MOTHERS have met an MP to discuss increasing difficulties in renting housing in York – and tell him about some “heart-rending” cases.

Kate Burchell and Melissa Wilkinson, from the Tree of Mums group at the Gateway Church in Acomb, spoke to York Labour Central MP Hugh Bayley amid increasing concerns about changes to housing benefits.

Tree Of Mums is a Facebook Social Network page which was founded by Melissa when she moved to York in January this year.

It has attracted more than 300 mums in the York area and it allows them to seek advice, share problems and receive support from one another.

The age group ranges from young first time mums to elderly grandmas looking after their grandchildren.

Last week the housing charity Shelter published a report which said that York would be hit harder by the housing benefit changes than anywhere else in the north of England, reflecting closely the concerns which members of the York’s Tree of Mums group have raised.

Mr Bayley said the problem was that Housing Benefits were set using the Local Housing Allowance, which was based on average rents across the sub-region and not on the much higher average rents which most people in York had to pay.

He said this was already making many properties in York unaffordable to local people and the Government’s welfare reforms would leave people on benefits with an even bigger shortfall in the amount they received compared to the amount they had to pay in rent.

Mr Bayley said: “The Housing Benefits cuts will make life very difficult for many York families and I have written to the housing minister to ask him to treat York differently and more fairly when he is setting rates for housing benefits.

“Kate and Melissa have told me about some heart rending individual cases.

“The welfare reforms are already causing hardship for many York families and the Government needs a reality check before they make the problems even worse.

I am pressing the minister to take the issues on board and adapt his reforms to take account of their real impact in York.”

Kate, 24, the mother of one-year-old Matilda, said housing and how people could afford to rent in today’s market was one of the main concerns of the group.

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Why mum’s word should be heard

IN a comparatively short time, the online group Mumsnet has become an effective campaigning force. It speaks up for a group – mothers – who have often been overlooked by politicians.

Not any more. The way Mumsnet holds our political leaders to account brings back memories of Tony Blair being heckled and slow-handclapped by WI members at Wembley in 2000. Women – and mothers in particular — have suddenly found an articulate and very powerful voice.

So it is great to see what is almost a local version of Mumsnet taking root right here in York.

The Tree of Mums Facebook social networking page, launched earlier this year, has attracted more than 300 mums in the York area: from young first-time mums to elderly grandmothers looking after their grandchildren.

And the group is already proving effective at lobbying. Last week, members met with York MP Hugh Bayley, to raise concerns about the difficulties welfare reforms are causing for mothers struggling to juggle the family finances.

A recent report by the housing charity Shelter warned that York will be harder hit by housing benefit changes than anywhere else in the north. That is because housing benefits are based on average rents across the area, but in York most rents are much higher.

This, if nothing is done about it, could cause real hardship to many York families.

It is often mothers, trying desperately to keep the family going, who bear the brunt of that hardship. Theirs is a voice that needs to be heard.

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