Agenda item

Bedroom Tax

It was moved by Councillor Jillian Creasy, seconded by Councillor Robert Murphy, that this Council:-

(a)       believes that the Government’s “Bedroom Tax” is unjust and misguided and congratulates those who organised and attended simultaneous demonstrations across the country on Saturday 16th March 2013;

(b)       regrets that the Government is persisting with the policy, causing distress to thousands of families struggling to cope with cuts to social support and a difficult economic environment;

(c)        is pleased that the Government has dropped its appeal against the court ruling granting some relief to very disabled children being forced to share a bedroom;

(d)       supports the Government’s decision to change rules so that foster children, students and those in the armed forces, are now no longer considered to be under-occupying, although notes these ill-planned reversals are causing further confusion and cost;

(e)       calls on Government to fully fund cases where people are no longer considered to be under occupying due to policy changes, rather than top-slicing Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) funds;

(f)        notes that many so-called "spare bedrooms" in fact house medical equipment, or are used as a bedroom by spouses unable, due to illness, to sleep in the same room, or as a carer's room where a household member requires overnight care;

(g)       further notes that many separated parents with visiting rights need a spare room for the visits of their child(ren);

(h)       notes that Government funding for DHPs will fund around 1 in 16 households where under-occupancy applies, falling far short of supporting those in need;

(i)         notes that councillors are receiving a steady flow of casework around the legislation;

(j)         will therefore gather detailed case studies of those affected and submit these as evidence to Government on the effects of the under-occupancy measures and a case for more Government support for DHPs;

(k)        believes that costs arising from making decisions on discretionary payments will be substantial;

(l)         therefore, requests the Administration to do everything it can to inform and help residents affected by the bedroom tax and avoid eviction, for example through:

(i)         encouraging tenants to claim the benefits they are entitled to, for example Disability Living Allowance; and

(ii)        giving maximum practical support and choice to those tenants who do wish to move;

(m)      also requests the Administration to look into:

(i)         whether it would be possible to reclassify bedrooms so as to avoid the tax; and

(ii)        whether it would be feasible to ask Housing Associations and Sheffield Homes not to take eviction proceedings where arrears are solely due to unaffordability caused by the bedroom tax;

(n)       calls on the Government to abandon the Tax, and to address the housing shortage through bringing up to habitable, energy-efficient standard the approximately one million empty homes in the UK, and through an energy-efficient-house building programme, thereby providing three advantages, namely addressing the housing shortage, boosting the economy through increased employment, and providing the carbon reductions to which the Government is committed; and

(o)       directs that a copy of this motion is sent to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Whereupon it was moved by Councillor Harry Harpham, seconded by Councillor Mazher Iqbal, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:-

(a)       notes that the ‘bedroom tax’ is due to take effect from April this year;

(b)       condemns this policy which will affect anyone of working age (below 61 ½) on housing benefit deemed to be ‘under-occupying’ a social housing home, which equates to around 7500 homes across Sheffield;

(c)        deplores the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam for allowing the Government to implement this deeply unfair policy;

(d)       notes that the following are not exempt from the bedroom tax:

(i)         those couples who need an extra bedroom because of one of them having a medical condition or disability;

(ii)        non-resident parents who have their children to stay at weekends in the holidays;

(iii)       families who offer regular respite support to other family members; and

(iv)       people living in homes which have  been substantially adapted at tax-payers’ expense;

(e)       is committed to supporting all residents both children and adults, including those with disabilities and medical needs;

(f)        regrets that the Discretionary Payments Fund that the Government has made available is completely inadequate and is estimated to cover only a fraction of people affected by the bedroom tax and notes that this Fund is also expected to cover other welfare changes;

(g)       notes that the Government’s own Equality Impact Assessment estimates that two-thirds of households affected will have a member with a disability;

(h)       further notes that many independent analysts are predicting that households will move into the private rented sector, costing more, and that care needs for many disabled people will increase, again costing more;

