CONCERN is rising that foster carers could be unfairly hit by the controversial "bedroom tax".
Eleven children's charities have now urged the Government to exempt foster carers from the tax which will effectively penalise people with spare rooms.
When the new tax comes into force next month, anyone living in social housing that is deemed too big for their needs is set to lose 14 per cent of their benefits if they have one spare room and 25 per cent if they have more than one.
Foster groups are concerned the change in benefit distribution to foster carers in social housing could lead to some of them giving up their roles.
Robert Tapsfield, chief executive of charity Fostering Network, said: "We do not know how many foster carers will be affected by these changes come April, but we do know that these changes are causing some foster carers considerable anxiety and to wonder if they will be able to continue to foster."
When questioned by the Mirror, Reigate MP Crispin Blunt said the "bedroom tax" did not exist.
"There is no such thing as a bedroom tax," he said. "The Government's proposal is to reduce housing benefit paid to people in already subsidised social housing where they have spare bedrooms."
He added: "This is an excellent policy which will lead to more efficient use of taxpayer subsidised housing.
"For example, a cut in housing subsidy for a spare room of about £125 [per month] could be made up by letting the spare room where the local rental market would suggest a rate at least three times this.
"This would help address current housing shortage and produce extra income for the social housing tenant.
"The Government recognises the special position of foster carers, which is why it has allocated £30 million of discretionary housing payments so that local authorities can respond on a case-by-case basis to the needs of foster carers. I believe that that is a more flexible approach than a blanket exemption."
On Tuesday, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said the tax would be amended to allow foster carers an additional room if they had become carers, but failed to reveal if he would exempt foster carers with more than one spare room.
East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah said: "The Government has made clear that foster carers will be allowed an additional room. This applies to those who have fostered a child or become an approved foster carer in the last 12 months."
