United Kingdom

Fife rulings could have national implications for future of ‘bedroom tax’

Published in Thursday September 12th, 2013

In a statement that could have nationwide implications, Simon Collins has ruled dimensions do matter when it comes to defining a bedroom. The ruling could open the floodgates for appeals by thousands of tenants affected by the new legislation.

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Brothers’ win blows a hole in bedroom tax benefit cuts

Published in Thursday September 12th, 2013

In a ruling that could open the floodgates for thousands to challenge the under-occupancy legislation, a tribunal found that David Nelson’s spare room was too small to be a bedroom.

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Tenant wins appeal against the bedroom tax

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013

Annie Harrower-Gray had her appeal against Fife Council’s decision to cut her benefit upheld by a first-tier tribunal in Scotland following a hearing on 26 August.

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UN expert fights back after bias allegation

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013 In In the media

Inside Housing: Raquel Rolnik has come under fire from Conservative chair Grant Shapps, after she recommended suspending and reviewing the bedroom tax following a two-week fact-finding mission in the UK. Her preliminary report – which also recommends regulating the private sector and significantly increasing the social housing stock – was branded an ‘absolute disgrace’ by the former housing minister.

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UN official Raquel Rolnik defends ‘bedroom tax’ stance

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013

A UN official has defended her criticism of the UK’s spare room subsidy and has apologised for referring to it as the “bedroom tax”. Click here to watch the video.

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UK’s bedroom tax and housing crisis threaten human rights, says UN expert

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013 In In the media

The Guardian: In the warehouse, where volunteers were sorting crates of potatoes and pots of lemon and coconut yoghurt for distribution to the city’s poor, Rolnik listened as Robertson explained how the introduction of the bedroom tax was already causing substantial hardship to her and to her neighbours.

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UN scrutinising impact of UK housing benefit changes

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013 In In the media

BBC: A senior United Nations official is examining the impact of changes to UK housing benefit on the human rights of low-income households. Raquel Rolnik is meeting tenants across Britain affected by the shake-up. Since April, social tenants in England, Scotland and Wales who are deemed to have surplus bedrooms have seen their housing benefit reduced. Ministers say it tackles an unfair “spare room subsidy” but opponents have dubbed it a “bedroom tax”.

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London Roma hit back at harrassment

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013 In Social movement news

Westminster City’s notorious attempts to ethnically-cleanse Roma from billionaire Park Lane may have begun to unravel last night when homeless London Roma spoke out at a meeting with a UN special rapporteur and gave evidence to a European Roma Rights Centre team.

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Bedroom tax investigated by UN housing official

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013 In In the media

The Guardian: A senior UN official is in the UK to scrutinise the impact of the bedroom tax on the human rights of people in low-income households. The special rapporteur on housing, Raquel Rolnik, is on a two-week tour of cities where she will meet tenants affected by the policy as well as officials, campaigners and academics.

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Media statement by the Special Rapporteur on her mission to the UK

Published in Wednesday September 11th, 2013 In Collection

Read the press statement made by Special Rapporteur at the end of her mission to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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