HUNDREDS of people affected by Chancellor George Osborne's charge on spare rooms have not contacted their landlords to discuss how it affects them – prompting fears they are not getting help they are eligible for.
The charge, dubbed the "bedroom tax" by opponents, means people in social housing will lose about £12 of their weekly housing benefit for having one spare room and £20 for two or more.
It is intended to encourage people to downsize, ensuring the best use is made of social housing and reducing the nation's housing benefit bill.
The charge was introduced on April 1 but social housing organisations say that, despite their best efforts, hundreds of tenants who are affected by the charge still have not been in touch with them to discuss it.
The news comes after Solihull pensioner Stephanie Bottrill walked into the path of a lorry on the M6, having left a note saying she was desperate after being forced from her home of 18 years by the "bedroom tax".
Derby Homes, the city council's social housing arm, said 350 of its 1,800 tenants that are affected by the charge had not been in touch despite receiving a phone call, a letter, and more than one home visit.
Customer services manager Mary Holmes said: "These people could just fall into rent arrears.
"They may be vulnerable, they may not understand what's happening but it's so hard to say because some people will bury their heads in the sand." Mrs Holmes added: "If they don't make contact they may not find out about benefits that will help them pay their rent."
She urged people to make contact, even if it was with other agencies, such as Citizens' Advice.
Mrs Holmes said Derby Homes wanted to help those affected but that legal action was the last resort if rent was not paid.
Erewash social housing organisation, Long Eaton-based Three Valleys Housing, said that 100 of its 600 tenants affected by the new charge had not contacted them.
A spokesman said: "Working with the borough council we have been in touch with around 500 of those affected, through direct contact from our housing officers, direct targeted mailings, and articles over several issues of our residents' magazine."
He added: "We don't know why they haven't been in touch. Maybe they have been in contact with Citizens' Advice but until we talk to them we don't know."
Meanwhile, the Treasury has, for a second day, failed to respond to claims of hypocrisy made by Derby City Council's Labour leader Paul Bayliss over the way it dealt with Mrs Bottrill's death.
Weeks after the Chancellor made his controversial comments about the Philpotts, it responded to her death by saying it "does not comment on individual cases".
Mr Bayliss previously said: "They talk about things that push their political agenda but not about things that don't."
