Secretary of State says unused bedrooms are unfair to 9,000 Plymouth households
Iain Duncan Smith, right, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, defends his strategy for freeing up unused bedrooms
WHEN 9,182 households are stuck on a waiting list for social housing in Plymouth, there's a big problem that needs addressing.
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And it can't be right that 15,000 households across the South West are living in an overcrowded home.
There's nothing fair about making families wait and wait for a house that is big enough, while other households on benefits are allowed to live in homes that are too big for their needs, at no extra cost.
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Many working families in Plymouth cannot afford the luxury of having spare bedrooms, and the Government cannot afford to pay for bedrooms that are not being used.
That's why from April housing benefit claimants living in social housing with spare bedrooms will be expected to make a contribution towards the rent for those spare rooms.
On average, the extra charge for claimants will be £14 a week. Some people will decide to take up work or work a few more hours to cover the difference. Others will want to move to more appropriately sized accommodation or take in a lodger.
This change will bring housing benefit for social housing claimants in line with what happens in the private sector already.
Ending the spare room subsidy will help us get a better grip of our social housing – and give hope to those households in Plymouth who are currently squeezed into overcrowded homes.
Of course there will be situations where it would not make sense for people to move, or where personal circumstances mean that extra support will be necessary.
That's why we have given £155million to local authorities to help with these cases. This includes £30 million targeted specifically at helping disabled people whose homes have been adapted and for foster carers.
Councils and housing associations across the country are getting ready for this reform by running housing swaps, and other innovative programmes.
We will be able to make better use of social housing in Plymouth, and help more families into their own home, whilst keeping the welfare budget under control.
At the same time we will make sure that people in difficult situations are protected. That's fair.
3 Comments
by OutsideView
Friday, March 08 2013, 11:41AM
“Plymouth City Council local housing associations are tasked with implementing this with "innovative" schemes.
Unfortunately from other articles on this subject the Council and housing associations appear to have already given up.
Innovation is not one of the Council's strong points.”
by Foldart
Friday, March 08 2013, 9:14AM
“Of course they will pogle. It's the only sensible thing to do. The only people objecting will be the ones sitting in oversized, subsidised social housing who thought they owned the right to it.
Every cloud has a silver lining and this global financial crisis is certainly helping us to focus on the inefficient benefits and other financial anomolies we've allowed to creep in over the years.”
by pogle63a
Friday, March 08 2013, 8:10AM
“Iain duncan smith my my isn`t it marvellous to see all these old forgotten faces slipping back into the spotlight again just goes to show the blue tie club takes care of its own whilst doing over the peasants.
This whole desperate bedroom tax looks like its going to be anothe poll tax type disaster - unfair and unworkable but they will do it anyway.”