One woman’s life, Britain, 2020:
a rape survivor is having her housing benefit cut by £16 per week because she has a spare bedroom in her council house, which also happens to be a ‘safe house’.
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a rape survivor is having her housing benefit cut by £16 per week because she has a spare bedroom in her council house, which also happens to be a ‘safe house’.
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The house had been especially adapted for her & her 11 year old son’s safety. It included a panic space, smash-proof glass & a fireproof letter box.
They had been moved there especially to keep them safe from her ex. Her ex had hit her, harassed her, stalked her and raped her.
For seven years the mum has been fighting the government over this. Seven years. Then, last October, the European Court of Human Rights said the government’s ‘under-occupancy penalty’ discriminates against victims of domestic abuse.
The court also awarded the woman 10,000 euros, according to her lawyer, because of the distress caused to her by the government policy.
The government appealed against this ruling and last week was told that appeal had been rejected.
The government appealed against this ruling and last week was told that appeal had been rejected.
Today the woman, her son, her legal team and 44 MPs from across the House are calling on the government to make exemptions for domestic abuse survivors from the ‘bedroom tax’
The woman told us: “All I’ve wanted is a safe home for me & my child. The constant worry about whether we would be made to leave our home...has been truly awful. It’s made me anxious...and has reminded me of the terrible violence I experienced and had thought I was safe from’
The government says it will consider the court judgement carefully. It says it has no plans to scrap the under-occupancy charge.
