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Housing benefit legal challenge under way at High Court | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
A legal challenge against the government's decision to cut housing benefit for recipients living in properties deemed too large has begun. | |
The move - dubbed a "bedroom tax" by critics - is being challenged at the High Court by a group of disabled people and their families. | |
They say the changes discriminate against them because they need extra rooms to cope with their disability. | They say the changes discriminate against them because they need extra rooms to cope with their disability. |
Ministers say they are confident their changes are legal. | Ministers say they are confident their changes are legal. |
About 660,000 working-age social housing households judged to have too many bedrooms have lost an average of £14 per week since their benefit was cut at the beginning of April. | |
Human rights and equality | Human rights and equality |
Ten families, all disabled or the parents of disabled children, are challenging the changes during a three-day hearing. | |
Their lawyers will argue that the benefit cut is discriminatory and violates both the Human Rights Act and Equality Act. | Their lawyers will argue that the benefit cut is discriminatory and violates both the Human Rights Act and Equality Act. |
They say discretionary payments the government has made available to help those most affected by the benefit cuts are insufficient. | They say discretionary payments the government has made available to help those most affected by the benefit cuts are insufficient. |
"My clients can't simply increase their hours of work, because of their children's needs," said one of the families' solicitors, Rebekah Carrier. | |
"They can't take in lodgers because they don't have a spare room." | |
The judicial review is going ahead after the government lost an attempt to have the action thrown out last month. | The judicial review is going ahead after the government lost an attempt to have the action thrown out last month. |
Described as a "bedroom tax" by its critics, there has been fierce political argument about the new housing benefit rules, which supporters say ends what they call a "spare room subsidy". | |
The government says it wants to bring social housing tenants into line with provisions in the private sector. | |
Intended to reduce a £21bn annual housing benefit bill, the measure is also aimed at encouraging greater mobility in the social rented sector. | Intended to reduce a £21bn annual housing benefit bill, the measure is also aimed at encouraging greater mobility in the social rented sector. |