Struggling tenants owe Angus Council more than £73,000 because of the so-called ‘bedroom tax’.
Since its implementation in April, at least 719 residents have fallen foul of the UK Government’s reform of what it calls the spare room subsidy, Freedom of Information figures reveal.
Council tenants have been hit particularly hard by the controversial policy which has slashed housing benefits by up to 25% for those considered to be under-occupying their homes.
As of this summer, 475 council house tenants in Angus are reported to have been hit by the welfare changes.
Of those tenants, 165 are said to have fallen into arrears directly because of the policy, amounting to £73,000.
Yet, because the council employs a strict no-eviction policy for those who have been hit by the ‘bedroom tax’, officials say they have made every effort to ensure families are adequately supported despite the changes.
Over the coming year, the policy is predicted to reduce the housing income of residents by £391,000. Now, Angus has access to around £500,000 worth of funds to combat that figure.
“We don’t know what will happen next year with changes to rules and allocation,” council leader Iain Gaul said.
“But this year, we will definitely be able to mitigate the effects of the ‘bedroom tax’ in full.”
The new relief scheme allows the council to make payments to individuals who require further financial assistance by topping up their housing benefit.