A housing association has offered tenants a free Crème Egg to thank them for paying the bedroom tax.

In a letter shared widely on Twitter today, Welsh landlord Valleys 2 Coast offered the confectionary ‘as a small thank you’ to affected tenants.

The letter, titled ‘Recognition of your effort towards your bedroom tax’, reminds tenants of a money advice service, and offered them a free egg if they visited the office over Easter.

Nigel Draper, head of neighbourhoods at V2C who sent the letter, said: ‘The letter of thanks and small gesture of the Crème Egg is an important recognition to those tenants who have struggled to find additional rent due to the bedroom tax.

‘Over the last 12 months we have worked closely with our tenants to combat the worst effects of the bedroom tax. We always need to engage and keep the debate alive and the invitation to attend one of our regular walk-in sessions in Bridgend and pick up a free Crème Egg over Easter was a way of reminding tenants that even during the school holidays staff are available to help with financial advice.’

The bedroom tax, which cuts the benefit payments of tenants deemed to have a spare bedroom, has had a particularly severe impact in Wales since it was introduced a year ago.

In November, research by Community Housing Cymru showed just 3 per cent of the 22,000 housing association tenants hit by the bedroom tax in Wales were able to downsize to smaller properties.