SUCCESSFUL applications to West Devon Borough Council for help with housing costs have risen by more than 150% since the introduction of the so-called 'bedroom tax'.

The tax, which came into force in April, effectively charges tenants for having unoccupied bedrooms. It means anyone receiving housing benefit will have their payment reduced by 14% if they have one spare bedroom and 25% if they have two.

Discretionary housing payments may be awarded to people who are already receiving housing benefit but who need some extra help to meet their rent costs. They are usually only awarded for a short time.

The borough council said that so far this year it had made 59 discretionary housing payments. Twenty-six of these were made in respect of the 'bedroom tax' with the remainder being standard applications. By this time last year, the council had a total of 22 successful applications to the fund.

A West Devon Borough Council spokesman said: 'This year, to date, we have allocated just over £25,000 in discretionary housing payments.

'In the last week, we have been notified by Central Government that West Devon will be getting further funding for discretionary housing payments, taking the total pot to just over £150,000. The money is from a national fund aimed at helping housing benefit claimants living in rural areas as they continue to adjust to the removal of the spare room subsidy.'

The borough's community services chairman, Cllr Robert Oxborough, said that despite the rise in applications there was no extra cost to the council as the payments came from a ring-fenced fund provided by Central Government.

He said: 'We expect the increased level of applications to taper off as those who need help are dealt with. Currently, we are absorbing the increased workload into both the housing and benefit teams.'

He added that residents applying for discretionary housing payments could be referred to an in-house debt advisor, if they wished. 'We are also able to help them register with Devon Home Choice for social housing, if appropriate.'

The Government said reform of housing benefit in the social sector was essential, so the taxpayer did not pay for people's extra bedrooms.

It provided £150-million to councils to make discretionary payments to those affected by its changes to welfare payments, and last week announced that it would bolster the fund for those affected by housing benefit changes by £35-million.

The High Court last week rejected an attempt to block the 'bedroom tax'. The challenge was brought by lawyers acting for ten disabled people. They argued that the disabled needed extra space, but the court ruled that the policy had not breached their human rights.

The National Housing Federation, the umbrella body that represents independent non-profit housing associations, said it was 'deeply disappointed' by the judgement.

It added: 'The Government said discretionary housing payments would protect these people, but this is only a temporary measure which is unlikely to provide long-term security for people, and the money available is not enough to go around.

'The judgement does not change the fact that the bedroom tax is a flawed and unfair policy that won't achieve what the Government hopes it will. The only fair solution is to scrap this policy now.'