Sedgemoor Labour Group leader,Cllr Mick Lerry, will be urging Labour MPs to vote to abolish the unjust and unworkable bedroom tax being imposed by this Tory-led government, saying that the people affected by this tax simply can’t wait until 2015 for this to be repealed. In Bridgwater and West Somerset 587 households are affected by the Bedroom Tax. For those households paying the bedroom tax for 1 bedroom the annual rent will be increased £577 and for those households paying tax for 2 bedrooms the annual extra rent will be £1031. For many of these households there is no suitable alternative accommodation to escape from the bedroom tax.
The Bedroom Tax hits over 400,000 disabled people nationwide, and around £30, 000 people in the South West. For the vast majority of those affected, there is nowhere smaller to move to, hitting vulnerable people with an average bill of £720 a year through no fault of their own. Instead of reducing the housing benefit bill, there is now a real risk the Bedroom Tax will cost more than it saves.
Spiralling debt
Cllr Mick Lerry said: “The Bedroom Tax is leaving families up and down this country with nowhere to go and on the edge of spiralling debt. These people simply can’t wait until the next Labour government in 2015 for it to be repealed. They need it repealed now.
“That is why MPs must vote with our Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary, Rachel Reeves and other colleagues this week to do just that.
“The Labour Party promised to repeal the tax in government, and because we know that in these tough financial times we can’t borrow more to pay for social security, we’ve set out a clear plan to pay for the repeals by cutting down on tax loop holes and avoidance.”
“The next Labour Government will repeal the Bedroom Tax without extra borrowing.”