SIR – Make no mistake, the bedroom tax is a wicked policy.
It will penalise hundreds who could not in reality downsize within the social sector if they wanted to and those that do relocate to the private sector will end up costing the taxpayer more in housing benefit.
A considerable number of the 800 affected in Worcester may eventually be at risk of eviction by social landlords when their inability to meet the shortfall in their housing benefit reaches an unsustainable level of arrears.
What will the personal and and social cost be of this?
Many will virtually starve themselves to find the £12/£24 deduction from their benefit.
Some will become physically ill or depressed.
Overwhelmed by the cost and rising debt, many will be evicted.
It’s as well to remember many of these people are the working poor, so themselves are taxpayers.
This will lead to possibly hundreds of people becoming homeless, often housed in temporary B&Bs and other similar facilities at much greater expense, and in some cases possibly even ending up on the street.
It is simply not right to do as the Government does, which is to misrepresent the existence of a spare room as a luxury for which taxpayers ought not pay.
Yes, the housing benefit bill is really large and there are many people needing larger accommodation than they currently occupy, but the cost lies in unregulated private sector rent levels which mean landlords nationwide are making a mint out of the taxpayer.
We should address our housing problems by investing in social housing rather than further feathering the nest of private sector landlords.It rather looks as though the Government wants to see the end of social housing.
The bedroom tax and efforts to close the gap in rents between private and social housing are a step further to guaranteeing lifelong impoverishment and struggle for some of the most vulnerable in our country.
ANDREW BROWN
Worcester
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