Council Spends £3 Million to Protect Vulnerable Residents from Bedroom Tax and Benefit Cap

A London council facing an investigation by Eric Pickles into allegations of fraud and poor financial management has announced it spent £3 million protecting the borough's most vulnerable from the bedroom tax and other welfare reforms. DWP figures show that 2,510 residents were impacted by the bedroom tax in Tower Hamlets, losing an average of £1,096 a year. The council softened the blow by making sure that 1,157 of the most affected households avoided eviction by being given help with their rent arrears. Meanwhile, residents losing an average of £84 per week from the introduction of the benefit cap were also supported with over £800,000 of help. Read more on the Tower Hamlets website.