A man has claimed the ‘bedroom tax’ is preventing him from downsizing, by taking away money he could have saved towards moving house.

Steve Grey is carer to his wife who suffers with chronic pain syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension; his 24-year-old son who is fighting cancer; and his 15-year-old daughter.

His four-bedroomed home in Kellaton has technically had a spare room since May this year, when his other son moved out to be closer to work in Kingsbridge, meaning the council is charging £17 a week in ‘bedroom tax’.

The ‘bedroom tax’ is a reduction in housing benefit, intended to encourage people to downsize. Steve says he wants to, but the loss of that money means he is unable to.

“I am paid as a full-time carer for my wife, just £62 a week, and we are on disability benefits,” explained Steve. “There is no potential for me to go out and earn more because I am looking after my three family members.

“Due to the bedroom tax, the Government have made us £17 a week worse off, that’s £884 a year.”

Steve says that extra money could have been saved to pay for the deposit and first month’s rent required to move house. ?“It cost is £3,000 the last time we moved, and we would expect it to cost us around £1,500 this time, despite the fact that as Housing Association tenants, we can swap houses and avoid rental agent fees, but there’s still the deposit and first month’s rent to pay.

“That money could have been saved to pay for moving house and thus achieving the Government’s objective of getting us to downsize. Instead, all they have achieved is making my family even poorer through no fault of our own, and taking a chance for us away of saving at least £17 a week to pay for moving.

“Surely it doesn’t take a blind man to see this is all wrong. We want to downsize but are being penalised by the Government for being a disabled family with a spare room, who want to save to downsize, but with £884 a year charge for having a spare box room, exactly who are the Government trying to help?”?The room in question is certainly small, with just enough space for a single bed and a chest of drawers. An added problem is attached to that room is a wet room, a daily necessity for Steve’s wife, meaning it couldn’t be used as a stand-alone room for a lodger.

Steve has even offered to use the room for his brother to live in, meaning it would no longer be empty, only to be told that his brother could only stay on a “temporary basis”.

Steve said: “It’s okay for MPs to own their own houses and have spare bedrooms without paying bedroom tax, why can’t they see the very system they designed to help larger families get larger homes is being crippled by charging disabled families that want to downsize by a very stupid, greedy bedroom tax that defeats it’s own objective?”

Two-thirds of those hit by the ‘bedroom tax’ are disabled, according to a Department for Work and Pension’s impact assessment, and Owen Jones, writing for the Independent in 2012, said: “Research for housing associations shows 42 per cent of those affected already struggle financially. The rise in homelessness that will result won’t just be devastating for those involved, it will cost: last year, the number of homeless families living in B&Bs soared by nearly half.”

County and District Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, 2017 parliamentary candidate for the Green Party, said: "I fully support this resident’s complaint and criticisms of the bedroom tax.

"The bedroom tax is a cruel tax that mostly penalises vulnerable people, ie those on low incomes and often those with other challenges such as families caring for those with disabilities or simply those who cannot find alternative accommodation to downsize to.

"It costs additional money and a creates a lot of pressure and stress to families to move home as outlined above. Your correspondent makes a clear picture of just how much disruption would be caused and all the associated stress when a family is already struggling and is then penalised because they haven’t conformed to the latest tax wheeze imposed by this excessively cruel government policy.

"The tax itself making it even more impossible for families to comply with the downsizing. Your correspondent also makes a clear case for the injustice and that lack of even handedness with different people in our society when as he so clearly states how MPs can claim £thousands for second homes and all sorts of extras associated with their housing needs which they may not need anywhere nearly as much as a low-income family.

"Our democracy is a mockery when this unfairness in the system is imposed by a minority government. Every MP who voted for the bedroom tax ought to be ashamed."

Gerrie Messer, the 2017 parliamentary candidate for Labour, said: “It is a fact that there are too many large family homes and a distinct shortage of smaller properties for people who wish to downsize.

“Developers are building houses with a view to make the most profit they can, not to meet housing needs. Planning authorities need to put an end to ‘viability studies’ and insist that all new housing meets the needs of the community in which the proposed development sits.

“Housing associations need to be building new houses and, as landlords, commit to providing the necessary housing to enable everyone to have a home of their own.

“Councils should acquire land to prevent unnecessary development and to encourage responsible housing options. The housing crisis would never have reached this point if it weren’t for ‘Right to Buy’ schemes.

“Councils across the UK should be held accountable for selling off housing stock and NOT replacing it as they agreed to at the time.

“Everyone has the right to a home - but it has to be affordable and secure.”

A Citizens Advice representative said: “However I can let you know that we have seen 22 similar/related enquiries since April this year. This compares to only six enquires the previous year. Of this group, more than 50 per cent are of working age with an income of less than £800 pcm. Almost half have a long-term health condition or disability. 50 per cent are single parents with dependent children.

Dr Sarah Wollaston - Conservative, and Cllr Julian Brazil - Liberal Democrat, were also contacted but did not respond at the time of going to press.