Protests: Carers and disabled affected by Benefit change
16 March 2013 Last updated at 18:32
Housing benefit change protests held
Protests have taken place across the country, including Manchester.Thousands have been demonstrating in a series of cities against government plans to cut housing benefit for those considered to have too much space.
Protests against the plan – labelled the “bedroom tax” by Labour – have been held in 52 towns and cities, including Manchester and London.
Organisers said between 12,000 and 13,000 people turned out.
The government’s welfare changes are due to come in in April and are expected to affect 660,000 people.
Those deemed to have a spare room in their council or housing association home will have their housing benefit claims reduced by £40-£80.
The protests’ national organiser, Éoin Clarke, said: “This is a cruel policy that primarily hits single parents, and the adult disabled.
“Even children deemed disabled but not ‘severely’ so, are affected. Carers, the terminally-ill, battered wives and husbands are all affected.
HOW WILL THE CHANGES WORK
- The new rules will affect housing benefit, which is paid to less well-off tenants to help with rent. Typically claimants receive between £50 and £100 a week.
- From next month, families deemed to have too much living space by their local authorities will receive a reduced payment.
- Under the government’s so-called “size criteria”, families will be assessed for the number of bedrooms they actually need.
- If tenants are deemed to have one spare room, the amount of rent eligible for housing benefit will be cut by 14%. If they have two or more spare rooms, the cut will be 25%.
- The government estimates that 660,000 households will have their benefit cut, roughly a third of social sector claimants. Only those of working age will see reduced payments.
“Soldiers living in single accommodation or indeed foster parents with more than one foster child are hit, despite the government’s talk of a U-turn.
“There are times in history when people must stand together in defence of common decency – that time has come.”
‘Spare room subsidies’The government estimates that roughly a third of social sector claimants will have their benefit cut. Only those of working age will see reduced payments.
But foster carers and families of armed services personnel will be exempt from controversial changes to housing benefit, ministers have said.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband have been involved in a fierce war of words over the issue for weeks, with the Mr Miliband branding the policy as a “bedroom tax”.
The prime minister has insisted the proposals are not a tax and will, instead, see curbs on what he has called existing “spare room subsidies”.
No 10 has defended the policy as a whole, saying it was important to address pressure on social housing waiting lists and growing overcrowding.
