Third Of All Newcastle Households Hit By Bedroom Tax and Welfare Reforms

A least one third of Newcastle's households have been hit by the coalition's raft of welfare reforms that came in last April, an ALMO's research has revealed.  In particular, the controversial bedroom tax has had a significant impact on the city's social housing tenants. Your Homes Newcastle, the ALMO that runs Newcastle City Council's housing stock, says that 4,703 of its tenants have been affected by the bedroom tax.  Recent figures show that 60% of those affected by the bedroom tax in the city are now in arrears.  The advent of the tax has seen the number of empty two and three-bed flats tripling from 47 in February last year to 142 in February this year, as more and more tenants are forced out of larger properties. Read more on 24dash.