Bedroom Tax Question

kelpie35

Hi can someone please let me know if the bedroom tax only applies to people who receive CH benefits.

I am confused as I have just been listening to the news about how distressing this new law is affecting people who foster children.

Thank you in advance

Meadows

From what I have read and heard I think it does only apply to those that receiving Housing Benefit.

RAS

Foster children cannot be counted as part of a household for HB bedroom allowance purposes. Since fostering agencies usually require a foster child to have their own room; families who foster and have previously claimed HB can no longer do so.

kelpie35

So I am correct in thinking that this new law only affects people who receive Housing Benefits.

BigAunty

Here is an outline of it, which affects social housing tenants of working age receiving housing benefit who have unoccupied bedrooms.

http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/%E2%80%98under-occupation%E2%80%99_penalty.aspx

BigAunty

kelpie35 wrote: »

So I am correct in thinking that this new law only affects people who receive Housing Benefits.

yes - it specifically applies to some HB claimants in the social housing sector.

sammyjammy

RAS wrote: »

Foster children cannot be counted as part of a household for HB bedroom allowance purposes. Since fostering agencies usually require a foster child to have their own room; families who foster and have previously claimed HB can no longer do so.

Of course they can it just means they get 14% less HB because they have a spare room.

InMyDreams

kelpie35 wrote: »

So I am correct in thinking that this new law only affects people who receive Housing Benefits.

Yes, because it's not really a 'tax'. That is what the media have called it. It is actually a cut in housing benefit. So that is why it only effects people who receive it. If you don't receive the benefit in the first place, you can't have it cut.

kelpie35

Thank you to everyone who has answered my question