The so-called ‘Bedroom Tax’ has cost residents living in council houses £2.6 million over the last two years.
Tenants paid out £2.61m in 2015/16 and in the financial year ending April 2017, according to a response to Plaid Cymru under the Freedom of Information Act by the local authority.
The response from Caerphilly County Borough Council also revealed that 1,944 tenants were currently paying the spare room subsidy because of the UK Government policy.
The removal of the spare room subsidy, labelled the ‘Bedroom Tax’ by those opposed to it, came as part of the UK Government’s welfare reform in April 2013.
It means those receiving housing benefit who are seen to be ‘under-occupying’ have their housing benefit cut.
Councillor Colin Mann, leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly council, said: “This is a tax on some of the poorest people in society and should be scrapped.
“Tenants are having to pay this unnecessary additional charge while struggling to meet the usual costs of living with inflation pushing up prices. It’s just not fair.
“Plaid Cymru has always made clear its opposition to the bedroom tax and believes the Labour Welsh Government should cover the costs to tenants of the bedroom tax – as happens under the SNP Government in Scotland – until it is ended.
“Suitable alternative accommodation in many cases is not available so tenants have no choice to extra pay rent.
“Fifty-five tenants in the last two years have had to downsize to avoid paying this unfair tax.”
A spokeswoman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said, “As a council we’ve been extremely proactive in working to support our residents in managing these changes.
“As well as employing additional support staff, we also offer advice on the changes, additional benefits available, support with applications for Discretionary Housing payment and advice on energy saving in a bid to help minimise the impact of the ‘Bedroom Tax’.
“We have previously also been recognised by the Citizens Advice Bureau with an award for the creation of a team to help deal with housing issues brought about by these changes.”
The Welsh Government has previously said on the issue that it would continue to do all it can to help people affected by UK Government welfare cuts.
To put this in context this sum is less than the senior officer pay scandal has cost over the past four years in payments to people who do nothing, payments to their replacements, employer pension payments and legal costs.
Would’nt it be nice to have a competent administration that could, if they so chose, reimburse all those who have lost out without affecting anything else the council does. Unfortunately all we get is Labour and Plaid, both of which are implicated in the on-going scandal which is pouring good money away.
Oh dear still whining on about a tax that isn’t a tax and is also a Labour policy that was introduced by Labour – just like university tuition fees were introduced by Labour, blinkered brain washed Labour voters – stop voting these fools back into power.