Bedroom Tax and kids living away??

ab.da54

nannytone wrote: »

so that makes it ok to penalise everyone that is affected by this reduction in benefit?

we will have to be using the money given specifically to, in some part, met our disability needs.
so how will i fund my disability needs

those needs are not going to disappear, so obviously they will no longer be met.

and all because there is no 1 bed housing available.?

How vocal were you when LHA rates were introduced and those in the private sector had to make up the shorfall in rent?

For those receiving DLA, I'm sure they will also be receiving other money too, so the shortfall does not have to come out of their disability benefits.

Many people are suffering in this country right now, due to finances.

We have higher fuel costs, the cost of living has risen, people have not had pay rises for many years.

I am not coming at this as someone who is not affected because I am not sure right now if I have to pay the shortfall in HB myself, but, come on now, many people in this country are struggling and it may take a re-jigging of finances but there needs to be a reduction in benefits and this is one way of doing it.

Is it fair? life isn't fair. You can fight it, campaign against it - and I support that proactive stance but you also need to look at how you are going to make up the shortfall because it will soon be upon us.

For years, disabled people have been campaigning for equality, yet, all of a sudden, some do not want to equally face paying the shortfall the reduction in HB generates.

At this point in time, you need to be looking for solutions to the problem because it doesnt appear that it will be going away.

ab.da54

nannytone wrote: »

that doesnt necessarily follow.
someone can have severe learning difficulties, but be perfectly mobile and only get low rate mobility.
the other sibling may have no night time needs and so get a lower rate of care.
but the mobile one may well keep the other one up all night if they share a room!

you cant say that just because someones benefit affects every aspect of their life, that they will also be receiving the highest rates of benefit.
it doesnt work like that

The parents may well also be in receipt of other benefits - for example higher tax credits because the children are severely disabled.

Someone posted on another thread that they receive something like £400 a week in benfits, where they are disabled and have children {no idea if children are disabled} but you can hardly say that is a small amount of money.

So ok, the severely disabled children may not both be receiving the highest rates of DLA but there will be other money coming in. These types of people are not on the breadline.

nannytone_2

very vocal.
i campaign mainly in supposedly disabled issues, but the organisation i belong to is focused on the social model and noth the medical model.

this means that many of the issues that affect disabled people, affect many many others too.
and so we canpaign of everyones behalf.

ab.da54

nannytone wrote: »

my MP is or should be on first name terms with me!

i contacted him regarding the changes in LHA ( even though it didnt affect me)
i contacted him regarding the housing benefit changes to the under 35's ( didnt affect me)
i have contacted him about these new reforms.
his answer? to tell me to write to Ian Duncan Smith because it is all hus fault.
i did wriye to IDS and received the generic 'why we need to do this' letter.

id like to know, what measures you think i could have taken to prepare for this but?

i was homeless when i was offered this property, and so couldnt turn it down.
but that still doesnt change the fact that there are NO 1 bed properties.
even the sheltered housing for pensioners are ALL 2 bedroomed.

It's great that you have contacted your MP, more people should.

[STRIKE]Reducing outgoings.

Looking at what you spend money on and where items are not necessary, cutting back on those.

Switching energy suppliers.

Looking at taking in a lodger.

Looking at moving in with someone else.

Looking at reducing visits and your daughter visiting you.

Writing to the local council about your PA having to pay at the gym just to walk inside {have you done this yet, quoting the DDA?}[/STRIKE]

I don't wish to make this about you as I feel it gets very personal then and it is not fair on you to have your life under the spotlight, so apologise.

nannytone_2

many many people are struggling.
but when the situation is as it is now ... it will always be those that have the least that struggle the most.

the low earners, unemployed, the disabled arent at the point of struggling.
they are at the point of just surviving.
and now they have to find more, from an amount that is already insufficient to meet their essential needs.

someone earning 40k a year, that has not had a payrise ... is still earning 40k a year.

yes utilities have risen massively .... but they have risen for the very poorest too.
the poor sont receive fre utilities.

it is all comparative,
£15 a week to someone earning £400 a week is an inconvenience.
to someone with £71 a week ... it is the difference between being able to eat and not

seven-day-weekend

Dunroamin wrote: »

Are you sure - I don't think that's ever been possible?

It has. We've done it when my husband was out of work and waiting to go to Uni. I was working and could have his unused tax allowance as well as my own.

nannytone_2

i have done all the things you suggested. i already only spend £20 a week on all food and household shopping.
luckily i am very careful with money by nature. so i will manage. i will be more isolated, and spend more time alone, but i wont starve.

but surely life should mean just existing?
and thats what a lot of people are already doing... and thats before these cuts hit!

mysterywoman10

ab.da54 wrote: »

The parents may well also be in receipt of other benefits - for example higher tax credits because the children are severely disabled.

Someone posted on another thread that they receive something like £400 a week in benfits, where they are disabled and have children {no idea if children are disabled} but you can hardly say that is a small amount of money.

So ok, the severely disabled children may not both be receiving the highest rates of DLA but there will be other money coming in. These types of people are not on the breadline.

So you are an expert are you in the costs associated with having a severely disabled child?

I'm going out now but I will give you a list of how DLA can soon get eaten up. You also have to really think hard about how many many parents have given up very good careers in all sectors to become full time carers. Is is never anyone's fault that they have a severely disabled child. Up all hours of the night for a start with a child makes it very very difficult to hold down a full time job.

Some people really have no idea of what some families face day in day out.

Carers of this country save it a fortune and they are entitled to a decent standard of living, the same as everyone else.

DavidF

I do laugh at these posters who suggest that taking in a lodger is a viable option.
1. You don't want a stranger in your "HOME"
2. You don't know who this potential stranger is -He/She could have a very disturbing past/future?
3. As the householder I may be the one with a very disturbing past/future does this potential lodger still want to live with me lol ?
4. For every £1 over £20 weekly that you receive from your lodger you would loose it in housing benefit.....kind of defeats the purpose wouldnt you say
5. Say I find a lodger of similar age to myself but of the opposite sex....next thing I know the DSS/DWP are going to be asking "What's going on eer then" Couple/Not couple ......let us into your home to prove this
6. Utility bills would increase....im no landlord who is going to tell me how much to charge for these ?

ab.da54

nannytone wrote: »

many many people are struggling.
but when the situation is as it is now ... it will always be those that have the least that struggle the most.

the low earners, unemployed, the disabled arent at the point of struggling.
they are at the point of just surviving.
and now they have to find more, from an amount that is already insufficient to meet their essential needs.

someone earning 40k a year, that has not had a payrise ... is still earning 40k a year.

yes utilities have risen massively .... but they have risen for the very poorest too.
the poor sont receive fre utilities.

it is all comparative,
£15 a week to someone earning £400 a week is an inconvenience.
to someone with £71 a week ... it is the difference between being able to eat and not

I get that some people will find this very difficult but please don't make out that all disabled people on benefits are simply just surviving.

However, those who are receiving £71 per week now need to look at how they will meet these charges and, if there is a spare room, they should have been advertising for a lodger weeks ago, if there was no option to move.