Motion Re Bedroom Tax Supported at Full Council
At Full Council last week it was agreed that the Leader of the Council will write to the relevant Government Minister and local Cornwall M.P’s to express concern about the impact of the Spare Room Subsidy (or Bedroom Tax) on local families and the finances of Cornwall Council and local Housing Providers. The letter will ask that Government review the legislation so that some groups stop having their Housing Benefit reduced. The groups that the Government are being asked to exempt are
- those willing to move to a smaller home but no suitable homes are available
- disabled people who have had their home specially adapted to meet their needs and no similarly adapted smaller property is available
- people who need an extra room for medical reasons to store medical equipment or because a couple cannot sleep in one room.
This was a motion submitted and worked on by Cllr Sue James out of her concern that the bedroom tax, in its current form, places an unfair financial burden on people who cannot reasonably be expected to move.