Fife Council SNP Group are holding firm on their stance against the bedroom tax.
Opposition councillors will stand by the motion put forward to the Fife Council meeting to commit the local authority to never evict tenants for rent arrears related to the controversial tax.
A motion that agreed not to evict for bedroom tax arrears in some circumstances was passed by the council’s executive committee last month.
However, SNP members want the council to go further and support all the tenants who are being hit by this new housing benefit cut.
The SNP motion condemns the Westminster Government tax, calls on Fife Council to advise and support its tenants, to record any new rent arrears related to the this tax separately from other debts and never evict any of its tenants purely on the grounds of bedroom tax rent arrears.
They are also demanding that Fife Council goes further than it has already by ensuring that bedroom tax arrears will not be used as an impediment to any future allocations, exchanges or housing transfers for council tenants.
Its housing spokesman, Brian Goodall, said: “I understand the Labour administration want to see this SNP motion pulled from the agenda for Thursday’s meeting.
“We intend to do all we can to stop that from happening.
“Our motion closes important loopholes in Labour’s policy and if agreed, it would give Fife Council a clear ‘No Bedroom Tax Evictions Policy’ and provide clarity for tenants on the impact of any rent arrears built up as a result of the imposition of this disgraceful cut by the Westminster Government.
“We should be working together across the council to provide the strongest possible policy to support our tenants, but Labour’s attempts to block our motion show that they don’t want an unequivocal no bedroom tax evictions policy and that they care more about who’s motion is agreed, than they do about what that motion can deliver in the way of reassurance and support to tenants.”