More than half of households hit by ‘bedroom tax’ unable to pay full rent...

The ‘bedroom tax’ has been heavily criticised (Picture: Getty)

More than half of households hit by the ‘bedroom tax’ have been unable to pay their full rent, a study has revealed.
Calls for the controversial levy to be scrapped have intensified as it emerged that 51 per cent of 63,578 council tenants have defaulted in the first three months of the scheme, while one in four have fallen into arrears for the first time.
David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said the government must rethink its £500million cost-cutting exercise to stop hard-up families falling into the financial mire.

Fears: David Orr

He added: ‘This is the most damning evidence yet to show that the bedroom tax is pushing thousands of families into a spiralling cycle of debt.
‘Housing associations are working flat-out to help their tenants cope with the changes but they can’t magic one-bedroom houses out of thin air. People are trapped. What more proof do politicians need that the bedroom tax is an unfair, ill-planned disaster that is hurting our poorest families? There is no other option but to repeal.’
Under the reforms, social tenants deemed to have more bedrooms than they need have had their housing benefit reduced.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: This government seems determined to stand up for a privileged few but stands idle while hundreds of thousands of our neighbours are pushed into debt.’