Petition Spare Room Subsidy (Bedroom Tax)

The spare room subsidy reducing housing benefit payments by 14% for each room over the allowed limit per household. Where disabled people need a spare room to store disability equipment, or for a carer to sleep (or in the case of a caring partner, for them to get proper rest) they have to apply to the local council for a discretionary housing payment. Councils have limited budgets and as a result, too many disabled people are having to find the extra money from already limited income. This policy affects the very most vulnerable people in our society. For this reason disabled people should be exempted from the subsidy at a central government level, rather than having to rely on discretionary payments from already cash poor local councils, or at the very least, government funding for these payments should be specific and ring fenced to ensure it is used for it's intended purpose, and not absorbed into general council budgets.