Advice needed- Bedroom Tax

scoates_2

My mother-in-law is in a council house. The council are going to introduce a tax for each empty bedroom. This has been the family home for the last 45 years, but she lives on a state pension with no additional income. The coucil are estimating it will be another £20pw for her to stay in the family home. Does anyone have any ideas of how we can help her or what she can do to stay in her home as she will not be abel to live if she pays the extra each week.
Thanks

paddedjohn

scoates wrote: »

My mother-in-law is in a council house. The council are going to introduce a tax for each empty bedroom. This has been the family home for the last 45 years, but she lives on a state pension with no additional income. The coucil are estimating it will be another £20pw for her to stay in the family home. Does anyone have any ideas of how we can help her or what she can do to stay in her home as she will not be abel to live if she pays the extra each week.
Thanks

The obvious way to help her stay in the big house would be to give her £20/week towards her rent.

kimbyanne

paddedjohn wrote: »

The obvious way to help her stay in the big house would be to give her £20/week towards her rent.

This is what I would suggest.

My parents are in the same position so are currently trying to find a smaller property however there isn't a lot out there. If they can't find anything suitable I am going to help them out with the extra.

Takes the pee really considering next door has just been given a single tenancy for just him in a three bedroom house!!

BigAunty

It doesn't affect those of state pension age.

However, if she's the sole occupant rattling around in a family size house and is struggling to choose between heating or eating, then maybe it's best that she voluntarily downsizes which will reduce her cost of living.

Many councils operate incentive schemes, such as paying a sum to cover moving and decoration costs, giving them a priority status for the allocation process, etc. My aunty was shown a number of properties at absolutely no obligation or pressure just so she could guage if she was happy with them and the area - she browsed a number before she selected one that she now prefers to her old place (quieter, better transport, more shops, etc)

battyboimatt

Firstly it's not the council that are doing it, it's the government and Big Aunty is correct

You won't be affected if

You live in a one bedroom flat or bedsit or,

You or your partner are old enougth to recive pesnion credits. In april 2013 the pension credit age will be around 61 years and 6 months

So the changes will be in you are aged 16 - 61 and have

One 'spare' bedroom, your houising benefit will be but by 14%
Two 'spare' bedrooms and you will lose 25% of your hosuing benefit.

One bedroom is allowed for the following

A couple living as part of a household
Each person aged 16 years or over
Two children under 16 years of the same sex
Two chidlren under 10 yeard regardless of sex
a Carer (where they provide overnight care to a person with siabilities)

Also bare in mind for example if you lived in a 3 bedroom house you and your partner share a room had a room and a boy of 11 and a boy of 12 had there own room, under the rules they would be expened to share a room and you would pay the bedroom tax on that then spare 3rd room.

How I know this, I work for a housing assosciation.

Dunroamin

scoates wrote: »

My mother-in-law is in a council house. The council are going to introduce a tax for each empty bedroom. This has been the family home for the last 45 years, but she lives on a state pension with no additional income. The coucil are estimating it will be another £20pw for her to stay in the family home. Does anyone have any ideas of how we can help her or what she can do to stay in her home as she will not be abel to live if she pays the extra each week.
Thanks

If your MIL has only her state pension then she should be claiming pension credit.

toffeecoated

Absolutely disgraceful. People are losing their homes because of Thatcher. That evil !!!!! should have been publicly executed years ago. I can't wait for her to die. The MP's who make these rules live in mansions paid for by our taxes but they expect ordinary people to live in poverty. The conservatives would still be sending children up chimneys if they could get away with it.

McKneff

toffeecoated wrote: »

Absolutely disgraceful. People are losing their homes because of Thatcher. That evil !!!!! should have been publicly executed years ago. I can't wait for her to die. The MP's who make these rules live in mansions paid for by our taxes but they expect ordinary people to live in poverty. The conservatives would still be

This should be on the discussion board or the vent board.

Gaz1971

Im in the same boat, I have one spare room and spent 3 years on the register to move to a one bedroom place, housing association then took me off the register as they had so few one bedroom properties there was no chance of me getting one, so I couldnt move if I wanted to. Now Im going to be paying rent and just been informed the unemployed are going to be paying council tax to.

bright_side

BigAunty wrote: »

It doesn't affect those of state pension age.

However, if she's the sole occupant rattling around in a family size house and is struggling to choose between heating or eating, then maybe it's best that she voluntarily downsizes which will reduce her cost of living.

Many councils operate incentive schemes, such as paying a sum to cover moving and decoration costs, giving them a priority status for the allocation process, etc. My aunty was shown a number of properties at absolutely no obligation or pressure just so she could guage if she was happy with them and the area - she browsed a number before she selected one that she now prefers to her old place (quieter, better transport, more shops, etc)

My housing association gives £3000 for people downsizing by more than 2 bedrooms. Unfortunately if like me you're only going one bed smaller you don't get any help whatsoever.