Empty rooms could see tenants' benefits cut

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COUNCIL tenants living in properties deemed too big for them face having their housing benefit cut by almost £1,000 a year.

The National Housing Federation has called for a re-think on the Government’s plans which it says risks driving people on low incomes further into poverty and increasing homelessness.

Under the proposals anyone living in a council or housing association property with one spare bedroom will have their weekly rent cut by 15 per cent and 25 per cent if two bedrooms are not used, resulting in a loss of between more than £586 and £977 a year.

Over 2,200 working age families across the borough receive the benefit and close to 1,000 are estimated to be affected by the changes set to be introduced in 2013, which are partly aimed at tackling overcrowding, but only 540 properties are re-let by Redditch Borough Council each year.

Simon Nunn, assistant regional director for the National Housing Federation, said: “Penalising West Midlands families for under-occupying when they have nowhere to move to is simply unfair and unjust.”

The council is conducting its own analysis of the impact of the proposals but say if residents are encouraged to move, it could free up larger council properties which are in short supply within the borough.

Of the 6,047 council homes in Redditch, just 2,271 are three bedrooms or larger and 492 of the 3,500 plus people on the council’s waiting list are in need of a larger property.

A spokeswoman for the council added: “Although as the reforms will only affect those of working age some older people may choose to stay in homes classed as under occupied because they can still afford the costs.

“The council has committed to offer all those affected by the changes to housing benefit the opportunity to speak to a specialist officer who can offer advice about the housing options affordable to them.”

Redditch MP Karen Lumley insisted the reforms still protected the most vulnerable.

“We have people living in three and four bedroom homes who don’t need to be.

“My caseload is full of people who can’t get council houses; families living in one and two bedroom homes with two or three children and that’s unacceptable and we have got to do something to address that.”