‘‘We've had to make sacrifices, some weeks we really struggle ... we have to live on a minimal amount of food.’’
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This is everyday life for dozens of Illawarra public housing tenants hit with the state government’s ‘‘bedroom tax’’.
A Dapto mother, who wished to remain anonymous, phoned the Mercury to talk about her experience with the vacant bedroom charge.
She has been living in a multi-bedroom public housing residence for nearly 20 years, making the property her own with floating floors, vertical blinds and regular lawn maintenance.
‘‘I’m not in a position where I can’t buy medication, but food is definitely something I’ve cut back on.''
She was approached by the government in March and asked if she would consider moving into a smaller house.
She declined, noting the stress of a move on her ill son and the need for space for her other children.
‘‘I care for my mentally disabled son and I knew that any kind of move would be really difficult on him,’’ she said.
‘‘My other reason for wanting to stay was my daughter - she moved out awhile ago but she’s been sick.
‘‘If it gets to a point where she is unable to care for herself, I want her to be able to move in again with me.’’
Two weeks later, the woman said she was asked to pay an extra $60 a fortnight for the unused bedrooms.
She told the Mercury the extra cost had hit her hard, forcing her to count every penny.
‘‘I’m not in a position where I can’t buy medication, it’s a must, but food is definitely something I’ve cut back on,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve had to struggle on a minimal amount of food.
‘‘There’s no extra money coming and I still have other bills to pay - some weeks are really difficult.’’
The woman said she had considered moving but didn’t want to leave her home.
‘‘The department made it really clear that they weren’t forcing me to move but I feel like I’m sort of trapped,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s hard because I feel like I have no option but to move or stay in financial hardship.’’
Under the new rules, tenants who choose to stay in a house with vacant bedrooms must pay for the extra space.
Singles are charged an extra $20 rent per week while couples are expected to pay $30 more.
A department spokesman said the policy aimed to ensure the size of properties were appropriate for the number of people in the household.