Iain Duncan Smith must now exempt up to 50,000 social housing families with disabled children from the charge
Iain Duncan Smith is facing a bill of at least £36million for making such a hash of the bedroom tax, the Sunday People has revealed.
In a major victory for the Sunday People’s campaign he must now exempt up to 50,000 social housing families with disabled children from the charge.
But his U-turn will cost even more – because he must also pay back money he has taken from families with disabled youngsters living in privately rented homes.
The Work and Pensions Secretary had hoped to save £500million a year of the £23billion he pays out in housing benefits by charging for £14 a week for one spare bedroom and £25 for two or more.
But he’s now facing a black hole in his finances as the bedroom tax unravels.
Thanks to our campaign 5,000 foster carers will not have to pay the tax and parents with armed forces children living at home are to be exempt.
Mr Duncan Smith told the Sunday People: “I am committed to ensuring vulnerable people are protected.”
The Cabinet minister made his commitment after reading last week how severely autistic Logan Oxley-Goody might have to be parted from mum Fiona because she cannot afford the £60 a month bedroom tax bill she has been sent.
Mr Duncan Smith has now ordered local authorities to exempt severely disabled children from sharing bedrooms if one disrupts the other sibling’s sleep.
They must also take into account the night-time care the disabled child needs.
Una Summerson of charity Contact a Family said: “It also means families in private rented accommodation will be able to apply to housing offices for the same exemption.”
But the DWP is in such a muddle over how to apply new rules local authorities have still not been given a proper set of guidelines to assess disability.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne said: “The Bedroom Tax has now broken down into total chaos and confusion.
“Iain Duncan Smith can’t spin his way out of this. We need to know exactly who will be hit by this hated tax, and we need to know now.”
And Dale Atkinson of the Local Government Association said: “Councils need a commitment from the DWP that all additional costs will be met by central government.”
Last week Mr Duncan Smith was forced to drop his Supreme Court appeal against rulings that the bedroom tax discriminated against the disabled under human rights laws.
Lawyers argued that two children, one with spina bifida and another with Down’s Syndrome, could not share a room.
That paved the way for his U-turn on giving children with severe disabilities their own bedrooms.
And he told local authorities: “Arrears must be paid as appropriate.”
Child Poverty Action Group boss Alison Garnham said: “This is a tremendous victory for disabled children and a victory for common sense.”
Families with disabled children who need advice about bedroom should call the Contact a Family freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555.
In a major victory for the Sunday People’s campaign he must now exempt up to 50,000 social housing families with disabled children from the charge.
But his U-turn will cost even more – because he must also pay back money he has taken from families with disabled youngsters living in privately rented homes.
The Work and Pensions Secretary had hoped to save £500million a year of the £23billion he pays out in housing benefits by charging for £14 a week for one spare bedroom and £25 for two or more.
But he’s now facing a black hole in his finances as the bedroom tax unravels.
Thanks to our campaign 5,000 foster carers will not have to pay the tax and parents with armed forces children living at home are to be exempt.
Mr Duncan Smith told the Sunday People: “I am committed to ensuring vulnerable people are protected.”
The Cabinet minister made his commitment after reading last week how severely autistic Logan Oxley-Goody might have to be parted from mum Fiona because she cannot afford the £60 a month bedroom tax bill she has been sent.
Mr Duncan Smith has now ordered local authorities to exempt severely disabled children from sharing bedrooms if one disrupts the other sibling’s sleep.
They must also take into account the night-time care the disabled child needs.
Una Summerson of charity Contact a Family said: “It also means families in private rented accommodation will be able to apply to housing offices for the same exemption.”
But the DWP is in such a muddle over how to apply new rules local authorities have still not been given a proper set of guidelines to assess disability.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne said: “The Bedroom Tax has now broken down into total chaos and confusion.
“Iain Duncan Smith can’t spin his way out of this. We need to know exactly who will be hit by this hated tax, and we need to know now.”
And Dale Atkinson of the Local Government Association said: “Councils need a commitment from the DWP that all additional costs will be met by central government.”
Last week Mr Duncan Smith was forced to drop his Supreme Court appeal against rulings that the bedroom tax discriminated against the disabled under human rights laws.
Lawyers argued that two children, one with spina bifida and another with Down’s Syndrome, could not share a room.
That paved the way for his U-turn on giving children with severe disabilities their own bedrooms.
And he told local authorities: “Arrears must be paid as appropriate.”
Child Poverty Action Group boss Alison Garnham said: “This is a tremendous victory for disabled children and a victory for common sense.”
Families with disabled children who need advice about bedroom should call the Contact a Family freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555.
Mirror
