Express & Star

Handouts to 1,400 since bedroom tax

More than 1,400 desperate families and council tenants have applied for emergency handouts to help them cope with the controversial 'bedroom tax', figures show.

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Councils in the Black Country, South Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Stafford and Wyre Forest have received more applications for help in the past month than they had in six months last year.

Figures revealed today show 1,267 applications for support with paying rent, called discretionary housing payments (DHPs) in April 2013.

The same councils had 2,102 requests for the whole of the 2012/13 financial year.

Tenants are seeking tens of thousands of pounds in aid to cover their rent following cuts to housing benefit for anyone who has one or more spare rooms.

Under the controversial new measure, dubbed the bedroom tax by critics, people in council or social rented housing with one spare room lose 14 per cent of their housing benefit. People with two or more spare rooms lose 25 per cent.

The Government wants people who are 'under-occupying' to trade down to smaller properties to reduce soaring waiting lists for council homes from families living in cramped accommodation.

But there is a shortage of smaller properties for people to go to. Pensioners with spare rooms are exempt from the charge.

The worst affected area is in Dudley where 529 applications for help.

The Government provides funds to councils to cover the costs of DHP, even though it has tried to save £480 million with the bedroom tax. It has increased the amount available as it expects to see claims increase.

Stafford Borough Council has already had more than 100 applications. Last year it got 97 for the whole year. It has £136,857 available.

South Staffordshire Council said it had also seen a rise in applications for the time of year and had received 39 by the end of April. In Sandwell there were 245 requests for help in April compared with 408 for the whole of last year.

Walsall Council has handled 231 requests so far this year compared with 522 last year. It has £590,745 to cover DHPs.

In Wolverhampton there have been 187 applications for £633,653. Last year 270 people applied and were paid a total of £254,057.

Cannock Chase Council has had 69 requests so far and has £114,550 to give out.

Lichfield District Council has handled 50 requests for a share of its £103,000.

In Wyre Forest 48 applications were made in April for an annual budget of £152,091.

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