What is a bedroom ? and is it a tax ?

nannytone_2

i think that for every disabled person hit by the reduction in housing benefit that is arduing the need for the second bedrrom, there are as many that dont want or need the room, but have no alternative housing to move to!

i was lucky, at the end of May the council decided they didnt need the 2 one bed flats as 'supported housing for young peopke' and allowed the HA to reclassify them.
as an existing tenant, i was given priority.
in the small market town where i live, these are the only 1 bed social housing available.
i dont know the figure, but from my personal friends, i know of 6 people ( single and requiring 1 bed) who cannot find alternative accomodation.
4 are disabled and all have been refused DHP because they have excess income (DLA)

the_devil_made_me_do_it

That's another huge problem..there are just no one bedroom properties available. So, those people who need to downsize just can't & are getting into arrears because of it.

In my town, the social housing associations can't find tenants for 3 bedroom properties. So, there are loads empty. Unless you have a large family, then these properties ain't going to be used.

nannytone_2

when i have raised the point about the lack of 1 bed social housing, the most common answer is ' well move to an area where there are 1 bed properties'

people dont seem to realise the enormity of forcing a disabled person away from their support and xommunities.

i am blind. the prospect of moving somewhere i didnt know, with no support would be unbearable.
i have friends where i live, but even so i am quite isolated purely because i cannot see.
the fact that others think that purely because i live from benefit ( i worked for 30 years before my sight deteriorated to the point where i had to stop) i should expect no quality of life and should be happy to 'exist'

i really am at a loss to understand why people are so hard and have no compassion for those who are worse off, through no choice of their own.
in fact some even seem to delight in the fact that we are being put 'in our place' ( wherever that should be!)

im just glad that i have the ability to feel concern and compassion for others even after all my issues were sorted out!

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I think those people who show such disdain for those people who are unfortunate enough to have to rely on the state are letting themselves be sucked in by the government's way of looking at things. They don't appear to realise that the government is feeding them this rubbish in order to push through un-popular bills.

Also, I have seen many people complaining about having a mortgage they stuggle to pay & moaning that they get no help from the state. How would they feel if they were told that you shouldn't have bought a house you couldn't afford & request them to sell it & take on a property they could afford, or get repossesed.

nannytone_2

a loy of people are struggling, but they seem to want to make themselves feel better by seeing others get kicked.
people that cant work or struggle to find work because of disability are undeserving because we dont contribute ( i dont agree with the fact that we dont contribute, but it seems to be a widespread impression)

what i dont understand is their reasoning though.

does kicking us make their position any better?
no it doesnt. they will still be struggling but it will make them feel superior to know that we are struggling more.

and this is civilisation?

Richie-from-the-Boro

Every single individual refused should request a DHP review in writing - and do immediately. Each person should be listing every single outgoing penny per annum, every penny relating to health should be included, medicines and prescription drugs, hospital & travel costs. TV license, home - medical & personal insurance, the car - its repairs - and its tax & insurance for mobility, land-line & mobile for emergencies, extra heating or special diets, school meals, pocket money, leccy & gas, broadband and cable agreements, groceries, household & toiletry items, payments to catalogues, credit card payments & hire purchase agreements, cigarettes - tobacco & alcohol, pet care costs, social fund repayments, any deductions already made from your benefits, maintenance payments, and any others you can think of including any arrears you are paying to anyone, etc... every penny.

Some LA's deliberately make the application form in such a way the there is no where to put these things .. .. others have a much more 'accommodating' application form - fight to get all the information down - don't make it easy for them.

Do the figures so they understand it, listing every penny - don't make it any easier for them to reduce or pay zero DHP, and send supporting evidence. Its easy to write a pdf listing income from all sources less outgoings to all costs, if you don't know how, I'll do one and up it somewhere for you.

sunnyone

The 660,000 is a red herring as it the number of people who are disabled under the DDA so with a stutter for example and I'm sure you dont think that you need another bedroom for a stutter?

Most people with disabilities dont need another bedroom, be honest, how many people suddenly need an overnight carer all of a sudden that didn't need on pre bedroom tax?

nannytone_2

sunnyone wrote: »

The 660,000 is a red herring as it the number of people who are disabled under the DDA so with a stutter for example and I'm sure you dont think that you need another bedroom for a stutter?

Most people with disabilities dont need another bedroom, be honest, how many people suddenly need an overnight carer all of a sudden that didn't need on pre bedroom tax?

youre quite right. most people with disabilities dont ned another bedroom.
what they need is an available property with the number of bedrooms that they do need!

that is where the biggest problem is ... a dire lack of 1 bed properties.
i love it when people say there is a choice ....


move miles away from your support or pay the defecit!

in effect there is no choice. either lose support and community or lose financially, either way it is a big loss

Richie-from-the-Boro

sunnyone wrote: »

The 660,000 is a red herring as it the number of people who are disabled under the DDA so with a stutter for example and I'm sure you don't think that you need another bedroom for a stutter?

Most people with disabilities don't need another bedroom, be honest, how many people suddenly need an overnight carer all of a sudden that didn't need on pre bedroom tax?

- the red herring [6 or 660,0000] is you
- the issue is not the social housing bedroom
- its the taxing of a bedroom you can't get rid of
- being required to move to a property that does not exist
- being required to move to a property that is not suitable
- or being 'fined' and left with a considerably reduced income
- or being lied to when promised DHP help for the first year to mitigate the fine
- or worse, sent over the edge of financial security and into debt for something you can't control
- it applies if it was 660,000, 66,000 6,000 or just 6 people, its a tax and its a very wrong thing to do !

Its wrong to fine those in social housing who are old, community supported, disabled and those with long-term health conditions and no alternative accommodation, and;

Its even wrong to fine those in private housing who are old, community supported, disabled and those with long-term health conditions and no alternative accommodation.

Fatty Pickles defended the householder yesterday against LA's saying they could make an honest bob renting out their drive .. .. yeh right ! .. .. wait till there are more than 1000 nationwide .. .. the same Pickles will be onto his local authorities taxing those drives. Example £100 per month from 'drive space rental' will be £100 per month reduction in HB or CT or taxable via HMRC into the treasury coffers.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

When an individual gets awarded high rate care (DLA), one of the factors is (& this is a very basic explanation): the individual requires an overnight carer.