A MAN who relies on a kidney dialysis machine must pay an extra £50 a month to keep the lifesaving equipment at his home.

Alan Cooper, 49, who was diagnosed with kidney failure four years ago, is struggling to find the extra money, which is down to the controversial bedroom tax.

In April 2011, Basildon Council moved him into his two-bedroom ground-floor flat in Riverview, Vange.

Despite being single, Mr Cooper had a medical note from Basildon Hospital explaining he needed an extra room to carry out home dialysis.

The council has now contacted him, saying he needs to pay the £600-a-year bedroom tax as his situation is “not critical”.

Mr Cooper, who undergoes dialysis treatment five times a week, said: “I can’t see how things could be more critical.

“Without dialysis I wouldn’t last any more than five days.

“I’m unemployed as I can’t work because of my condition, so the only way I can afford to pay is by using my disability allowance, which is meant to be for my car so I can still get out and about.”

As well as the dialysis machine, which replicates many of the kidney’s functions, a table of needles and equipment and boxes with a month’s supplies also need to be stored.

Mr Cooper added: “It’s not just a case of whether you have the space, you couldn’t possibly sleep in the same room as the machine, as it’s got a constant humming sound and a pump starts going every 30 minutes.

“I can hear it and that’s when I’m not even in the same room.”

The bedroom tax was introduced in April as part of the Government’s Welfare Reform Act to ensure council tenants were housed in the most appropriately-sized properties.

A spokesman for Basildon Council said: “While we empathise with this case, Basildon Council administers the housing benefit scheme under legislation and regulations issued by central Government.

“The council does offer support to those affected by the spare room subsidy.

“Customers with exceptional health circumstances who require additional room for equipment can apply for discretionary hardship funding and, where essential, the council will aim to support this, as long as the funding is available