Bed Room Tax Reform

The evil and unfair Bedroom Tax that was introduced by the Tory hatchet man Iain Duncan-Smith to crawl back millions in housing benefit as part of the Welfare Reform Act. The idea of the Bedroom tax was flawed in conception and since it has been enacted caused hardship to those unable to move, especially single people and the disabled. It has caused misery and lead to people owing councils and housing associations hundreds of pounds and led to people losing their homes. 

The Bedroom Tax is an evil and unfair way of effectively pricing people out of their homes by cutting benefits to people in social housing who have extra bedrooms. Unfortunately it doesn't work and there are thousands of cases of people being stuck in two or three bedroom houses and unable to move because no single bedroom properties are available. Then there is those who are disabled or either need a extra bedroom or have had there houses specially modified for their needs, which just might happen to have an extra bedroom.

Since the introduction of the Bedroom Tax 28% have simply fallen into rent arrears for the first time. And what of those haven't have had to make up for the cuts in their housing benefit by providing less heat and food for themselves and their families. One social housing provider is quoted as saying that "approximately two-thirds of all tenants affected by the bedroom tax essentially struggle to pay the rent and associated bills". In addition to this Bedroom tax has social implications by breaking up family connections and social links.

Today one of the Liberal Democrats, Andrew George MP, decided to do something about that his party originally help put in place by introducing a private member's bill known as the Affordable Homes Bill. Mr George's bill would mean people who could not be found a smaller home would be exempt from the cuts, as well as disabled people who need a spare bedroom or who have adapted homes. Things that should have been put in place in the original Welfare Reform Act to protect people who are living, often on the breadline.

In a vote in parliament the MPs backed the Affordable Homes Bill at second reading by 306 votes to 231, to defeat the Government and giving it a fighting chance that the Bill might become law. How ever it does face one major hurdle, the unelected house of Lords where it could face "death by a thousand amendments" by Tory peers. Hopefully they will also the changes are righting a wrong that their party introduced that has caused a rise in debt for thousands of poor families that are unable to pay there rent or have the disabled that have been forced out of there homes.

Iain Duncan-Smith the Work and Pensions Secretary said it would cost the Treasury £1bn to reverse the changes and challenged critics to say what other cuts they would make to pay for it.Clearly for this misguided evil fool money is more  important than lives and fairness. As long him, the other millionaires in the Conservative Cabinet and their rich friends are happy it doesn't matter about the poor being cold, miserable and hungry to the point of malnourishment.