Has anyone heard about the impending Bedroom Tax for people in receipt of Housing Benefit and living in Social Housing? It is not widely known yet but if you have more bedrooms than the new Welfare Reform Bill says you need, your Housing Benefit will be reduced by 14% for the first bedroom and further reduced for each bedroom after this. If you do not have the child benefit paid to you but share access, residence and custody of your children, this will affect you. Only the parent receiving the child benefit is entitled to full housing benefit. When faced with a shortfall in rent options are: Pay the difference in rent yourself Take in a lodger Move home to a smaller property. THIS ONLY AFFECTS PEOPLE IN SOCIAL HOUSING NOT PRIVATE TENANTS By reducing the Housing benefit of people who already have little or no income, it is forcing them into a situation where they cannot pay their rent and once they fall into arrears, eviction mechanisms automatically kick in. Surely this is discrimination against poor people and separated parents. Forcing them to move home seems to be a form of ethnic cleansing. Clearly it is an attempt to free up much needed family homes but it obviously has not been thought through properly. There are not enough 1 or 2 bedroom homes for people to move into because Housing Associations were previously encouraged to build 3 and 4 bedroom homes to allow families to grow. People living in social housing have often spent money on their home. They have commitments which have often carried connection fees and minimum term contracts etc. Moving home is an expensive (and traumatic) experience - who will cover all of these costs? For parents with shared access who are forced into smaller properties, where are their kids going to sleep? Legal Aid has been dismantled so there is little in the way of legal advice in order to challenge the decision to reduce Housing Benefit. Nevertheless a legal challenge needs to be prepared. This is going to affect a lot of people but there does not appear to be much said about it. Thoughts anyone?