MPs examine implications of the bedroom tax in Scotland
10 June 2013
The Scottish Affairs Committee is today publishing written evidence ahead of the first hearing tomorrow.
- Watch this session: Parliament TV
- Inquiry: The impact of the Bedroom Tax & other changes to housing benefit in Scotland
- Scottish Affairs Committee
As the national representative body for Scotland's housing associations and co-operatives, The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations will give evidence to the Committee on Tuesday afternoon, alongside The Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland, to examine how this tax will affect Scotland’s householders.
The written evidence from both these organisations is available to view below.
The Committee will also be exploring what the powers of the Scottish Government are to affect or mitigate the impact of the tax and other changes to housing benefit.
Witnesses
Tuesday 11 June
At 2.30pm in Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster
- Dr Mary Taylor, Chief Executive, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
- David Bookbinder, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland
Ian Davidson MP, Chair of the Committee, said:
“The introduction of the Bedroom Tax has caused a great deal of fear and anxiety amongst the vulnerable. The Scottish Affairs Committee wants to discover how realistic it is to expect tenants to move to smaller houses and to find out what public bodies can do to relieve the burden of the Bedroom Tax. We also want to explore what the consequences of non-payment might be for social landlords.”
David Bookbinder, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland said:
“The bedroom tax is a nightmare for both tenants and social landlords. CIH Scotland agrees on the need for reform of the welfare system but this is simply a cost-saving measure, not a genuine reform. We very much value the opportunity to explain to the Committee why the bedroom tax is so difficult to deal with and what practical steps landlords are taking to try to mitigate some of the worst impacts”.
Mary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said:
“We welcome the opportunity to share with the Committee our experience and the early impact of the reforms. It is vital for a Committee at Westminster to recognise the damage being done by the Coalition Government making these cuts.
“A key issue for housing associations is that tenants are being penalised for having one or two bedrooms more than the Department of Work and Pensions think they should have. This is a policy designed for London.”