Pic: nottingham.indymedia.org/system/photo/2...
Author: Nottingham Indymedia
Tags: housing benefits cuts local_communities
On Saturday, 2-300 people gathered at Speakers Corner in Nottingham to demonstrate against the coalition government’s bedroom tax. The government policy will see social tenants with a spare room having £40-£80 per month taken off their housing benefit. According to the protesters, “in Nottingham alone 4746 families will be affected by the Bedroom Tax” which “penalises the disabled, single parents, families of those recently deceased, foster parents and the parents of children in the army or at university”.
Newswire: Bedroom Tax Nottingham Demo | Leaflet against the Bedroom Tax in Market Square | Bedroom tax protests
According to research by the Nottingham Post, 5,506 households need to downsize or be hit by the cuts despite only only 21 one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom properties being available. This is mirrored in neighbouring Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe where only 10 two-bedroom and 12 one-bedroom properties are available. Those who cannot move will lose 14% of their benefit.
On their leaflet, the protesters say that “the whole policy should be scrapped as social renters make five times better use of their space than owner-occupiers, and it is unfair to tax bedrooms when 700,000+ houses lie empty.”
The Nottingham protest was part of a national day of action featuring protests in 55 different towns and cities across the UK.