(i)         further notes that there is not an excess supply of small properties available for households to move into in Sheffield;

(j)         further notes the bedroom tax will unfairly hit many people, including families with disabled children or adults, families who share the care of their children and families who offer respite care to other family members;

(k)        further notes that this policy may well end up costing the public purse more;

(l)         believes that disabled people – both adults and children – deserve respect and not to be penalised for their medical needs;

(m)      values the role of non-resident parents and believes they should be encouraged to play as full a part in the lives of their children as possible;

(n)       further values and appreciates the role of families who offer respite care – and not only because it saves the taxpayer billions of pounds;

(o)       notes that Housing Associations will have difficulty in keeping arrears down, damaging services for all tenants; and

(p)       therefore resolves to: 

(i)         ask the Leader to write to the Secretary of State outlining the Council’s concerns and urgently requesting that the bedroom tax is scrapped; and

(ii)        ask the Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods to write to Sheffield MPs outlining the concerns and asking that they lobby for their affected constituents and push for the bedroom tax to be scrapped.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

The votes on the amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

For the amendment (54)

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The Lord Mayor (Councillor John Campbell) and Councillors Julie Dore, John Robson, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Clive Skelton, Ian Saunders, Chris Rosling Josephs, Helen Mirfin Boukouris, Bryan Lodge, Denise Fox, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Talib Hussian, Mohammad Maroof, Geoff Smith, Mary Lea, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Joyce Wright, Garry Weatherall, Sheila Constance, Chris Weldon, Alan Law, Steve Jones, Tim Rippon, Cate McDonald, George Lindars Hammond, Janet Bragg, Pat Midgley, Terry Fox, Tony Downing, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, Lynn Rooney, Martin Lawton, Peter Price, Peter Rippon, Tony Damms, Leigh Bramall, Gill Furniss, Richard Crowther, Neale Gibson, Nikki Sharpe, Ben Curran, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Jackie Satur, Mick Rooney and Ray Satur.

Against the amendment (21)

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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Vickie Priestley) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Robert Murphy, Jillian Creasy, Rob Frost, Sylvia Anginotti, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Keith Hill, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Anders Hanson, Katie Condliffe, David Baker, and Alison Brelsford.

Abstained on the amendment (0)

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Whereupon it was moved by Councillor Penny Baker, seconded by Councillor Andrew Sangar be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:-

(a)       notes that the ‘bedroom tax’ is due to take effect from April this year;

(b)       reiterates the opposition of the Main Opposition Group on this Council to the bedroom tax;

(c)        welcomes concessions that have already been made to the bedroom tax, notably the exemption made for members of the armed forces and foster families;

(d)       supports also the Government’s decision to treble the Discretionary Housing Payment budget and provide councils with discretionary funding to help families in difficult circumstances;

(e)       believes these concessions come as a result of Liberal Democrat influence in Government and thanks Liberal Democrat Ministers for working to improve the policy;

(f)        furthermore, highlights that disabled tenants who require an additional bedroom for a non-resident carer who provides overnight care were already protected from the change;

(g)       encourages the Government to go further by agreeing additional exemptions and increasing the Discretionary Payments funding;

(h)       believes the root cause of this problem is the previous Government’s failure to address the nation’s housing crisis, with the building of social housing declining to the lowest figure since the Second World War under the previous Government;

(i)         notes with concern that under the previous Government seven times more prison cells were built than council homes;

(j)         further notes with dismay that under the previous Government’s Housing Market Renewal Scheme, 4,590 houses in South Yorkshire were demolished, while just 2,415 were built, at a cost of £265 million;

(k)        furthermore, understands that the present Administration have so far spent just 11% of the New Homes Bonus, a fund specifically targeted at encouraging more home building; and

(l)         recommends that Sheffield follows the example of Bristol City Council by setting up a cross-party working group, to agree ways to support local residents affected by the bedroom tax.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       notes that the ‘bedroom tax’ is due to take effect from April this year;

