A Room Without Benefit - February 2012 

Further update - 16th February 2012

Next Tuesday the Welfare Reform Bill returns to the Commons. MPs will have the opportunity to accept an amendment that will make a difference to their most vulnerable constituents.

On 14 February the Lords voted once again to limit the impact of the bedroom tax.

Peers backed a much more modest amendment to the one that came back to the Commons last time. It protects certain vulnerable groups (disabled people, war widows and those unable to work) from the bedroom tax and only if they turn down a suitable smaller flat.

The bedroom tax is now the last issue of disagreement between the Lords and the Commons on the Welfare Reform Bill. See our updated briefing paper before next Tuesday's vote - 21st February 2012. We are focusing our efforts on MPs and encouraging them to support the Lords' amendment on under-occupation.

The National Housing Federation has a comprehensive page of video, documents, etc documenting the campaign against the proposed "bedroom tax". Follow our own campaigning as it happens via Twitter @RiversideUK.  

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The Welfare Reform Bill returns to the House of Lords on the 14 February. 

Lord Best has tabled a further amendment to Clause 11 of the Bill with the effect that some vulnerable groups of tenants will receive benefit to cover the rent of one extra bedroom above the DWP standard, unless suitable alternative accommodation for downsizing is available. This represents a significant compromise, recognising the difficult financial position faced by the Government whilst providing transitional protection for some of the most vulnerable households living in social housing.

We urge Lords to support Lord Best’s amendment to Clause 11.   Here is the briefing for Lords

The Welfare Reform Bill proposes cuts to housing benefit for working age housing association and council tenants who are under-occupying their properties – or in other words tenants who have a spare bedroom.  The Bill is not yet law and is currently going through Parliament. It will reach the House of Commons in early February.

This ‘bedroom tax’ would see working age housing association tenants lose an average of £14 a week in housing benefit if they are deemed by the Department for Work and Pensions to have a spare bedroom, regardless of how it is being used. 

Members of The House of Lords have seen sense and voted against the Government’s under-occupation proposals in December, so the fight continues.  At Riverside we believe that this bedroom tax is unfair and will penalise loyal tenants who make good use of so called spare bedrooms, or who cannot move because there is a shortage of smaller homes. So we are stepping up our campaign for fairer benefit rules which will make sure tenants with one spare bedroom above the Government’s standard do not have their benefit cut.

1) New research performed by the Housing Futures Network (HFN), a collection of leading housing groups, strongly supports our case. The research, carried out for Riverside in Wirral’s Tranmere and Rock Ferry neighbourhood, found that one in four tenants would be affected by housing benefit cuts, if they are of working age and  deemed to be under occupying their home by just one bedroom.  This is in accordance with very strict criteria to be introduced by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Other case studies were carried out in London, the North East and Lancashire. 

Access the Tranmere / Rock Ferry Case Study here

Access the Summary Report on the four case studies here 

Access a Summary of our previous research into the impact of the changes on tenants here.

2) We are grateful for your help so far in lobbying MPs but we need it more than ever at this crucial stage.  Please email your MP using the options below to make sure they oppose the bedroom tax and support the proposal to make sure housing benefit covers the cost of a spare room. 

See our latest briefing for MPs 

The cuts would not only affect tenants, but could have an impact on the local economy, which stands to lose £65,000 per annum just from Riverside tenants.  For all social housing tenants affected in the area, the annual local economic impact could be as much as £400,000 per year.