All Campaigns subcategories:
Housing keywords:
Tenants
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Search site for keywords: Tax - Bedroom tax - Housing - Housing benefit - Households - Tenants - Homelessness
Protesting about a bedroom tax case (Click to enlarge)
Bedroom Tax ruling: The fight to scrap it must continue
Cathy Meadows, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Scrap the Bedroom Tax, Defend Council Tax Benefits campaign
Words alone won't get rid of the bedroom tax. "I'm registered disabled - will I still have to pay bedroom tax?... Is the bedroom tax illegal, now?"... "Has the bedroom tax been stopped?"
Some of the questions desperate people (struggling to survive after nearly three years of the tax) asked me after the Court of Appeal recently ruled that the bedroom tax unlawfully discriminated against two households.
Liable
I had to tell people that the bedroom tax is still here and even if the government loses an appeal, the ruling only affects two specific groups - severely disabled children needing overnight care, and victims of domestic violence living in specially adapted accommodation.
Not only that, until the households in that group prove they are exempt, they will still be liable for the bedroom tax.
The process of proving exemption is usually time consuming, stressful, may have to involve social services and other agencies as well as advice agencies and/or solicitors. What a waste of time, energy and peace of mind for some of the most vulnerable in society.
The bedroom tax does not address the causes of the housing shortage (lack of social and affordable housing being built), and neither does it address the increased housing benefit bill (caused by landlords' exploitation of housing shortages and poverty).
Instead it creates poverty and debt, affects people's mental health, and has even led to suicides.
When I heard that Jeremy Corbyn and the leader of our Labour-run council were only "calling" for the bedroom tax to be scrapped, my heart sank. Where's the fight? Where's the urgency? Does anyone seriously believe that you will get the government to do a u-turn on the bedroom tax by "calling" for it, or even by hassling the prime minister in Parliament?
Words without action are ineffective and can give people false hope. If Labour is serious about getting rid of this bully's policy, Labour-led councils have the power to do it.
Labour councils
Just imagine if all Labour-led councils announced a 'no evictions' policy and non-pursuit of people in rent arrears because of the bedroom tax.
This would be an immediate massive relief for households currently having to choose between fuel, food and bills. It would also empower them to begin a non-payment campaign.
If councils also mobilised community groups, campaigns, homelessness organisations, women's groups, disabled groups and trade unions to support the campaign, any shortfall in their funds caused by non-payment could be demanded from the government. This is the kind of strategy needed to get rid of the bedroom tax now.
A cruel and vindictive tax
Frances McCormack, facing eviction the next day due to the bedroom tax, hanged herself in the same room where her son had committed suicide in 2013, an inquest was told.
Beside her body was a handwritten note which addressed Tory prime minister David Cameron on the hardship caused by the tax.
Introduced in April 2013 by millionaire Tory minister Iain Duncan Smith (who lived rent free), low income social housing tenants lose housing benefit if they are deemed to have a 'spare room'.
As a result many vulnerable tenants have faced eviction and homelessness. And far from reducing the housing benefit bill as the government claimed, the overall bill has soared as low income people are forced into the hands of private landlords.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999