Durkan backs Bedroom Tax protections but insists "cruel Tory welfare cuts should never have been introduced by Sinn Féin, the DUP and Alliance Party"

SDLP Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has welcomed the long-overdue extension of protections against the Bedroom Tax.

The Foyle MLA submitted a number of amendments to the Welfare Supplementary Payments (Amendment) Bill aimed at extending the welfare mitigations package.

The bill was passed by MLAs on Tuesday.

Mr Durkan insisted that while it was welcome welfare mitigations had been extended and loopholes closed, the cruel Tory welfare cuts should never have been introduced by Sinn Féin, the DUP and Alliance Party in the first place.

He said: “The Bedroom Tax has affected families right across the North after Sinn Féin, the DUP and the Alliance Party voted to introduce harsh Tory welfare policies on people here.

“We warned at the time that people in the North would bear the brunt of this decision and so it has come to pass.

“Despite misinformation and outright lies the Bedroom Tax was introduced in the North and my amendment, which wasn't accepted, was aimed at abolishing it once and for all.

“While the extension to welfare mitigations is welcome, they should never have been needed in the first place and repeated short extensions before this move left people fearful that it would come back to haunt them once again.

“Loopholes that left people footing the bill for the Bedroom Tax after moving home have also been closed and the benefit cap has been scrapped.

“I’m disappointed that payments to those forced to pay this apparently non-existent tax have not been backdated given the huge cost to those affected.

“The delay in getting this done has resulted in a £3m underspend that should’ve gone into hard-pressed people’s pockets.

“It’s welcome that we will no longer see a situation where vulnerable people in our communities can be used as pawns in a political game by Sinn Féin and the DUP as we saw last year.

“People were left waiting until the last minute for these parties to strike a deal that suited themselves, rather than people in the North.

“This matter has been put to bed for now but regrettably we can’t undo the damage it has already caused for countless people here or rule out a future minister here or, more likely elsewhere, removing these protections.

“These mitigations demonstrate the importance of having our Assembly up and running to protect people from the worst impacts of Tory austerity.

“Punitive Tory welfare measures have pushed families and communities right to the brink and many of them are now dealing with the effects of the worsening cost of living crisis.

“I hope lessons have been learnt from this painful experience about leaving local people at the mercy of Tory welfare policies.”