Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore, Labour parliamentary candidate for Hendon has today published new details on the impact of the Bedroom Tax in Barnet.

Mr Dismore said:

“After a year of the Bedroom Tax at the end of February 2014 Barnet had 618 households affected by the changes, 62% of whom were in arrears. Since implementation in April 2013 the average level of rent arrears which can be attributed to this change is an average of £60k. Approximately 143 of the 618 households include a working adult.

“But these statistics  hide real hardship. Take the typical case of Burnt Oak resident Leon Gittens, whose story shows just how unfair the  Bedroom Tax is:

“I am disabled and suffer from a number of chronic illnesses such as COPD and CKD, these until very recently have not stopped me from pursuing my career as a Drug and Alcohol Counsellor and I have worked all of my life up until 2012, when unfortunately I had to stop working due to ill health.

I am fortunate enough to have a lovely council house and my wife and son who is a secondary school student. I have always tried to keep up with the rent payments. Since my eldest son (24 yrs.’ old) moved out 3 years ago I now  use this room upstairs   for a commode, wheelchair, medication cabinet, walking sticks and other items related  to my disability.  The room is  too  small for a bedroom and has no bed in it. We only have one downstairs toilet, so I need the commode upstairs.

I have been awarded the highest rate of Disability Living Allowance due to my medical problems. Even so when I applied for exemption from the “bedroom tax”,   it was refused.

We got into difficulties paying the rent because of the Bedroom Tax with arrears up to £700 last Autumn, but eventually agreed with Barnet Homes that we would pay around £180 pm towards the rent. My wife works part time at the local school (Goldbeaters) but her hours can vary from month to month and this leaves us with very little and we  have struggled to meet this, but always try to catch up the following month.
We  have reduced our arrears to less than £200.

Despite this we have just  received a Notice to Quit with effect from 2 weeks time from Barnet Homes and have been driven to distraction with worry about this premature decision, I have called them but they do not seem interested and keep insisting I downsize despite my explanation of why I need the extra bedroom. They have not offered us anywhere else to move to, either.”

Mr Dismore continued:

“Since Hendon’s Conservative MP Mr Offord supported David Cameron’s Bedroom Tax, low-income householders in Hendon like Mr Gittens have been forced to find, on average an extra £720 a year. According to the National Housing Federation two thirds of households hit by the Bedroom Tax cannot find the money to pay their rents and one in seven are at risk of eviction.

“It’s a cruel, unfair and costly tax which targets the vulnerable, with two thirds of those affected disabled, like Mr Gittens . David Cameron promised the Bedroom Tax would save money, but figures in the Budget show the housing benefit bill is rising, not falling, with a huge £1billion increase over the next five years.

“It’s time for the government to ditch the Bedroom Tax, If they don’t, then a Labour government will.”