Landmark Bedroom Tax Ruling Issued

A tribunal has overturned a decision on the bedroom tax, setting a precedent that could force some councils to rethink how they decide who needs a room for an overnight carer. The ruling, the first by an upper tribunal to set a precedent, overturned a first-tier tribunal decision that had upheld a housing benefit cut by Eastleigh Borough Council. The Hampshire local authority reduced the benefit of a woman who lives in a three-bedroom house with her daughter and was therefore deemed to have a spare room. The woman contended that she required a room for an overnight carer because she suffered from severe asthma and eczema, and produced a doctor’s letter saying the ‘unpredictability’ of her asthma means ‘she may well need and often does have someone staying overnight to look after her’. Read more on the Nearly Legal website.