Emma Reynolds, Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East and Shadow Housing Minister, is today supporting calls by the Labour Party to scrap the bedroom tax. Labour MPs will today force a vote in the House of Commons calling on the government to end the policy.Emma said, “The bedroom tax is a cruel and unfair measure that hits over 400,000 disabled people and is an attack on social housing itself. For the vast majority of those affected, there is nowhere smaller to move to, hitting vulnerable people through no fault of their own. Thousands of tenants are falling behind on their rent for the very first time and their rising arrears are also reducing the ability of housing associations and councils to build homes. It’s not fair to tenants, it’s not fair to housing associations and councils and it’s not fair on the five million people on social housing waiting lists.”

“There is a chronic shortage of homes in our country, and we are building fewer than half the number we need to keep up with demand. Not only is the bedroom tax cruel and unfair, but it is exacerbating the housing crisis. The government are in denial not only about the effect of the bedroom tax, but about the scale of the housing crisis.

“Labour is determined to tackle this crisis; we have committed to scrapping the bedroom tax and increasing house building to over 200,000 by 2020.”

November 2013