Steve Ruffle, development manager of Rotherham Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations, said the move was ‘ill thought out’ and would ‘punish’ local families.
“There is a shortage of social housing in this country. The truth is there are not the smaller properties available for people to move in to,” he said.
“The sector needs investment with new social housing built, not this ill thought out bedroom tax which will punish and push out families who have settled in their homes and who’s families are now growing up.”
Working age tenants could lose up to 25 per cent for having two or more extra bedrooms.
“There may be some slight relief with the allocation of discretionary housing payments for a few people but for many, it is harsh discriminatory tax will cause considerable difficulties , in particular vulnerable and disabled people.”
Rother Valley MP Kevin Barron has also slammed the tax, saying it will ‘hammer’ local families.
“The bedroom tax will hammer families in the Rother Valley already struggling to make ends meet, and could actually risk costing local tax-payers a fortune in higher private rents and covering the cost of driving people out of their homes,” he said.