SIR,

The unfairness of the 'bedroom tax' is now plain to see.

There is not enough accommodation for people to downsize into, so the tax ends up simply forcing people into arrears with their rent and facing the prospect of eviction.

The problem with evicting people is that it costs thousands of pounds to a social landlord to carry out an eviction and the local authority will then have a duty to re-house them.

Plaid Cymru is pressing for a 'no evictions' policy across Wales, so that nobody will be made homeless as a direct result of the bedroom tax.

This would save the Welsh taxpayer money whilst protecting vulnerable families from homelessness.

Despite the growing evidence that this policy is causing misery and injustice, it looks as if the UK coalition Government is determined to continue it. So scrapping the bedroom tax itself will take years and can only be done after more elections.

So what we need is for the Welsh Government to take action now in order to avoid a crisis by Christmas when heating costs may push the poorest amongst us into even greater hardship.

Plaid Cymru's message is that minimising the impact of the bedroom tax now is just as important as getting rid of it in the future.

We need to protect families from the grief and despair that the bedroom tax has caused.

Jocelyn Davies AM

(Plaid Cymru

spokesperson on housing)