Demand for Hardship Fund Surges

Councils across England have reported a huge surge in applications for help from an emergency hardship fund since the launch of the bedroom tax on 1 April.  Hull, Leicester and Southwark councils all received at least five times as many applications as they would normally receive in a month, while Waltham Forest Council’s average monthly figure jumped from 72 to 226. Leeds Council has received 1,256 applications compared with 226 last April, while Sefton Council has had a nine-fold increase, receiving 321 applications since 1 April. Southampton Council had 295 applications compared with 75 in April 2012. Birmingham Council received 2,000 applications for DHPs in the first two weeks of April – 50 per cent more than the figure for the whole of the first quarter of the 2012/13 financial year.  The rise in demand for the £155 million DHP fund is the first quantifiable sign that the bedroom tax is making it harder for tenants to meet living costs. Read more on Inside Housing.