(b)       condemns this policy which will affect anyone of working age (below 61 ½) on housing benefit deemed to be ‘under-occupying’ a social housing home, which equates to around 7500 homes across Sheffield;

(c)        deplores the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam for allowing the Government to implement this deeply unfair policy;

(d)       notes that the following are not exempt from the bedroom tax:

(i)         those couples who need an extra bedroom because of one of them having a medical condition or disability;

(ii)        non-resident parents who have their children to stay at weekends in the holidays;

(iii)       families who offer regular respite support to other family members; and

(iv)       people living in homes which have  been substantially adapted at tax-payers’ expense;

(e)       is committed to supporting all residents both children and adults, including those with disabilities and medical needs;

(f)        regrets that the Discretionary Payments Fund that the Government has made available is completely inadequate and is estimated to cover only a fraction of people affected by the bedroom tax and notes that this Fund is also expected to cover other welfare changes;

(g)       notes that the Government’s own Equality Impact Assessment estimates that two-thirds of households affected will have a member with a disability;

(h)       further notes that many independent analysts are predicting that households will move into the private rented sector, costing more, and that care needs for many disabled people will increase, again costing more;

(i)         further notes that there is not an excess supply of small properties available for households to move into in Sheffield;

(j)         further notes the bedroom tax will unfairly hit many people, including families with disabled children or adults, families who share the care of their children and families who offer respite care to other family members;

(k)        further notes that this policy may well end up costing the public purse more;

(l)         believes that disabled people – both adults and children – deserve respect and not to be penalised for their medical needs;

(m)      values the role of non-resident parents and believes they should be encouraged to play as full a part in the lives of their children as possible;

(n)       further values and appreciates the role of families who offer respite care – and not only because it saves the taxpayer billions of pounds;

(o)       notes that Housing Associations will have difficulty in keeping arrears down, damaging services for all tenants; and

(p)       therefore resolves to: 

(i)         ask the Leader to write to the Secretary of State outlining the Council’s concerns and urgently requesting that the bedroom tax is scrapped; and

(ii)        ask the Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods to write to Sheffield MPs outlining the concerns and asking that they lobby for their affected constituents and push for the bedroom tax to be scrapped.

The votes on the Substantive Motion were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

For the motion (75)

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The Lord Mayor (Councillor John Campbell) and the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Vickie Priestley) and Councillors Julie Dore, John Robson, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Simon Clement-Jones, Clive Skelton, Ian Saunders, Chris Rosling Josephs, Helen Mirfin Boukouris, Bryan Lodge, Denise Fox, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Shaffaq Mohammed, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Talib Hussian, Robert Murphy, Jillian Creasy, Mohammad Maroof, Rob Frost, Geoff Smith, Sylvia Anginotti, Mary Lea, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Keith Hill, Joyce Wright, Garry Weatherall, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sheila Constance, Chris Weldon, Alan Law, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Steve Jones, Tim Rippon, Cate McDonald, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, George Lindars Hammond, Janet Bragg, Pat Midgley, Terry Fox, Tony Downing, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, Anders Hanson, Lynn Rooney, Martin Lawton, Peter Price, Peter Rippon, Tony Damms, Leigh Bramall, Gill Furniss, Katie Condliffe, David Baker, Richard Crowther, Alison Brelsford, Neale Gibson, Nikki Sharpe, Ben Curran, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Jackie Satur, Mick Rooney and Ray Satur.

Against the motion (0)

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Nil

Abstained on the motion (0)

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Nil

(Note: The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Vickie Priestley) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Sylvia Anginotti, Colin Ross, Joe Otten, Keith Hill, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Anders Hanson, Katie Condliffe, David Baker, and Alison Brelsford voted for paragraphs (a), (b), (d), (e) and (h) to (p); against paragraphs (c) and (f) and abstained on paragraph (g) of the Sustantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)