Report spells end for blanket no-evictions policy on ‘bedroom tax’

Bristol City Council’s blanket no-evictions policy for tenants affected by the under-occupation charge is financially unsustainable and should be ended, a cross-party working group has recommended.

The Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, set up the group in March this year. He said that the council would not evict any tenants for rent arrears accrued as a result of a genuine inability to pay the shortfall caused by the charge (dubbed by critics as a “bedroom tax”).

The working group’s report will be considered by at a full council meeting this week. In the report, the group recommends that Bristol:

• help tenants looking to exchange and downsize by relaxing the rules for tenants moving who have arrears and providing a range of practical and financial support;
• step up efforts to help those affected manage their money, such as working with credit unions and other ethical financial service providers;
• look to how the council can put more resources in place to help those affected, as well as ensuring better joined-up working by the council;
• treat those affected by the benefit change on a case-by-case basis; and
• explore whether one possible option for those affected might be to take in a lodger, “although this clearly will not be suitable in every case”.

The working group also called on Ferguson to lobby the Government for changes to the under occupation charge to hand councils more flexibility.

Cllr Gus Hoyt, Assistant Mayor with responsibility for Environment, Neighbourhoods and Council Housing, insisted that eviction would always be the last resort for anyone who found themselves in financial difficulties.

He said: “The impact of the benefit cuts on some of the most vulnerable people in the city, who are least able to afford it, is of real concern. Over the last four months or so, the group has heard from a wide variety of expert witnesses as it has considered how best the council can help those affected.

“The conclusion of the group is that maintaining the blanket no eviction policy is unsustainable financially and potentially unlawful. In addition, the group also concluded that it would be difficult to distinguish fairly between a genuine inability to pay and a decision not to pay.”

Cllr Hoyt added: “It was also felt to be unfair to other tenants who were not affected by the change but who also struggled to afford their rent and other bills. But eviction is and will remain a last resort with our tenants as we clearly want to be the best landlord we can.”