bedroom tax

Mrs_Arcanum

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

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.

Only one exception they should include, is families where all the children are under 10 (and where there are both sexes).

beaumist

I am going to be affected by the bedroom tax also. My question is though how many bedrooms are we allowed to have? I have read all sorts of things so I thought I would come on here and ask the experts! My husband is disabled, we are just under the age limit (will be 60 by April 2013) and live in a 3 bed house since my last (of 4) daughter moved out last year. We were going to downsize to a 2 bed anyway, but is that still classed as an extra room, as I think I read somewhere that an extra bedroom is allowed for a disabled person? This new law is so confusing.........:(

nannytone_2

beaumist wrote: »

I am going to be affected by the bedroom tax also. My question is though how many bedrooms are we allowed to have? I have read all sorts of things so I thought I would come on here and ask the experts! My husband is disabled, we are just under the age limit (will be 60 by April 2013) and live in a 3 bed house since my last (of 4) daughter moved out last year. We were going to downsize to a 2 bed anyway, but is that still classed as an extra room, as I think I read somewhere that an extra bedroom is allowed for a disabled person? This new law is so confusing.........:(

there are no allowances for disabled people, unless they need a room for a carer that stays overnight.
you will be entitled to 1 bedroom


seven day weekend ....
i agree with what you are saying ... but the position that people are in at the minute is that the rquired 1 bed properties just dont exist!

then the cries of ' well then rent privately pipe up.
i can only speak for myself, and i have put my case and been knocked down!

i live in a large village, the only 1 bed properties are 2 flats, which are supported housing for young people.
if i rented privately ( there are about 6 1 bed private lets) it would in fact, cost the council more, as my LHA rate is higher than my rent!( not to mention the fact that i would lose all security of tenure, plus my life savings that i spent decorating. carpeting and furnishing the property i currently live in)

i cant move to another town where there are more suitable properties as i am registered blind, and my support network is where i live.

if my council follows suit with regards to the council tax changes, and charges everyone a minimum of 25%, then i will be in a position where i need to 'find' almost £20 a week out of my benefits of £149.

i know im lucky to get the amount that i get. but i have no real prospect of ever being able to get myself into a better position ( the chances of me ever being able to find a job that would give me a 'living wage' are virtually zero)

i know money has to be recovered from somewhere .... but this really hasnt been thought through.

IF the properties were available and people refused to move, then fair enough.

but to be put in a position of hardship, with no alternative, is just cruel.

lukebetteralone

I Don't think the goverment have thought this through.

Rather than send billions overseas maybe build some 1 bed social flats in blocks of 4 with some outdoor space. im sure people wouldn't mind downsizing if there were these places available. it certainly would free up alot of the 2 and 3 bed houses.

Dunroamin

gregbythesea wrote: »

If you do that, make sure that your have a strong bolt/lock on your bedroom door!! Goodness knows what could happen with a stranger sleeping in the bedroom next door.

On the other hand it could be seen as manna from heaven!!! LOL

On top of that make sure your home insurers are kept fully informed. Somebody you don't know who is walking round with keys to your house is really asking for trouble.

Don't be so daft! Flat/house sharing is the norm for many young people and taking in a lodger is what people have done when short of money for a hundred years or more!

Morlock

xscouse2012 wrote: »

It Is EVERYONE claiming Housing Benefit, private or social housing

Bedroom tax only applies to tenants in social housing, not private.

bright_side

I believe it's been in place for private tenants for several years - though it's not unusual for me to be wrong

nannytone_2

bright_side wrote: »

I believe it's been in place for private tenants for several years - though it's not unusual for me to be wrong

sort of, but not quite.

im private housing, you get the rate for however many bedrooms your household needs.

if you get the 2 bed rate and find a 3 bed property that is cheap enough .... your whole rent will still be covered.

with this new rule.... it doesnt matter how cheap your rent is, you will still lose 14%.

where i live, a private 1 bed is about £385 pcm... so about £90 a week. the local LHA rate for a 1 bed is £81 a week, so a shortfall of abput£9.

my rent is £88 a week. so i woll lose £11 34 a week, plus 25% of my ctb.

the irony is, that if i moved to private housing( because there is no 1 bed social housing in my area) i would actually be costing the benefits system more in housing benefit!

Murphymycat

Unless there has been a change then the "bedroom tax" will NOT apply to private tenants at all.

Private tenants are given the maximum LHA based on their "need" of the number of bedrooms.

The idea is that they can afford 30% of properties in that price range under the new rules. under the old rules it was 50%.

If they cannot find a suitable property in that price range or just choose something bigger/better they can still rent it but have to top up the rent themselves.

So the concept of "over housing" doesn't apply.

nannytone_2

private tenants had their cut last year, when the LHA rate fell from the average rent to rents in the lowest third of the local market.

i think this hit on social housing is a response.

its the lowest common denominator .... really hard for everyone!