Unison: Members must collect bedroom tax arrears
Unison is advising its members to co-operate in collecting rent arrears resulting from the bedroom tax or risk putting their jobs at risk.
The union on 4 June issued a circular to its local government branches across Britain.
The circular said some union members working in arrears recovery are likely to have difficulties because of the bedroom tax and said branches of the union should request revised targets from employers.
However it said: ‘It is…vital to ensure that Unison members are advised, that if they are employed to administer part of the arrears recovery process, that they should follow the instructions of their employer and that they should be advised that they are placing their continued employment at risk if they choose not to fulfil their contract of employment.
‘This applies whether that is the sending of reminder letters, issuing possession proceedings, applying to the magistrate’s court for a possession order, attending court, instructing bailiffs or attending with bailiffs in order to secure possession.’
The circular makes it clear Unison is opposed to the bedroom tax and is campaigning for it to be repealed.
Under the bedroom tax, social housing tenants of working age deemed to have spare rooms have their benefit reduced by an average of £14 a week.
