Bedroom Tax Hits 60,000 Families with Carers

About 60,000 families living in council homes where there is someone caring for an elderly or disabled relative have been caught out by the “bedroom tax”. Answering a written question in the Commons, the Welfare minister, Esther McVey, revealed: “Around 60,000 households affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy policy are in receipt of carer’s allowance or have an underlying entitlement to carer’s allowance.” The revelation follows a letter from the Disability Benefits Consortium, which represents 50 charities, pleading for disabled people and their carers to be exempt from the removal of the spare room subsidy. Read more on the Independent website.

Disabled 'Forced To Cut Back On Food and Heating' To Pay Bedroom Tax

Nine in 10 disabled people and three quarters of carers affected by the bedroom tax are having to cut back on food and heating in order to pay their rent. The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), a national coalition of more than 50 charities, revealed the findings in a letter to Iain Duncan Smith which called on the government to take immediate action to exempt disabled people, their families and carers from the controversial policy. The letter points to "stark evidence" that shows disabled people are not being protected from the controversial policy despite government claims to the contrary. Read more on 24dash.