Fife Council leader Alex Rowley has given a commitment that council tenants who end up in difficulty with rent as a result of the bedroom tax will be supported.
However, he has also accused the Scottish Government of “posturing and playing games” and has urged them to act in the best interest of the people of Fife and Scotland.
The UK Government intends to cut housing benefit to families deemed to have too much living space in the form of surplus bedrooms. It is estimated that more than 600,000 households across Britain are likely to be affected.
Mr Rowley said that more than 6,000 households in Fife will be affected by the Westminster proposals and, on average, will be paying £624 a year as a result of the tax.
“There are a number of ideas being suggested on options for the council to support people impacted by the bedroom tax and we are examining all of these.
“Specifically, as a council, we have written to 5,000 households that are council tenants and will be affected by the bedroom tax and have made direct contact with more than 1,000 people who will be hit the hardest.
“Our message is, if you are hit by this odious tax and are in difficulty then contact the council and our line would be to support people unable to pay the extra burden of the bedroom tax.”
He added that Fife’s share of the hardship fund being made available to councils from the Government to help those with greatest need is £400,000 and he believed the council can increase this to £1 million and is looking to do so.
“We have also set up a new £5.4m fund in our budget to deal with the impact on the council of welfare reform,” he said.
Mr Rowley also called on the Scottish Government to act now.
“We will, as a council, continue to look at all the options available but I am very disappointed at the response to date from the Scottish Government.
“Our Scottish Parliament has the power to help but the Scottish Government is not doing enough. Different and creative options have been suggested, the Scottish Government need to consider them and act.
“The Edinburgh government could use devolution to investigate every possible way of protecting tenants but it hasn’t. It needs to do more and stop posturing and playing politics while Fifers suffer.”
Meanwhile, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP Gordon Brown has hailed Fife Housing Association’s report on the controversial tax, which estimates that 20% of its tenants will be affected by the bedroom tax.
It goes on to express particular concern for those extremely vulnerable tenants, many with serious health problems, who are already struggling financially and have no immediate and affordable alternatives.
It points to the shortage of smaller properties, making it impossible for tenants willing to downsize to do so.
The need for smaller, one-bedroom accommodation was exposed in Fife Housing Partnership’s housing need and demand assessment in 2011, which indicated that 68% of the 561 new affordable housing requirements are for one- and two-bedroom homes.
Mr Brown said: “This is a devastating indictment from those who know of the problems that the bedroom tax is causing.
“I have said it should be abandoned and if not, further concessions should be made to people unable to pay and unable to move home. The needs of the disabled have not been fully taken into account.
“This has been an arbitrary, ill-thought-out imposition upon the people who can ill afford to lose housing benefit.”
Mr Brown put all of these concerns to Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith and has now written to him and worked with Fife Council to set up a hotline to give advice.
He added: “I urge people to apply for discretionary aid as a poor second best to abolishing the proposal altogether.”