Stop the bedroom tax: Queen sends desperate victim letter to David Cameron

Dad-of-three Roger Davis, fighting eviction from his three-bedroom home, wrote to Her Majesty as a last resort ­after No10 ignored him

Plea: Desperate victim of the coalition's bedroom tax, Roger Davis, wrote to The Queen

The Queen has been drawn into the coalition’s Bedroom Tax fiasco by passing on a victim’s complaint letter to David Cameron, the Sunday People can reveal.

Dad-of-three Roger Davis, 50, fighting eviction from his three-bedroom home, wrote in ­desperation to Her Majesty ­after No10 ignored him.

Roger, who fears going out because of agoraphobia, faces losing his home of 20 years after the tax added nearly £100 a month to his rent and pushed him into arrears.

He turned to the Queen after the Prime Minister failed to reply to his two letters.

He then got a letter from Buckingham Palace vowing his request for help would be passed on to Downing Street.

Following that he received a letter from the PM’s office saying his plea would be passed to the communities ­department run by Tory minister Eric Pickles.

Response: Letter from The Queen's office

The Palace said Her Majesty could not personally ­intervene in Roger’s case but there is hope he may keep his home as his council is assessing if he is due other benefits.

Last week a poll in the Sunday People found 60 per cent of ­voters back Labour’s plans to abolish the Bedroom Tax, which has hit 660,000 British households.

The ComRes survey found fewer than one in four supports the tax.

Roger said: “I wrote to Downing Street but they ignored me. I didn’t know who else to turn to so in ­desperation I tried the Queen.

“When I got a letter back it really lifted me. It meant a lot that ­someone in authority actually replied and acknowledged me. I wanted to make the Queen aware of the situation people are facing. I know she can’t personally act for me but it made me feel better.”

Agoraphobia: Roger Davis

The letter from the Palace said: “The Queen has asked me to thank you for your letter from which Her Majesty has taken careful note of your ­comments about your current housing situation.

“However, this is not a matter in which the Queen would personally intervene. Nevertheless as a ­constitutional sovereign Her Majesty acts on the advice of ministers and I have been instructed to send your letter to the Prime Minister so that he may know of your approach to the Queen on this matter and may consider the points you raise.”

Protesters: Bedroom Tax

 
Ex-Age Concern carer Roger, off work for nine years since he had a nervous breakdown, faces losing his home in Herne Bay, Kent, because he has two empty bedrooms and the under-occupancy rules added £23.55 a week to his rent.

Canterbury County Court heard Roger fell £558 into ­arrears since the tax was introduced. He said: “I knew I couldn’t afford it. The only benefit I receive is employment support allowance. Home is my safe place, where I ­retreated to after my breakdown.”

Keith Cane, head of housing for East Kent Housing, said: “Taking a case like this to court is our only option if people refuse our offers of help and still don’t pay their rent. We have now been able to help Mr Davis make a claim for discretionary housing payment. If this is successful he should be able to pay the rent he currently owes.

“As this payment is generally only available for a temporary period we hope we’ll be able to continue to work with Mr Davis to find a longer-term solution, which could include moving to a smaller property.
We would encourage anyone having problems paying their rent to find out what local help and advice is available to them.”

Mirror