The government has released the first statistics showing the
impact of the controversial subsidy withdrawal in August
More than 522,000 housing benefit claimants were subject to the bedroom tax in August and had their housing benefit reduced by an average of £14.50 a week, official figures show.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the figures were the first official returns on the impact of the controversial tax, or bedroom subsidy withdrawal.
They show more than 429,000 people were penalised for having one bedroom too many, losing an average of £12.66 a week; more than 92,000 were penalised for having two excess bedrooms, and were losing an average of £23.43 a week.
The government said there had been a steady fall in the number of households affected, with 24,000 fewer claimants affected than in May.
Although some of that may be attributed to tenants downsizing, it may also be because of more people on housing benefit finding work or seeing their wages increase.
The total is slightly lower than the number the DWP projected a year ago, and may reflect the fact that some tenants left the social sector before the bedroom tax came in and then transferred to the private sector.
If the August housing benefit saving is annualised, the DWP housing benefit withdrawal amounts to £393m. But that takes no account of savings through individuals downsizing.
Equally, it takes no account of rent arrears or the cost of tenants transferring to the private rented sector.
Guardian
More than 522,000 housing benefit claimants were subject to the bedroom tax in August and had their housing benefit reduced by an average of £14.50 a week, official figures show.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the figures were the first official returns on the impact of the controversial tax, or bedroom subsidy withdrawal.
They show more than 429,000 people were penalised for having one bedroom too many, losing an average of £12.66 a week; more than 92,000 were penalised for having two excess bedrooms, and were losing an average of £23.43 a week.
The government said there had been a steady fall in the number of households affected, with 24,000 fewer claimants affected than in May.
Although some of that may be attributed to tenants downsizing, it may also be because of more people on housing benefit finding work or seeing their wages increase.
The total is slightly lower than the number the DWP projected a year ago, and may reflect the fact that some tenants left the social sector before the bedroom tax came in and then transferred to the private sector.
If the August housing benefit saving is annualised, the DWP housing benefit withdrawal amounts to £393m. But that takes no account of savings through individuals downsizing.
Equally, it takes no account of rent arrears or the cost of tenants transferring to the private rented sector.
Guardian
