Court rejects disability case against bedroom tax

Court rejects disability case against bedroom tax

Socialist Party press release – 21 February 2014

The Court of Appeal has today rejected five disabled housing benefit claimants’ case to overturn the bedroom tax.

Around two thirds of households hit by the bedroom tax include at least one person with a disability. In many cases the so-called ‘spare room’ is needed for equipment to help with tenants’ health conditions.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is standing candidates in the 2014 local elections. All TUSC candidates pledge to oppose the bedroom tax and would fight for councils not to implement it.

TUSC national chair and Socialist Party member Dave Nellist said:

“Labour has said it would repeal the bedroom tax if it won the 2015 general election. But people are having to join food bank queues, go into debt and are being evicted today because of the tax.

“If Labour is really on the side of the poor, it should tell all Labour-led councils to stop implementing the bedroom tax now, and promise that a Labour government would then write off all related council debts.

“All TUSC councillors would refuse to enforce the bedroom tax. Councils should write off all bedroom tax arrears, withdraw all court proceedings and eviction orders, and call on housing associations to do the same.”

TUSC is an electoral alliance that stands candidates against all cuts and privatisation. It involves the RMT transport workers’ union, leading members of other trade unions including the PCS, NUT and POA, and socialist groups including the Socialist Party.

TUSC’s policy platform can be read at http://www.tusc.org.uk/policy.php

For more information from the Socialist Party about TUSC, and for interviews, contact 020 8988 8779 or [email protected]