Why the Bedroom Tax Penalises Council Tenants in the North

Social housing tenants in the north of England are being unfairly penalised by the bedroom tax, critics say, as many areas have "no local need" for tenants to downsize to smaller properties.  The government says the policy will encourage tenants who are under-occupying to downsize and free up larger homes for those who need them.  Some say the blanket policy means many tenants in the north are being told to find one of those scarce properties unnecessarily.  "The mismatch between people living in overcrowded homes who need to swap with those who have a spare room works only on paper and nationally. In the north of England, you've not got a huge issue with overcrowding," stated the National Housing Federation.”  Read more on the Guardian website.