Bedroom Tax protest planned with day of action across Tower Hamlets

Protesters are launching a mass campaign across London’s deprived East End over the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ with the government’s Benefit changes being brought in.

They are holding a day of action on Saturday from 11am outside Bow Ideas Store in Roman Road and distributing leaflets to tenants on all Tower Hamlets housing estates.

It is followed by a public meeting on Tuesday evening in Bethnal Green at St Margaret’s House community centre in Old Ford Road at 6pm.

“The fight against the Bedroom Tax is showing that we can stand up to these unjust attacks and resist evictions,” said Tower Hamlets Benefit Justice campaign co-ordinator Eileen Short.

“That’s the message to anyone hit by benefit cuts—together we can beat this.

“The Bedroom Tax and benefit cuts are already biting deep.

“Hundreds of families are threatened with losing their homes.”

The government has brought in new rules which cap Housing benefit for every bedroom left unoccupied on housing estates.

Campaigners say this will hit those on low income and especially the disabled who need extra bedrooms for carers or relatives looking after them.

They are calling on Tower Hamlets and other social landlords in the East End to make a pledge not to evict families falling behind with rents because of benefit capping.

Costs of evictions would outweigh arrears, campaigners point out, and result anyway in evicted families having to be rehoused by law.