bedroom tax

marybelle01

bright_side wrote: »

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!

I totally understand. Whilst I have some sympathy with the changes (one adult rattling around in a four bedroom house - and I can think of several such cases - and not pensioners either) I do think this has gone too far the other way. Let's hope that in three years there may be some common sense applied to the rules when they realise the chaos (or fail to get re-elected). In the meantime, and it isn't for everyone - what about thinking of other ways to use that bedroom? Like a lodger? There are a lot of young people who need rooms and a bit of family support who don't have it for a variety of reasons, and the changes in benefits for them is making it hard to get a nice place to live with nice people.

Mrs_Arcanum

marybelle01 wrote: »

I totally understand. Whilst I have some sympathy with the changes (one adult rattling around in a four bedroom house - and I can think of several such cases - and not pensioners either) I do think this has gone too far the other way. Let's hope that in three years there may be some common sense applied to the rules when they realise the chaos (or fail to get re-elected). In the meantime, and it isn't for everyone - what about thinking of other ways to use that bedroom? Like a lodger? There are a lot of young people who need rooms and a bit of family support who don't have it for a variety of reasons, and the changes in benefits for them is making it hard to get a nice place to live with nice people.

Exactly, with the under 25 limited to shared houses to get HB this seems a good solution. Just hope the vulnerable don't get abused by being forced to take an incompatible lodger.

bright_side

Personally I could not cope with having a stranger sharing my home, due to anxiety/trust issues, so that's not an option for me.....even if someone would want my 2.2 x 2.1 spare room

nannytone_2

also, if aingle vulnerable people took in a lodger and they receive DLA and ESA....
they would lose their severe disability premium and be even worse off!

teeni

if you can't manage the extra you can apply for discretionary housing benefit ( if you get council tax and housing benefit) to cover the additional costs until you succeed in getting a transfer. Ask about that at the council

marybelle01

nannytone wrote: »

also, if aingle vulnerable people took in a lodger and they receive DLA and ESA....
they would lose their severe disability premium and be even worse off!

True - but I was assuming that this would not apply to Brightside since she mentions that she is working part-time and hopes to find more hours/work to help to offset the difference. So I was sort of assuming that severe disability premimums didn't apply!

xscouse2012

anguk wrote: »

Why not social housing too? That means you could get a single person living in a 4 bed council house! Seems a bit daft to me if the new rules are only going to apply to private tenants when we've got a massive shortage of suitable social housing in this country.

It Is EVERYONE claiming Housing Benefit, private or social housing

xscouse2012

I myself am relocating to a 1 bedroom flat, from my current 2 bedroom house, I am on a scheme called Propertypool, where you bid each week for various properties allocated by each of the Liverpool district housing associations , as I work part time and low wages i get help with my rent, and because I am classed as 'under occupying' I go on a higher priority, I am so grateful for the help, I don't mind moving to make way for a family for my house, or my housing said I can stay by all means but make the shortfall in the rent, and I could get a 'lodger' in , and whatever money the 'lodger' gives you , you can actually keep, and that lodger can claim housing benefit also to live with you, so the £14 I will need to pay , I could charge a student £50 for my spare room, its a bit of a weird set up all this bedroom tax

BigAunty

Carling-Darling wrote: »

.... Plus why should she be forced to leave her family home?
So ultimately how is she supposed to live and pay her rent? ..

The expectation is that those of working age with spare bedrooms in social housing properties should either pay for the privilege of unoccupied rooms or downsize (like tenants in the private sector who can live in properties of any cost or size they like and must make up the difference between the HB rate and the rent).

In addition, those in the private sector have little security of tenure (and typically only have contracts for tenancies of 6 months) so its even harder for them.

I guess she's got just under a year to sort out a move to a smaller property if available (whereas those in the private sector with no security can end up moving every 6 months). I expect there are hundreds, if not thousands, of households on the waiting list who need a family size property who are perhaps overcrowded where they are or living in unsanitary/dangerous housing.

Or find out if she can make up the shortfall (for example, if she qualifies for DLA she should apply). How much ESA does she get and how much will be the shortfall between the rent and the HB when it changes next april?

She could see if the council have any sheltered/semi sheltered housing for the over 55s that might be better for her health and welfare. Some councils pay expenses to tenants downsizing to smaller properties to help with removal and decorating costs.

But what she also needs to do is find out the changes that the local council will make to the council tax if she's in England. From next year, I think, local councils will organise their own rules to determine who qualifies for council tax discount - the national rules will be scrapped. Some councils are proposing that they will no longer grant 100% council tax discounts to benefit claimants, allowing only 70 or 75%. Some are protecting certain social groups though.

So she needs to find out her future council tax policy to see if she will also be clobbered with only partial council tax discount.

seven-day-weekend

Social housing is a scarce and valuable resource and I think it should be utilised efficiently. Therefore no-one should have a larger property than they need. If you are lucky enough to have a social house, then being re-housed into one more suited to your needs should be compulsory.

As someone else has said, if you live in a family size home but no longer have a family, and don't want to move, then rent the spare rooms out to single people who have problems finding accommodation they can afford. Then the house is being used to its full capacity.

But living in a social house that is too large for you should not be an option.

I appreciate that it is not always possible to be allocated a smaller place, but if it is possible it should be done.