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Effect of the bedroom tax on foster carers

EDM (Early Day Motion) 240: tabled on 02 March 2020

Tabled in the 2019-21 session.

This motion has been signed by 31 Members. It has not yet had any amendments submitted.

Motion text

That this House notes that 56,160 children were living with foster families in 2019; further notes that the under-occupancy penalty (the so-called bedroom tax) was introduced in April 2013 under the Welfare Reform Act 2012; condemns the bedroom tax policy; expresses concern about the bedroom tax’s effect on some of the most vulnerable people in our country; notes that foster children are not counted as part of the household for benefit purposes; notes that foster carers are allowed one additional room in their home as long as they have registered as a foster carer or fostered a child within the past 12 months, meaning that foster carers with more than one child will still face the bedroom tax; further expresses concern that data on how many foster carers are subject to the bedroom tax is not readily available to the Government; calls on the Government to collect and make publicly available data on the number of foster carers who are subject to the bedroom tax; further calls on the Government to do more to support our hard working foster parents; urges the Government to acknowledge and reflect on the cruelty at the heart of its bedroom tax policy; and calls on the Government to abolish the bedroom tax.

The first 6 Members who have signed to support the motion are the sponsors. The primary sponsor is generally the person who tabled the motion and has responsibility for it. The date shown is when the Member signed the motion.

In addition to the sponsors, the following Members have signed to support the motion.

Nichols, Charlotte
Labour
Signed on 5 March 2020
Warrington North
Daby, Janet
Labour
Signed on 5 March 2020
Lewisham East
Bardell, Hannah
Scottish National Party
Signed on 5 March 2020
Livingston
Cruddas, Jon
Labour
Signed on 5 March 2020
Dagenham and Rainham
Sobel, Alex
Labour
Signed on 8 March 2020
Leeds North West
Timms, Stephen
Labour
Signed on 8 March 2020
East Ham
Harman, Ms Harriet
Labour
Signed on 9 March 2020
Camberwell and Peckham
Anderson, Fleur
Labour
Signed on 9 March 2020
Putney
Davies-Jones, Alex
Labour
Signed on 9 March 2020
Pontypridd
Smith, Nick
Labour
Signed on 9 March 2020
Blaenau Gwent
Oppong-Asare, Abena
Labour
Signed on 9 March 2020
Erith and Thamesmead
Doughty, Stephen
Labour
Signed on 9 March 2020
Cardiff South and Penarth
Lewell-Buck, Mrs Emma
Labour
Signed on 10 March 2020
South Shields
Saville Roberts, Liz
Plaid Cymru
Signed on 10 March 2020
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Antoniazzi, Tonia
Labour
Signed on 10 March 2020
Gower
Ribeiro-Addy, Bell
Labour
Signed on 10 March 2020
Streatham
Olney, Sarah
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 10 March 2020
Richmond Park
Hill, Mike
Labour
Signed on 10 March 2020
Hartlepool
Morris, Grahame
Labour
Signed on 11 March 2020
Easington
Malhotra, Seema
Labour
Signed on 12 March 2020
Feltham and Heston
Stevens, Jo
Labour
Signed on 16 March 2020
Cardiff Central
Glindon, Mary
Labour
Signed on 16 March 2020
North Tyneside
Gwynne, Andrew
Labour
Signed on 21 April 2020
Denton and Reddish
Lake, Ben
Plaid Cymru
Signed on 24 June 2020
Ceredigion
Russell-Moyle, Lloyd
Labour
Signed on 15 September 2020
Brighton, Kemptown

There are no withdrawn signatures for this motion.