The Wasting Mule reports largely using the Party's press release (so you can also read it here) that
Hundreds of homeless families and individuals in Wales – including pregnant women – are being put up in bed and breakfast accommodation and Plaid Cymru has warned the plight will worsen after bedroom tax is introduced.
An investigation by the office of Plaid leader Leanne Wood using the Freedom of Information Act has discovered the widespread use of B&Bs, with only the Cardiff and Ceredigion local authorities not using them.
In June 2011 Ms Wood raised the issue of the use of temporary accommodation directly with the then Housing Minister Huw Lewis, highlighting the unsuitability and cost of using temporary accommodation. The Minister promised to stop the use of temporary accommodation.
Figures obtained from local authorities show that in, for example, Bridgend – whose AM is First Minister Carwyn Jones – 125 households were placed in B&Bs between April 1 and December 31 last year.
Many homeless people are not being housed in their home areas – some, for instance, from Merthyr Tydfil have been housed in Newport while border counties like Flintshire, Wrexham and Monmouthshire have used B&Bs in Chester and Gloucestershire respectively.
Plaid Cymru has also discovered that the B&B accommodation for a family can cost up to £420 a week, with daily rates of up to £90 for a double room.
Ms Wood said: “More than 1,000 cases of families and individuals being housed in B&B accommodation in Wales between April and December 31, 2012, is an unacceptably high number. Housing children and pregnant women especially in B&Bs is unsuitable and it is a practice which should be stopped
Western Mail March 25th 2013
When you look at this and the potential that the Introduction of the Bedroom Tax will probably cost more though it will be largely fall on the Assembly and Local Government makes you wonder why the government introduced this.
Because the Con/LibDem intention is to place the blame on the economic woes on the poor.
Constantly they have tried to give the impression that those dependent on the welfare state are getting something for nothing.
it is also part of a long term policy to present Social Housing as a temporary measure and that people should live in private accommodation.
They are saying . This is not your Home your stay here is only temporally don't get used to it..
Already I have heard stories that family's are leaving Social Housing and moving to the private sector and worse conditions because the changes mean that they can no longer live in the place they have called home for years.
Most observers rightly point out the distress on the elderly and disabled who may have to move from their Home to other accommodation.
But single people are also affected
Even someone living in a small two bedroom house/flat may have to seek single accommodation.
But is there plenty single accommodation in the Public or Private sector?
Obviously not.
And will the rent and therefore Housing Benefit be more for private single accommodation then their current two bed accommodation ?
Probably.
What about those who circumstance change?
Take a single mother who is forced to live in single accommodation and the finds that a they need to offer a room to a offspring.
Would they have to move a gain
And then again if the offspring moves on.
There are loads of scenarios which you can see occurring which makes a potential bureaucratic minefield.
People live in homes some may live in homes too big for them and should be persuaded to move.
But it is heartless to force someone to move from a Home they have lived in for years and who may have improved it to move if their circumstances change
But when did the Tories have a heart? And they seem to have removed the LibDems as well
2 comments:
What no one has taken into account is that moving is expensive - we all own things - furniture, books etc, even on the cheep moving costs hundreds. Where are the unemployed and low paid to find the cost of moving?
Thanks Cibwr . I should have brought this up myself Even if you were to move yourself you would stil have to hire a large van for a day at least . How much would that cos?. A Weeks benefit at least for some.
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