SDLP: McCausland must listen to reason and learn from mistakes

SDLP MLA Joe Byrne has responded to news that the Welfare Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has instructed officials to “look again” at how the bedroom tax will affect disabled people.

Fri 25nd February

The West Tyrone MLA said:

“The fact that Iain Duncan Smith is asking his officials to look at the viability of bedroom tax again is deeply worrying. It further demonstrates the flawed logic of the Minister for Social Development, Nelson McCausland deciding to proceed to implement policies which are clearly failing.

“These proposals are already failing and will have a high impact on people living in the North where we have higher rates of disability, less suitable accommodation and segregated social housing. The policies being pursued by the Minister will have a much more severe impact on people and should be revisited.

“The SDLP are on record for calling for exemptions from the bedroom tax for those with disabilities, caring responsibilities as well as foster parents. To ignore the needs of those groups is unacceptable and will ultimately prove unworkable as it is doing across the water.”