Local councillor questions the ‘bedroom tax’

Cllr Alan McCarthy RMBC Armed Forces Rep

Councillor Alan McCarthy asked Rochdale Council in early March to make representation to the Government after reading the White Paper on Housing Benefit reform having noticed an anomaly that would put forces personnel at a disadvantage.

Councillor McCarthysaid: “Whilst fully welcoming theu-turn on a 'bedroom tax' exemption for our armed services, it highlights an admission that the bedroom tax is ill-thought throught. Exempting armed forces personnel and giving foster carers some protection from the bedroom tax is not enough. The bedroom tax is still an unfair and perverse tax which will hit hundreds of thousands of other vulnerable people living in social housing around the country.”

Parents of serving armed forces personnel will be exempt from welfare deductions if they have spare rooms, says Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith. The u-turn comes after intense pressure over the application of what Labour calls 'bedroom tax'. This tax will see social housing tenants lose housing benefit if they are deemed to have a spare room.

Mr Duncan Smith issued guidance to local authorities which states that members of the armed forces who are living with their parents will be regarded as still occupying their room while away on operations, removing the threat of housing benefit deductions.

Under these new regulations, foster carers who have fostered or have become approved foster carers in the last 12 months will also receive protection from the new housing benefit rules.

Announcing the concessions in a written statement to the House of Commons, Mr Duncan Smith said: "The intent of the policy was that by using discretionary housing payments, the estimated 5,000 foster carers and rather fewer armed forces personnel groups would be protected.

"We have agreed with local authority organisations and improved arrangements through these regulations that put these protections beyond doubt."

The new regulations where announced on 12 March and will apply to army personnel and foster carers living in both social and private rented sectors.