“Bedroom tax” policy could constitute a human rights violation
The top United Nations expert on the right to housing has today reported that the “bedroom tax” is not in accordance with UK obligations under UN law.
Last week UN Special Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik met with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission as part of a two week fact-finding tour of the UK. Ms Rolnik was deeply concerned to hear from the Commission about the housing difficulties faced by people in Northern Ireland.
She has made an immediate recommendation that bedroom tax – a charge for bedrooms in social housing that housing authorities deemed to be ‘unused’ – be suspended.
Chief Commissioner Professor Michael O’Flaherty said: “Protecting human rights in a time of austerity is one of the core priorities of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Austerity measures such as the bedroom tax can impact deeply on the enjoyment of human rights’ including the right to an adequate standard of living.”
The Rapporteur was particularly worried about the impact that the new charge could have on disabled people. In addition’ the NIHRC helped to highlight that with spiralling repossessions’ deep pockets of poverty and over 90% of public housing segregated along religious lines’ Northern Ireland could be seriously impacted by the new charge.
Grainia Long’ NIHRC Commissioner and Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing’ said: “Public policy on housing requires a focus on housing as a basic human right. Realising those rights is fundamental to the enjoyment of other rights’ and most importantly’ is central to ensuring an adequate standard of living for all.”
Ms Rolnik’s final report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva early next year.
Her press statement can be read here.
ENDS
Further information:
For further information please contact Alice Neeson on: alice.neeson@nihrc.org’>alice.neeson@nihrc.org’ (028) 9024 3987 (office)’ 0771 7731873 (mobile).
Notes to editors
- 1.The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body first proposed in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement (1998) and established in 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act (1998). It is answerable to Parliament at Westminster.