Volunteer’s anger over ‘unfair’ bedroom tax

Welfare support worker and full time carer Andi Horbury, of Ansell Way, Warwick, has spoken out against the ‘bedroom tax’ for which tenants living in houses in which there are unoccupied bedrooms are facing reductions to their housing benefits.

The average loss will be around £670 a year and Mr Horbury, who founded the Direct Link Service in 1996, has grave concerns and fears for those who could be worst affected by what he has called the ‘bedroom robbery tax’.

Mr Horbury said: “People will lose their homes, people will spiral into debt, addictions will take hold including gambling, drinking and drugs, there will be more crime and sadly my most prominent concern is suicides.

“Many single people will be affected, more so than couples and families, people won’t down size, the councils do not have the housing stock for people to do so, people won’t exchange from local council properties to social housing land lords and why would they with a possible £50 a week rise in their rent.

“I re-label it the bedroom robbery tax - It’s not a fair tax, it’s a London-based theory that it will free up housing which doesn’t reflect reality here in the Midlands and further north.

Mr Horbury said that despite working tirelessly to support his community by providing a free service to those most in need he too could become a ‘victim’ of the reform.

He said he could lose £80 a month which will stretch his finances.

He added: “The homeless are my main concern but I fear I will become one of the.

“As a single person late on in years I will be faced with possible eviction If I don’t comply with this ludicrous arrangement.

“This needs to be stopped before 960 people facing this problem in Warwick district are forced out of their homes or end up in extreme difficulties.

“It’s an unworkable practice, it’s ill thought through and it will come back to bite those in power.”

Warwick district councillors discussed the reforms at a meeting last month with a majority of members voting in favour of a substantiative motion put forward by Cllr Norman Vincett (Con, Kenilworth St John’s) for the authority to continue to support vulnerable tenants through policies of home swap, financial inclusion and discretionary grants and a for a progress report to go before the council in three months before any lobby action takes place. Anyone who has concerns about the reforms can call 412828.