Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has welcomed an announcement by the Minister for Welfare Reform, Lord Freud, that an additional £5m is to be added to the national Discretionary Housing Payments fund.

The monies will help the 21 least densely populated areas in Great Britain.

The funding aims to avoid a disproportionate impact on those in remote and isolate communities who have been affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy. This could be where the geographical location means that potential solutions are not as widely available, such as work or alternative accommodation.

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Comhairle Leader Angus Campbell said: "I am pleased to see that the UK Government has now accepted the particular challenges that remote and rural communities face under welfare reform though it remains to be seen how far the additional funding of £66,930 will go in addressing the problem of the Bedroom Tax in our Islands.

"A wider recognition of the unique nature of the islands is one of the outcomes the Comhairle, together with Shetland and Orkney are seeking through the Our Islands, Our Future Campaign and the case we have been making together."

(JP/CD)