March 17, 2014 10.34 am This story is over 119 months old

Lincoln house swap scheme created for council tenants

House swap: Tenants in Lincoln affected by the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ can sign up for a mutual house exchange in an effort to find a smaller home.

Lincoln tenants affected by the bedroom tax can sign up for a mutual house exchange in an effort to find a smaller home.

Introduced in April 2013, the bedroom tax meant those claiming housing benefit would see their benefit reduced if they had one or more spare bedrooms.

The City of Lincoln Council’s housing department is matching up residents who have been affected by changes and would like to find a more suitable property.

Where a match is identified, people living in homes with two or more bedrooms will be put in touch with residents who wish to move to a larger property.

Housing officers have currently identified 63 tenants who wish to be considered for a mutual exchange.

Councillor Peter West, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “The welfare reforms introduced last year have had a significant impact on some of the poorest people in the city.

“One of our main priorities is to reduce poverty and disadvantage and the mutual exchange scheme is one way we can help people affected by the Government’s ‘bedroom tax’ to find a more affordable home.

“We would encourage anyone interested in moving to a larger or smaller property to let us know so we can mitigate the reduction in benefit brought about by the ‘bedroom tax’ as much as possible.

“We would also remind anyone claiming housing benefit who is struggling to pay their rent that Discretionary Housing Payments are available.”

For more information, or to express an interest, in a mutual exchange email [email protected], call the city council on 01522 873355 or pop in to City Hall.