Will The Bedroom Tax Affect Me?

jules372

Morlock wrote: »

Good luck. Have you personally invested in any of the adaptations?

Of course, you can tell me it's none of my business, or choose not to reply.

Unfortunately I wasn't in a position to contribute. We were lucky enough to get a DFG grant. (grabs hard hat and takes cover!)

Morlock

jules372 wrote: »

Unfortunately I wasn't in a position to contribute. We were lucky enough to get a DFG grant. (grabs hard hat and takes cover!)

That's fine by me, I'm just interested in what amounts of money disabled tenants may have invested in social housing properties.

Do you know whether or not the DFG grant would be easily accessible again if you had to move to an unadapted property?

jules372

Morlock wrote: »

That's fine by me, I'm just interested in what amounts of money disabled tenants may have invested in social housing properties.

Do you know whether or not the DFG grant would be easily accessible again if you had to move to an unadapted property?

I'm not sure, but I think the HA also contributed to the adaptations, so very unlikely that they would put money out for us again.

We know how lucky we were to get this house (my son's bedroom is a downstairs extension with wet room) and although it will mean a tightening on the budget, for us it is worth it to stay in the house and also be close to our family. I am the sole carer for my son, as his condition is progressive, it's important to be near to my family for support.

Blue22

Dunroamin wrote: »

I think that where social housing providers have spend thousands on adaptations for a particular tenant should be an exception to the new system.

I think these circumstances will be an exception under the new system.


As noted earlier, we have announced that an extra £30 million per year will be added to the scheme, £25 million of which is intended to be used specifically to assist those disabled claimants who are in properties where a significant adaptation has been made to cater for their individual needs. This should help avoid someone who lives in a property that has been significantly adapted at public expense having to move to a smaller property where those adaptations would have to be made again and possibly removed from the original property.

Taken from http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf

Morlock

jules372 wrote: »

I'm not sure, but I think the HA also contributed to the adaptations, so very unlikely that they would put money out for us again.

Unfortunately, you are one of many tens of thousands of people in a similar position, the bedroom tax has a disproportionate affect on disabled claimants with two-thirds of households affected having a disability.

jules372 wrote: »

We know how lucky we were to get this house (my son's bedroom is a downstairs extension with wet room) and although it will mean a tightening on the budget, for us it is worth it to stay in the house and also be close to our family. I am the sole carer for my son, as his condition is progressive, it's important to be near to my family for support.

Hopefully this catastrophic policy will be reversed eventually and you won't be liable.

Are you aware that you may qualify for Discretionary Housing Payments to top-up the shortfall in rent? It is not a long-term solution, but could help in the short-term.

~Chameleon~

jules372 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I understand that, and if we have to pay, so be it. But my point is our rent at the moment is £10 a week less than the current LHA 2bdrm rate, that's what's confusing me.

So if you downsize into a suitable house within the private sector, which thousands may well need to due to shortage of social housing, then you (and them) will end up costing the government even MORE money, which is why this is such a ludicrous idea!

nannytone_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

So if you downsize into a suitable house within the private sector, which thousands may well need to due to shortage of social housing, then you (and them) will end up costing the government even MORE money, which is why this is such a ludicrous idea!

plus she will have to move again to a 3 bed house whebn her son needs an overnight carer.

in a way im almost suprised that they allow an overnight carer to have a bedroom as i thought they would expect the carer to sit up and 'work'
( not what i think should happen, just suprised that the powers that be dont think ie)

Dunroamin

Blue22 wrote: »

I think these circumstances will be an exception under the new system.


As noted earlier, we have announced that an extra £30 million per year will be added to the scheme, £25 million of which is intended to be used specifically to assist those disabled claimants who are in properties where a significant adaptation has been made to cater for their individual needs. This should help avoid someone who lives in a property that has been significantly adapted at public expense having to move to a smaller property where those adaptations would have to be made again and possibly removed from the original property.

Taken from http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf

Thanks for that - I would certainly have hoped that this might be the case.

Just a shame that the people who posted after you linked to this haven't chosen to acknowledge the fact.

Morlock

nannytone wrote: »

in a way im almost suprised that they allow an overnight carer to have a bedroom as i thought they would expect the carer to sit up and 'work'

The government wanted overnight carers excluded, but an appeal court overturned the legislation.

Morlock

Dunroamin wrote: »

Just a shame that the people who posted after you linked to this haven't chosen to acknowledge the fact.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=59511215&postcount=216