Bedroom Tax: Three In Four Affected Have Cut Back On Food

Three-quarters of people affected by the bedroom tax say they have had to cut back on food, an independent evaluation published by the DWP has found. The research found that 46% said they had cut back on heating, 33% on travel and 42% on leisure. Among a control group of tenants unaffected by the bedroom tax, far fewer – 56% – said they were cutting back on food because of benefit changes. The study found landlords were very concerned that some tenants were “in severe poverty and unable to pay the shortfall”. The report said 78% of claimants who were still affected by the bedroom tax after two years of the policy were regularly running out of money by the end of the week or month. They tended to pay the rent by using up savings, borrowing from family or friends or accruing debt. Read more on the Guardian website.