National Housing Federation chief executive David Orr says:
‘This perverse tax is doing exactly what the Government promised it wouldn’t ‘“ hitting the most vulnerable people in our society. They are being penalised for a weak housing policy that for years has failed to build enough affordable homes and reduce the housing benefit bill.
The bedroom tax is ill-thought, unfair and will force thousands of people to cut back further on food and other expenses in order to stay in their own homes. It takes no account of disabled people’s adapted homes, of foster parents who need rooms to take children in, or of parents sharing custody who will lose the room for their child at weekends.
It is also incompetent as it will cost the nation money rather than saving it. The Government must repeal this ill-conceived policy, but at the very least right now it must exempt disabled and other vulnerable people from these cuts.’