Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kris Hopkins and Catherine McKinnell

Monday 20th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab)]

T10. A disabled constituent of mine lives with her husband in a two-bedroom property. The second bedroom is used as a lockable safe room because her husband’s mental health condition leads him to become violent. She manages thanks to the discretionary housing payment, which is by definition discretionary and temporary. Why is she not exempt from the hideous bedroom tax, given her circumstances?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Kris Hopkins)]

The hon. Lady is right that councils have the discretion to remove those demands from people in those particular medical circumstances. If she would like to write to me about the circumstances of that case, I will take it up with my colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions.