Demonstrations have been held across the UK by protesters opposing the new ‘bedroom-tax’ that is being introduced as one of the changes to the countries benefits system.
Glasgow saw one of the largest marches with about 2,500 people protesting. Meanwhile approximately 1,000 people demonstrated outside Downing Street, and a similar number marched past the Scottish parliament.
Secretary for the Department of Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, supports the benefit changes saying that the current system had to be reformed because it was “unfair”. During a visit to Edinburgh last week, Mr Duncan Smith defended the reforms saying they were necessary because, without the changes, the benefits system is; “unfair on taxpayers, it is unfair on those in over-crowded accommodation and it is unfair that one group of housing benefit tenants cannot have spare bedrooms and another group are subsidised.”
The so called ‘bedroom-tax’ will cut housing benefit payments for households that are deemed to have more rooms than they require.
Those campaigning against the UK government policy have claimed that it is effectively a tax on these households and are concerned that it is unfair on many vulnerable people, including disabled people who will not be exempt from the welfare change rules.
