case study

George Roper found himself in the line of the fire for the "spare room supplement" or bedroom tax, ironically after he and his father decided to downsize.

After 34 years in what had been the family home, they moved from the three-bedroom house to a smaller housing association property in Glasgow's Finnieston area on November 16 last year.

However, his father, Patrick, was terminally ill and spent only two nights in their new home.

Mr Roper said: "He had been suffering from small-cell cancer for two years but had never wanted to know how long he had got left.

"I think the stress of the move may not have helped."

After becoming unwell, he was taken to the city's Western Infirmary, then subsequently to Gartnavel, and admitted to a hospice two weeks before Christmas, The 78-year-old died on Christmas Day.

One result of the bereavement was that Mr Roper was now once again under-occupying his home, which was being paid for by housing benefit.

He had been paid off from his job in asbestos removal in November and now relies on £71 a week in Jobseeker's Allowance as he tries to find other work.

In March, he was told he would be affected by the bedroom tax, which would cut £10 from his housing benefit, meaning he would have to find the difference to make up his rent from the Jobseeker's Allowance payment.

"I was going to have to cut down on something else, robbing Peter to pay Paul," he says.

"Apart from utilities and food, he wasnot sure what he could cut back on. He said: "After I've paid gas and electric there is not a lot left."

However, after visiting his local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), he discovered a clause in the Housing Benefit changes which makes allowances for people when under-occupancy is caused by a bereavement.

He has now had confirmation his payments will be protected for 52 weeks, although he can still expect to be penalised after that.

He said: "None of the agencies I was dealing with knew about that and if it wasn't for the CAB I'd have been in real trouble. I'm pretty relieved.

"It is going to save me £40 a month – I could be putting that somewhere else in the house."

Nevertheless, he is unimpressed by the welfare changes and agrees they will be taking money away which people like him would otherwise spend locally.

He said: "This will hit areas where people are already struggling to cope now.

"All of this puts me in mind of the poll tax. I hope the politicians have a wee change of heart, although I'm not holding my breath.

"I'd love to see some of them trying to survive on the money, seeing if they could manage on £71 a week. I don't think they could."