Cindy Matthews, Councillor for Lydiard & Freshbrook, and Labour's Shadow Lead Member on Children's Services is appalled at the effect that the new Conservative led coalition Government’s Bedroom Tax will have on residents in Swindon.
Cindy Matthews, Councillor for Lydiard & Freshbrook, and Labour's Shadow Lead Member on Children's Services is appalled at the effect that the new Conservative led coalition Government’s Bedroom Tax will have on residents in Swindon.
This tax only affects people in council housing or Housing Association properties and Cindy was really shocked to find that the new law states that foster children are not considered part of the family for under-occupancy purposes, and that their bedrooms are therefore considered under-occupied. Since foster children have to have their own bedrooms – or the carers would not be accepted as foster carers – this is clearly absurd and a big disincentive for foster carers. This is happening at a time when the authority is trying desperately to recruit more foster carers from all sectors of the community.
Swindon Borough Council officers are currently looking at how they can use the Discretionary Housing Payments Policy to help mitigate the affect the Bedroom Tax will have on certain groups, including foster carers. However, even if this happens the foster carers would be required to apply separately to be compensated and Cindy doesn't see why they have to. There are additional issues such as what would happen between placements but as Cindy says "For me the main issue is that foster children are not being seen as an integral part of the family they live with, and this is completely wrong and not what we are trying to achieve at all."