Scrap 'bedroom tax', UN official says This was taking a heavy toll on "the most vulnerable, the most fragile, the people who are on the fringes of coping with everyday life," Ms Rolnik said. "My immediate recommendation is that the bedroom tax is abolished," she told The Guardian. I was very shocked to hear how people really feel abused in their human rights by this decision and why - being so vulnerable - they should pay for the cost of the economic downturn, which was brought about by the financial crisis. "People in testimonies were crying, saying "I have nowhere to go," "I will commit suicide."" While the UK had "much to be proud of" in its historic provision of affordable housing, it was now "going backwards in the protection and promotion of the human right to housing," she said. The state had an obligation to put in place safeguards to protect the most vulnerable, she added, saying: "What I am seeing here is quite the opposite - the most vulnerable are having to pay for these cuts. Ms Rolnik's visit took in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Manchester, at the invitation of the Government, and she has presented her preliminary findings to it. A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "It is surprising to see these conclusions being drawn from anecdotal evidence and conversations after a handful of meetings instead of actual hard research and data. "Britain has a very strong housing safety net and even after our necessary reforms we continue to pay over 80% of most claimants" rent if they are affected by the ending of the spare room subsidy."