Motion to Full Council on 3rd October 2013

From Cllr Michelle Fenner:

'Thanet District Council commits to protecting tenants from the Bedroom Tax in the following ways:

 
Proactively engaging with tenants and offering advice and assistance

Preventing tenants from losing their homes through sensitive debt management and rent arrears procedures 
Identifying the need for and processing Discretionary Housing Payments quickly

Adjusting allocations and letting policies to assist tenants who wish to downsize

Thanet District Council also commits to protesting to Government to repeal the Bedroom Tax by:

Working with tenant organisations who call for the repeal of the Bedroom Tax
Communicating the hidden costs and impracticalities of the Bedroom Tax
Demonstrating to government the unfairness of the Bedroom Tax
Working with the Government to provide alternative strategies to address housing shortages'. 

Cllr. Michelle Fenner added:

‘The bedroom tax is causing enormous problems for families who through no fault of their own find themselves in difficult situations. A recent study on the impact of the Government's welfare reforms shows that nearly 2/3 of affected households have less than £10 a week to live on after rent, food and bills.

A vast number of councils across the country have already voiced their opposition to the bedroom tax and are calling on the Government to repeal it.

I welcome all the efforts put in by the Labour administration at TDC to mitigate its impact and I support the general ground swell of opinion against it nationally."