Residents in the constituency of Birmingham Ladywood are to be amongst the hardest hit in the city as a result of the Government's bedroom tax, new figures reveal.
The Government has decided to cut housing benefit for those who it deems are under occupying their properties by one or more bedrooms. Those who have one more bedroom than they need will lose 14% of their housing benefit; those who have two more bedrooms will lose 25%.
Hardest hit in the city are residents of Nechells ward (910 people affected). In Aston 697 people are affected, Ladywood 685 and Soho 456.
Shabana Mahmood MP said, "Nationally, 70% of those affected by this tax are disabled. I am receiving desperate emails and phone calls from residents who simply do not know how they will find this extra money. To make matters worse tenants who want to move out to ensure they do not have to pay this unaffordable tax are finding it is simply not possible because there are not enough smaller properties to move into. At the moment 13,700 social tenants in Birmingham are fighting over 190 one bedroom flats it's a complete shambles."
Residents who are struggling to pay should visit the Birmingham City Council website discretionary payments page which can be found here. http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/dhp
At a time when unemployment in Birmingham Ladywood stands at five times the national level, many like Shabana were hoping to see a shift in focus from austerity to jobs and growth.
Shabana Mahmood MP is demanding answers on behalf of a local family in her constituency who are struggling to find out what happened to the organs of their 8 year old daughter Gurkiren Kaur who died tragically in India at the beginning of April.
Shabana recently launched a campaign to bring down the cost of car insurance which is a major concern for many in Birmingham Ladywood.