Bedroom tax

Dear Readers

A year ago the government brought in the bedroom tax, the benefit cut that forces poor people to move or pay more rent if they have a spare room – even if there aren’t available homes to move to. [1]

The bedroom tax is a nasty attack on the most vulnerable people in society. And for some, it’s meant struggling to pay the rent or even being forced out of their home. [2]

 But now we have a chance to scrap some of the worst parts of it, and quickly.

Andrew George is a Liberal Democrat MP who’s campaigned and voted against the bedroom tax in the past. He’s proposing a law which would limit who’s affected by the bedroom tax. [3] If we can get enough MPs to vote for it, he estimates that most people would no longer be affected.

So how do we make it happen? The first vote is on 5th September. We need to make sure MPs have the date in their diaries now, so that enough of them promise to turn up and vote for it.

Can you email your MP now and tell them to vote for Andrew George’s new law?

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/change-bedroom-tax

If it’s passed, people living with disabilities, or living in areas where there aren’t smaller council properties to move to, won’t have to pay the bedroom tax. The new law isn’t perfect – it wouldn’t fully scrap the bedroom tax. But it’s a big step in the right direction. Right now, it’s the best chance we have to reduce the number of lives hit by these unfair cuts.

If enough of us email our MPs and let them know we want them to vote for the law, we could help make sure MPs vote the right way. 38 Degrees members have come together before to change bad laws – this April our pressure on MPs helped stop the hospital closure clause. [4] When we all contact our MPs at once, they take notice.

Let’s do our best to get the worst of the bedroom tax scrapped – by making sure enough MPs turn up and vote. 5th September is a Friday, and MPs often book other meetings in on Fridays. So it’s important we get this vote goes in their diaries now. Please can you email your MP today?

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/change-bedroom-tax

Thanks for being involved,

Rebecca, Rachel, Blanche, David and the 38 Degrees team

P.S. Here’s what Andrew George MP says about this vote in his own words:

“I’d like to see the bedroom tax scrapped altogether, and I expect many 38 Degrees members would agree with me. But at this stage it would be hard to get enough MPs to vote for that. So my strategy is to focus on trying to help out as many of those who are suffering from the bedroom tax as I can by passing legislation to scrap the worst aspects of it. It’s the most realistic way of making a difference right now. So please help me persuade other MPs to get behind these changes.”

NOTES:

[1] Shelter: The Bedroom Tax:

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/changes_to_housing_benefit/bedroom_tax

[2] The Guardian: Bedroom tax affected more than 522,000 people, first figures show:

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/13/bedroom-tax-figures-august

Worcester News: Worcester mum says bedroom tax move has left her £900 out of pocket:

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/10853447.___Bedroom_tax____has_cost_me_Christmas__says_disabled_mum/?ref=var_0

The Bolton News: Widow forced to leave her home due to ‘bedroom tax’:

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/10426702.Widow_forced_to_leave_her_home_due_to__bedroom_tax_/

The Herald: Bedroom tax: abolish it, says UN inspector after visits to Glasgow, Edinburgh:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/bedroom-tax-abolish-it-says-un-inspector-after-visits-to-glasgow-edinburgh.1378882434

[3] Andrew George’s website: Private Members’ Bill decision – George goes with ‘Affordable Homes Bill’:

Private Members’ Bill decision – George goes with ‘Affordable Homes Bill’

[4] 38 Degrees blog: Hospital closure clause: we did it!

http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2014/05/07/hospital-closure-clause-we-did-it/