“The invidious “bedroom tax” is causing  a lot of financial problems locally for those who can least afford them The statement below goes a long way to helping those who are Foster carers or in the armed forces and that Discretionary Housing Payments remain for those whose homes have had significant adaptation for disability and/or medical conditions that make sharing a bedroom unrealistic. But why continue to pillory those who are willing to move, but for whom no alternative housing is available?  

This is another example of ministers and civil servants having no idea of what is going on in ordinary peoples’ lives” says County Cllr Bill Winlow

Written Ministerial Statement      Tuesday 12 March 2013

THE DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS   Housing Benefit reform

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith

MP): I am pleased to announce that we intend to lay amending regulations to clarify the size criteria rules for two specific groups of Housing Benefit recipient, Foster Carers and Armed Forces personnel.

People who are approved foster carers will be allowed an additional room, whether or not a child has been placed with them or they are between placements, so long as they have fostered a child, or become an approved foster carer in the last 12 months.

Adult children who are in the Armed Forces but who continue to live with parents will be treated as continuing to live at home, even when deployed on operations. This means that the size criteria rules will not be applied to the room normally occupied by the member of the Armed Forces if they intend to return home.

In addition Housing Benefit recipients will not be subject to a non-dependent deduction, i.e. the amount  that those who are working are expected to contribute to the household expenses, until an adult child return home.

The intent of the policy was that by using Discretionary Housing Payments, the estimated 5,000 foster carers and rather fewer Armed Forces personnel groups would be protected. We have agreed with local authority organisations improved arrangements through these regulations that puts these protections beyond doubt.

The changes will apply to tenants in both the social and private rented sectors. I am also issuing guidance to local authorities emphasising that Discretionary Housing Payments remain available for other priority groups including the needs of people whose homes have had significant disability adaptations and those with long-term medical conditions that create difficulties in sharing a bedroom.

Going forward I will continue to closely monitor and adjust the implementation of the policy, including an independent evaluation by Ipsos MORI, the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research and the Institute For Fiscal Studies to ensure that the needs of these groups are effectively addressed in the longer term. This ensures this policy focuses on the key aim of bringing housing benefit expenditure under control. Under the previous Government, housing benefit almost doubled in 10 years to £20billion, with house holds living in homes that are too big for them, whilst there are 2 million households in England on waiting lists, and 250,000 families living in over-crowded accommodation.