A PLEDGE to fight ‘unfair’ bedroom tax affecting hundreds of Malvern families has been made by the Labour Parliamentary Candidate.
Daniel Walton claimed currently there were 492 people paying the ‘awful’ rates across West Worcestershire but many more would be affected if the Tories won the General Election in May.
But he claimed Labour had pledged to abolish the bedroom tax and were the only party which would.
Mr Walton said the current MP Harriett Baldwin voted against abolishing the tax and ensured hundreds of households would remain ‘trapped’ paying an extra £700 a year.
He added statistics from the DWP showed 57 per cent of residents claiming housing benefits were having to cut back on household basics and essentials and only 4.5 per cent of people had actually been able to move since the tax was introduced.
“These are often the most vulnerable people in our community, those that are already facing a cost of living crisis with lower wages and increasing bills,” Mr Walton said.
“The issue statistics show and by what I’m told on the doorstep is for people needing single bedroom households there aren’t enough and so residents are trapped.
“The problem is many more people can easily become trapped by this tax – a family can become liable if children leave home or someone dies.”
Mrs Harriett Baldwin said anyone affected by the under-occupancy charge could swap with someone who needed an extra bedroom or pay an average of £2 a night if they preferred to stay.
She added for those who were unwilling or unable to move or pay there were discretionary housing payments available in difficult cases.
“It is important we make the best use of the precious resource of social housing paid for by taxpayers via housing benefit.
“This helps growing families avoid living in over-crowded homes. Anyone who needs my help with their individual circumstances should contact their MP or housing association for help and advice.”
