Tenovus calls for urgent review of bedroom tax after rise in cancer patients facing financial hardship
A charity has said it has seen a “significant increase” in the number of cancer patients seeking help to pay rent since the introduction of the so-called “bedroom tax”.Tenovus, one of Wales’ largest cancer charities, said it had concerns that the measure was potentially discriminating against people with a disability – and said it was advising “numerous couples” who were unable to share a room due to ill-health but only qualify for a one-bedroom rate of housing benefit.
The changes – which are intended to cut the number of under-occupying households in the UK and were introduced in April – see households on housing benefit losing a segment of that income if they have one or more empty rooms in their houses.
But opposition parties, charities and housing organisations have hit out at the policy, saying it risks making thousands of people homeless as they are unable to move into smaller accommodation and cannot pay their rent after the deduction in benefit.
Tenovus said it was also advising single people affected by cancer who have a spare room to enable carers to stay overnight to help to care for them, but also only qualify for the one bedroom rate.
Richard Pugh, innovation and service development manager at Tenovus, said: “[The] ‘bedroom tax’ is causing additional distress to cancer patients and their loved ones who, in some cases, are simply unable to move due to the lack of affordable and available accommodation.
“We receive calls daily to our support line from people from all areas of Wales who are being hit financially by this one size fits all change.
“We’re concerned that the ‘bedroom tax’ will hit those affected by cancer at an already vulnerable and worrying time in their lives – there are a lot of hidden costs following a cancer diagnosis, such as travel costs to attend hospital appointments, increased utility bills due to spending more time at home and changes in appetite and diet, all at a time when there is also likely to be a drop in income.
“Cancer patients and their families are then faced with having to find the shortfall in their rent which causes additional stress and worry, and has a negative impact on their health and social wellbeing.”
The charity is calling for an urgent review of the measure by the UK Government, saying that measures in place to help vulnerable people – such as Discretionary Housing Payments for those in need of short-term help with their rent – may not cover all cancer patients in need.
Plaid Cymru’s MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Jonathan Edwards, said he shared the charity’s concerns.
He said: “It isn’t right that some people are hit harder because of an illness that they are suffering from.
“Last week, Plaid Cymru revealed that some local authorities have already exhausted their discretionary housing funds. On top of this, figures revealed that the number of evictions had started to rise, and this is likely to get much worse as the winter months draw in and people are faced with higher fuels bill and have to dig deeper into their savings. Plaid Cymru is concerned that things could reach crisis point by Christmas.
“The UK Government has apparently taken a decision to make tens of thousands of people across the UK homeless, through a policy that targets the ill, disabled and most vulnerable in society. It cannot be allowed to continue.”
Wales Online
