Nearly 500 council tenants in Hull have fallen into arrears since the so-called 'bedroom tax' was introduced. A total of 2,420 tenants out of 3,935 are in arrears, representing 61 per cent, with 494 falling behind since April 1.
In the East Riding 261 council tenants have fallen into arrears since the Government introduced the spare room subsidy, with a total of 50 per cent now behind with their rent.
The figures have been published by the TUC-backed False Economy campaign using freedom of information requests. Nationwide, the subsidy has tipped nearly one in three council tenants into rent arrears and campaigners have renewed calls for the benefit cut to be scrapped.
Since the reform was introduced in April, 50,000 households in 114 local council areas can no longer afford to pay for their accommodation - 31 per cent of those affected, the False Economy group claim. A separate study, by the National Housing Federation (NHF), showed a quarter of those in housing association properties affected by the policy had been pushed into rent arrears since the change.
Under the welfare reform, social tenants deemed to have more bedrooms than they need have had their housing benefit reduced. Ministers say private sector renters do not get spare rooms for free, and argue the change will save around £500 million annually. It has sparked protests across the country with opponents claiming it is forcing families into poverty and will increase the benefits bill by pushing people into the private sector.
False Economy's campaign manager Clifford Singer said: "Together with the raft of other benefits cuts the Government has forced through both this year and previously, the bedroom tax is driving tenants and families who were just making ends meet into arrears, and pushing those who were already struggling with the cost of living into a full-blown crisis. The worst part is that these figures have been collated while councils' emergency Discretionary Housing Payments are still available; they are being used up at record speed and when they run out, these figures will only get worse."
Barrow, where three quarters of tenants have fallen into arrears since April, was the worst-affected area, according to today's report. Other places where the proportion was at least half were Clackmannanshire (67 per cent), Tamworth (52 per cent), South Kesteven in Lincolnshire (51 per cent) and Rotherham (50 per cent).
