Foyte MLA Mark H Durkan
In response to an Assembly question submitted by Mr Durkan, the Communities Minister confirmed there are currently 227 families hit by the Bedroom Tax policy who do not qualify for mitigation payments.
Said the Foyle MLA: “The disastrous roll-out of Welfare Reform has hit our communities hard, further exacerbated by the onslaught of the Covid crisis.
“Yet despite assurances from certain quarters that the Bedroom Tax would never set foot on our doorsteps, the number of households impacted by this unfair policy has risen from 175 in April 2019 to 227 as of December 2020.
“To put that into perspective, that is 227 vulnerable families forced to pay a tax for additional bedrooms, many caught in a catch-22 whereby they are locked into a system where they are unable to downsize due to lack of alternative housing stock.
“In the midst of global pandemic when many families are facing increasing financial hardship it is not just unacceptable but entirely unforgivable that action to rectify this has not been taken sooner.
“The Bedroom Tax is an issue which I have repeatedly raised with Communities Minster Hargey and acting Minster Ní Chuilín.
“Yet despite their commitment to the extend mitigations, I fear the clock has been run down on those promises.
“Further harm must not be inflicted on already struggling households by a Draconian policy which should never have come to pass.
“Immediate action must be taken by returning Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, to repair and mitigate existing damage. The department cannot afford to renege on promises now.”
