Independent Wiltshire Councillor Terry Chivers is demanding to know the affects that the bedroom tax is having on Wiltshire Council tenants across the county.
The following questions have been put down to the next Wiltshire Council full council meeting which is being held in early November, to Councillor Keith Humphries:
Q1 Do you agree with the Bedroom Tax?
Q2 How many families have Wiltshire Council been able to help to move to smaller homes that have been affected by the Bedroom Tax.
Q3. How many smaller homes have become available since the introduction of the bedroom tax for families to transfer to?
Q4. How much has rent arrears increased since the introduction of the bedroom tax.
Q5. How many tenants are deemed to be under-occupying, and needing smaller accommodation?
Q6. What steps have Wiltshire Council been taking to help tenants that have been hit by this tax. And are we working with local housing associations?
Q7. How many people are already on the waiting list for smaller properties?
Cllr Chivers said, “More and more tenants are telling me that they are unable to pay the bedroom tax, and even more are telling me that they are happy to move, but are unable to do so as there are no smaller homes to move onto.
“I even have an elderly couple in a one bed flat that is upstairs; they are unable to make the stairs and would love to move, but are unable to do so as there are no ground floor flats or bungalows to move on to.
“As a council and landlord we have a duty to our tenants, and we must be doing all in our power to help them; the government doesn’t seem to care, so someone has to.
“Maybe this is something the council’s scrutiny committee should be looking at.”
