Britain: Premise Behind Bedroom Tax ‘Fundamentally Flawed’, Say Cambridge Study

by Admin Staff

The premise behind the introduction of Bedroom Tax in Britain is 'fundamentally flawed' and the    calculation method used for its implementation is adversely affecting people's quality of life, according to new findings by researchers from University of Cambridge.

The study found that more than half of homes in England fall short of modern space standards because they are the smallest by floor area in the whole of Europe.

In addition, the cambridge study said households receiving housing benefit were more likely undersized, with 'spare' bedrooms require for other uses, and so withdrawing benefits from them is misguided.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, led by Malcolm Morgan, a PhD student in the Department of Engineering found, after comparing the target homes to the London Housing Design Guide internal space standard, that 55% of about 16,000 England homes analysed, fall short based on floor space alone, while 21% fall short when number of current occupants is taken into account.

“Spare bedrooms are a misconception in many homes, as the lack of space means that any extra bedrooms are needed for other uses," said Mr. Morgan, adding "In most of the UK, you simply have to under-occupy houses in order to have an acceptable amount of living space".

The study found that people who live in spare houses do so, not out of selfishness, but so they could create more living space for themselves. 

“When the bedroom tax was introduced, there was a lot of implication that those living in houses with spare bedrooms were doing so out of selfishness,” said Morgan. “But what this research shows is that in most of the UK, you simply have to under-occupy houses in order to have an acceptable amount of living space.”

“We hope that this new method of measuring space can be used to inform future housing policy,” he said.

To read the full Cambridge Study, visit >>> [BEDROOM TAX 'FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED'].

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