Housing Benefit and those that live in council houses to big for them.

chocolate_sausage

Currently we live in a 3 bedroom council house , i am aware that there have been proposals to cut Housing Benefit by 15 % per bedroom not used for those in houses to big for them . Obviously the social housing we live in is too big for our needs and would suit a family for which it is designed and meant .

The thing that strikes me as strange though is when we approach the council on the subject of downsizing there enthusiasm is somewhat lacking and there seems no real urgency to address the problem , its a real worry for us as i look after my wife as she is disabled . I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same or had the same worries for the future ?

dcems

In many local authorities tenants willing to downsize would get a transfer banding priority.

Have you registered for a transfer at all?

KxMx

You could also look into a house swap. I'm sure you'd have your pick of properties wanting to exchange bigger for smaller.

Think when I move out, Mum is going to try and do a swap for a bungalow or 2 bed , i'm sure with a 3 bed house on offer she will have a high chance of finding something she likes.

Transformer

KxMx wrote: »

You could also look into a house swap. I'm sure you'd have your pick of properties wanting to exchange bigger for smaller.

Think when I move out, Mum is going to try and do a swap for a bungalow or 2 bed , i'm sure with a 3 bed house on offer she will have a high chance of finding something she likes.

Same here, when my kids fly the nest I will go for disabled bungalow up the road hopefully there are quite a few and also a lot of families squished into them who woudl snap my house up in my area, (estate not thought of well, but for what reason I have never worked out, so more chance of bungalow here as families as said are put in them as emergency accomodation) I would be sad to leave it as feel safe here.

hey at least I coudl still see it up the road, how sad is that eh:rotfl:

So in answer you have to put a bit of time into it, register, look at the council books which most council community offices have in the lounge and take a look.:D

chocolate_sausage

Well yes i have registered for a transfer it is called bidding now i have to bid on smaller properties and more suitable ones due to my wifes disability . Strangely though we have had no luck at all . There was recently a newspaper article on the subject locally where a couple in the same boat as us were saying they had been on the scheme and bidding for 4 years and still hadnt managed to move . It is crazy .

As for swaps yes we have tried , but it never ceases to amaze me just how fussy some of these families are with regards to area and every little detail , when you consider most are moaning they are stuck in flats and property to small for their families , it seems everything has to be perfect for them or they arent interested i have been truly shocked by some of the attitudes i have encountered this year alone .

dcems

Can you explain the banding in your area? What banding are you on?

to give you an example, currently where I am, if you are a tenant underoccupying you are Band 1. Even if you just have 1 extra bedroom.
If you are a couple in a 3 bed you are also Band 1, but can also bid on a 2 bed property.

The issue is many underoccupiers wish to have bungalows/properties with gardens,the turnover for bungalows is slow and tend to go to medical priority cases.

Anubis_2

I thought the extra bedroom deduction only applied to LHA - in other words privately rented? I thought social housing was not affected by the rules?

erdd2

it appears that if one is not fortunate enough to address their issue with the rare council employee performing the function of serving public and not self, issues such as this become uneccessarily exacerbated by the council, they are "whitewashed" ny the council and the "victim" further victimised.

pstuart

Anubis wrote: »

I thought the extra bedroom deduction only applied to LHA - in other words privately rented? I thought social housing was not affected by the rules?

So did I and at any rate for new tenancies only!

Has the writer any facts on this?

dcems

Social housing is not included in the new LHA restrictions.

I wonder if the OP means HB deduction due to not needing the extra bedroom.

Anubis_2

dcems wrote: »

Social housing is not included in the new LHA restrictions.

I wonder if the OP means HB deduction due to not needing the extra bedroom.

They do, and this is why I though the HB deduction for not needing the extra bedroom only applied to privately rented property - does it apply to social housing too?