HMB helps tenant win compensation, obtain repairs and avoid bedroom tax

John Van-de-Peer, a tenant of Islington Council, has won an appeal against a decision to reduce his housing benefit by 14% on the basis that he had a spare bedroom. In fact, the bedroom was so badly affected by mould and damp that it could not be used. The First Tier Tribunal accepted that, given the state of the room, it was not reasonable to expect it to be used as a bedroom and the “bedroom tax” should not have been imposed.

Mr Van-de-Peer was helped by surveyor’s evidence obtained by HMB, who were assisting him at the time to avoid eviction from his home and to bring a disrepair claim against Islington Council. Mr Van-de-Peer said: “I was seconds away from losing my home when I met a solicitor from Hopkin Murray Beskine at Court. As a result of them taking my case, Islington have now paid substantial compensation to me and have agreed to carry out long-overdue repairs to my home. I am no longer at risk of eviction. I am very grateful to my solicitor and very pleased with the outcome, which I could not have achieved without them.”