The Scottish Commission on Human Rights' Professor Alan Miller told Holyrood's welfare reform committee that he had no doubt the bedroom tax breached article eight of the European Charter on Human Rights, which prohibits unnecessary "interference" with a person's home, and arguably article three, which prohibits "inhuman or degrading treatment.
The head of Scotland's human rights watchdog appeared lost for words today as he recounted the bedroom tax's impact before MSPs.
The Scottish Commission on Human Rights' Professor Alan Miller told Holyrood's welfare reform committee that he was shocked even to discuss the scheme, calling it a matter of "human dignity."
Since April, those in council homes or renting from housing associations have lost up to 24 per cent of their housing benefit where their home has been deemed "under-occupied."
More than 660,000 households are expected to fall into arrears, losing an average £728 a year - the equivalent of six weeks' worth of payments.
Yet councils and housing associations have warned they simply have nowhere for tenants to go to, with barely 100,000 one-bedroom properties available across all of Britain.
Already several people committing suicides have left notes saying they sought to avoid homelessness and destitution under the policy.
Prof Miller said he was in no doubt the bedroom tax breached article eight of the European Charter on Human Rights, which prohibits unnecessary "interference" with a person's home, and arguably article three, which prohibits "inhuman or degrading treatment.
"That is, there should be evidence given as to what other measures were considered and why they were rejected," he said.
But successive governments had refused to "constitutionalise" the charter in order to make compliance a requirement for any new legislation.
Instead the coalition had introduced the bedroom tax's legislation wiwth merely a single sentence saying any assessment was unnecessary.
"A box was ticked to say 'no impact on human rights'," he said, after a pause.
Professor Miller added that the Con-Dem approach to welfare went "against human dignity and the reality of life in the UK.
"The bedroom tax is one of the most compelling human rights issues in Scotland.
"It's not something we should be sitting round the table talking about in this day and age," he said.
The committee's deputy convener Jamie Hepburn MSP said the professor's comments showed the need for a Scottish constitution in the event of independence.
"Despite 90 per cent of Scottish MPs voting against this tax, it has still been imposed - and these welfare changes are stigmatising people and hitting our most vulnerable the hardest."
"As he said - we shouldn't be in this place," Mr Hepburn said.
Source; Morning Star
The head of Scotland's human rights watchdog appeared lost for words today as he recounted the bedroom tax's impact before MSPs.
The Scottish Commission on Human Rights' Professor Alan Miller told Holyrood's welfare reform committee that he was shocked even to discuss the scheme, calling it a matter of "human dignity."
Since April, those in council homes or renting from housing associations have lost up to 24 per cent of their housing benefit where their home has been deemed "under-occupied."
More than 660,000 households are expected to fall into arrears, losing an average £728 a year - the equivalent of six weeks' worth of payments.
Yet councils and housing associations have warned they simply have nowhere for tenants to go to, with barely 100,000 one-bedroom properties available across all of Britain.
Already several people committing suicides have left notes saying they sought to avoid homelessness and destitution under the policy.
Prof Miller said he was in no doubt the bedroom tax breached article eight of the European Charter on Human Rights, which prohibits unnecessary "interference" with a person's home, and arguably article three, which prohibits "inhuman or degrading treatment.
"That is, there should be evidence given as to what other measures were considered and why they were rejected," he said.
But successive governments had refused to "constitutionalise" the charter in order to make compliance a requirement for any new legislation.
Instead the coalition had introduced the bedroom tax's legislation wiwth merely a single sentence saying any assessment was unnecessary.
"A box was ticked to say 'no impact on human rights'," he said, after a pause.
Professor Miller added that the Con-Dem approach to welfare went "against human dignity and the reality of life in the UK.
"The bedroom tax is one of the most compelling human rights issues in Scotland.
"It's not something we should be sitting round the table talking about in this day and age," he said.
The committee's deputy convener Jamie Hepburn MSP said the professor's comments showed the need for a Scottish constitution in the event of independence.
"Despite 90 per cent of Scottish MPs voting against this tax, it has still been imposed - and these welfare changes are stigmatising people and hitting our most vulnerable the hardest."
"As he said - we shouldn't be in this place," Mr Hepburn said.
Source; Morning Star
