A COUPLE was left horrified after being told they face paying over ￡1,600 in bedroom tax after their sons moved out of their council home.

       Parents Philip Elliott and Elizabeth Aslett, both 56, say they don't have the cash to pay the whopping sum and were left in tears by the news.

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       Elizabeth Aslett and Philip Elliott have been told they should pay over ￡1,600 in tax after their sons moved out Credit: BPM

       Their two sons, Lewis Aslett, 16, and Ryan Aslett, 18, left the family's three-bedroom home in Bilborough, Nottingham, in September last year to go to college and university.

       Philip and Elizabeth, who have lived in the property for nearly 11 years, said they told officials the boys would be moving out but would still need their rooms for when they come back during the holidays, Nottingham Live reports.

       The parents claim they were initially told this was fine but said they were sent a message earlier this month saying they owed ￡1,667.27 as their bedroom tax had changed.

       Mr Elliott said: "When I found out it was a shock, nobody had said we owed them money.

       "We've got welfare rights involved and it's been sent to the appeal stage."

       Mrs Aslett added: "I burst into tears and cried, it was so annoying.

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       "We don't know what is round the corner, we had both the boys home for six weeks over Christmas, they're coming back in the next week or so."

       Bedroom tax means a claimant will receive less in housing benefit or housing cost element in a Universal Credit claim when living in a housing association or council house and deemed to have one or more spare bedrooms.

       And the amount recipients receive towards housing costs may be reduced when a home has spare bedrooms.

       Philip and Elizabeth explained they were unable to work due to their disabilities, meaning they will struggle to pay the money back or continue to survive off the smaller payments.

       They receive ￡1,100 each month from Universal Credit as well as ￡900 from Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment [PIP] support.

       The DWP have apologised for how the family's case had been handled, saying staff had been in touch to help them with the appeals process.

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       A DWP spokesman said: "We are very sorry for how Mr Elliott and Ms Assett’s claim has been handled and have been in touch to apologise and to help them with the appeals process.

       “We have also reviewed their benefits to ensure they are receiving their correct entitlement."

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       The parents claim they explained to officials their boys would still be using their rooms during the holidays Credit: BPM

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