bedroom tax

nannytone_2

my openions on this are well known. if the 1 bed properties were available.... then thidd would be a good idea. but theyre not .....

Mrs_Arcanum

Carling-Darling wrote: »

My sister currently lives in a 3 bedroomed house (Housing association) and has done for 30 years. She receives housing benefit and council tax (for the last 8 yrs) as she is on benefit ( was put in the WRAG group but won her appeal last week and was put in the support group by the court)
The HA has written to her stating the changes in April 2013 and advised her to start making arrangements!!
She is 55, she will never work due to her illness. She has no money at all to supplement potential losses. She cannot move as it would be detrimental to her health also I am her carer and I live quite close to her. Plus why should she be forced to leave her family home?
So ultimately how is she supposed to live and pay her rent? I have read there are "pots" of money to help with cases but surely there are going to be thousands of people in this position?
I am sat on the fence as I believe families should be in family homes etc but when the house has been yours for 30 years with your memories you should not be forced to move?
Thanks

The shortfall in rent will have to come out of her other benefits or she will have to move.

Locally the HA will do everything they can to help people downsize. A former neighbour held out for just the right place before he would move. At one point there were older persons bungalows (age 50+) being allocated to younger people rather than left empty.

It does seem somewhat of a skewed policy, in as much as families with children under 10 will be hit, yet it is not as if the children will stay under 10 forever.

Likewise the majority under occupying have reached non working age & will not be affected. Just daft IMHO.

marybelle01

In most places the "pots of money" - which are not "pots" if you mean lots of it, and which are only temporary funding - are what is enabling transitional arrangements for those who need carers to live in, who have children with disabilities, are foster carers, etc. etc. It is highly unlikely that the available money will ever extend to keeping a single person in a three bedroom house simply because their carer lives nearby - you can't even have an extra bedroom because the carer needs to stop occasionally!

So she doesn't have to move from her "family home", but she will lamost certainly have to pay the difference between what she has and what it is deemed she needs. It may not be fair, and it may be harsh - but it is also the rules from next year. And it is totally right of the HA to warn her of the consequences so that she can prepare. They aren't doing this - the government are.

Dunroamin

Carling-Darling wrote: »

My sister currently lives in a 3 bedroomed house (Housing association) and has done for 30 years. She receives housing benefit and council tax (for the last 8 yrs) as she is on benefit ( was put in the WRAG group but won her appeal last week and was put in the support group by the court)
The HA has written to her stating the changes in April 2013 and advised her to start making arrangements!!
She is 55, she will never work due to her illness. She has no money at all to supplement potential losses. She cannot move as it would be detrimental to her health also I am her carer and I live quite close to her. Plus why should she be forced to leave her family home?
So ultimately how is she supposed to live and pay her rent? I have read there are "pots" of money to help with cases but surely there are going to be thousands of people in this position?
I am sat on the fence as I believe families should be in family homes etc but when the house has been yours for 30 years with your memories you should not be forced to move?
Thanks

I'm afraid I don't think that things like memories should come into it. Many people who own their own houses voluntarily downsize to smaller homes when the children leave.

Does she claim DLA?

charlieismydarling

Why doesn't it affect people above working age? That seems grossly unfair.

What about when the rent for the property currently occupied is the same as for the property someone is deemed to need? Does it still apply then?

Shaun66

BigAunty wrote: »

I think the problem in answering your question is that there is a lot of conflicting information, though it does seem that those in receipt of the state pension should be excluded from the housing benefit reduction in social housing.

I'm not even sure that the law has been ratified yet which would contain further specific information - the implementation is a year away.

It became LAW earlier in the year (DWP has the info on their website, Welfare Reform 2012, the site wont let me post a link), was plastered over the media as the lords voted against a lot of the 'hidden' nasties in it and the government used a rule that had not been used in a long time to overide their worries/concerns.

CaMoron said Pensioners AND Vulnrable people would be protected, but in truth ONLY pensioners are protected (same thing as the council tax benefit happening now, Pensioners are protected, you have to look after the blue rinse brigade as they are the only ones who vote lol)

Carling-Darling

No DLA at the moment she is on ESA (the old incapacity) she was moved into the WRAG group in January and she has been on appeal rate until last week. She won her appeal (Hands down I might add) the court have put her into the support group so unsure what money she will get next.
If there was a house for her to downsize then I could get her to go assuming she has no choice but there is no smaller properties owned by this association according to their website. It is a worrying time for all particularly having just come through all the ATOS crap.
Thanks for your responses I know not everyone agrees that she should stay. But all I can say is there for the grace etc etc

Richie-from-the-Boro

Shaun66 wrote: »

It became LAW earlier in the year (DWP has the info on their website, Welfare Reform 2012, the site wont let me post a link), was plastered over the media as the lords voted against a lot of the 'hidden' nasties in it and the government used a rule that had not been used in a long time to overide their worries/concerns.

CaMoron said Pensioners AND Vulnrable people would be protected, but in truth ONLY pensioners are protected (same thing as the council tax benefit happening now, Pensioners are protected, you have to look after the blue rinse brigade as they are the only ones who vote lol)

HiYa Mr Thrifty,

It comes into force on into force in April 2013. Even the biggest HA's & LA's couldn't rehouse on a downsize if they wanted to, and the tenant was willing and cooperative. There are just not enough [ wrong type of house] single bedroom units. In my own area for example there are 50,000 families across the north east with approaching only 3000 available single unit average.

Richie-from-the-Boro

- here's a few links [all in one place] to read if you want to get up to speed, hopefully people will do so without prejudice to disabled sick and vulnerable old folks !

.1.
.2.
.3.
.4. - this specific area -
.5.
.6.
.7.

bright_side

The new rules will effect me, so I have spoken to the allocations manager of the housing association I am with and have also made an appointment with the council with a view to being added to their transfer list. I have registered with an mutual exchange site too.

For me, (having one spare room since my dd moved out 2 months ago) the 'bedroom tax' will be approx £60 a month, plus with the changes in council tax benefit, at least another £20 a month council tax. I currently work part time and although I could perhaps manage the extra and indeed hope to find another part time job, I have to consider the 'what ifs'. ie, should I be unable to work due to ill health, lose my job, or should my son not be able to find work immediately he leaves school. If I were to stay here and those things were to occur I would have no chance of continuing to manage the extra.

I have kind of accepted that it is what it is and can only hope that a two bedroom place comes up in the not too distant future. I will try to avoid private renting if I can, as I feel the lack of security would be detrimental to my mental health. Not to mention that the cost in housing benefit to the council would be much higher and that doesn't make any sense to me, (feel free to explain!).

The allocations manager at HA did mention that there 'may' be a small amount of financial assistance with the removal costs for people who will really struggle to manage it. To be honest I'm more concerned with the costs of flooring for a new place and the fact that when my son moves out, which could be anything from 3 years away to who knows when, I will have to do it all again!