Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group — the Kwug Blog

Bedroom tax loophole for people with long tenancies

A Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group activist writes:

Hi

There's been some information circling around the internet about a loophole the government didn't spot in their bedroom tax legislation.

It seems that anyone who has BOTH been in the same property since 1996 AND been in continuous receipt of housing benefit during that time, should not have been paying bedroom tax.

The tories simply missed out amending the previous regulations.

You can read an explanation of this here: http://speye.wordpress.com/2014/01/

Here is a template of a letter for people to send to their local authority-
Dear Sirs,
I ask you to reconsider my bedroom tax decision in your HB decision notice dated DD/MM/YYYY in accordance with HB regulations and with regard to statutory instrument 217 of 2006 in terms of my protected “eligible rent” the Consequential Provisions Regulations 2006 holds as I maintain I have been in continuous receipt of Housing Benefit since at least the 1 January 1996 and have have lived at my current address in all that time.
Yours etc

The DWP has admitted the existence of this loophole and TODAY has sent a circular HB U1/2014 out to local authorities which you can read here:
http://speye.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/official-dwp-announce-pre-1996-position-is-true-and-thousands-have-had-bedroom-tax-imposed-in-error/

The ConDems are said to be working on rushing through an emergency piece of legislation to close the loophole which they will try to make retroactive, but at the moment there is a window of opportunity. for long term tenants to send off the letter and gain exemption from the bedroom tax.