Bedroom Tax and kids living away??

306chris

I would really like to know if people would consider myself to have a luxury?

I have a three bed house, third bed is 6ftx6ft. Me & my partner live there with our two children one boy and one girl so technically we have a luxurious spare room.

I'm sure that a lodger would love to live in a box room and in the next room there will be a three year old with very disturbed sleep pattern who wakes 4 or 5 times a night usually in tears.

I accept the fact that we all have to make savings and we have given up things in preperation for the benefit reduction. I just feel a bit peeved that people seem to think we have a luxurious spare room and live the life of reily. I've worked all my adult life and paid in enough, I can't understand how they give you enough benefit to live on and then say hang on lets just take some back.

It's not just the unemployed that it is affecting. I'm off to a job interview this afternoon for a order picker in a wharehouse, pays NMW and is full time. Even on that I'd still be getting HB that would be reduced. The whole thing just stinks.

plum2002

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

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.

Really? I thought that transferring tax allowances was only for savings? I didn't know it used to be possible to use your partners tax allowance? When did it stop?

ab.da54

mysterywoman10 wrote: »

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.

I understand how DLA can soon be eaten up but DLA will not be the only money coming into the house.

I would not like to be in a position where I have a severey disabled child but them I would not like to be in my position either and, fact is, that is the hand that has been dealt and we have to live with that, manage the best we can.

It's not easy.

I can't imagine it's easy for parents with disabled children.

That said, DLA will not be the only income coming in and those who receive the full range of benefits are not on the breadline. Sorry if that offends but benefits in this country are quite generous as a single disabled person and, I imagine, where there are two children in a family with severe disabilities, as you suggested, making up the shortfall in housing benefits will not see them starving and on the streets, even if they do have to now cut back.

seven-day-weekend

DavidF wrote: »

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 ?

What rubbish. We have had a dozen lodgers over the years - not one of them has turned out to be an axe murderer. And they don't have to be a stranger.

As for losing the Benefit, there is Government legislation coming in that says you won't...I quoted it earlier on in the thread.

Your utility bills do increase slightly, although you have to heat the house whether there is one person in it or six, so not by much.

Some people do not want any suggestions as to how they can help themselves.

seven-day-weekend

plum2002 wrote: »

Really? I thought that transferring tax allowances was only for savings? I didn't know it used to be possible to use your partners tax allowance? When did it stop?

I think in the 70s or early 80s.

ab.da54

nannytone wrote: »

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!

I could be mistaken, but I thought you said recently in a thread that you are very supportive in your local commuinity, so I assume you are known in the community, have friends and therefore see people.

Since meeting up with people can be a free event, how will it make you more isolated?

Have you thought about attending your local church group?

People at the church can be very supportive - offer lifts to people so that they can get to church and it isn't just about becoming religious but there are often social groups connected to churches.

Have you a ring and ride service in your area?

Are there other social groups - the WI, for instance?

You don't have to be isolated, nor do you have to spend money to see people.

ab.da54

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Some people do not want any suggestions as to how they can help themselves.

This is what I get from the several forums I have visited recently, including this one.

It is time now, to become proactive and sort out how the shortfall will be met.

mysterywoman10

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I think in the 70s or early 80s.

We did it in 1987 only for a year, but it wasn't allowed the other way around female to male.

ab.da54

306chris wrote: »

I would really like to know if people would consider myself to have a luxury?

I have a three bed house, third bed is 6ftx6ft. Me & my partner live there with our two children one boy and one girl so technically we have a luxurious spare room.

I'm sure that a lodger would love to live in a box room and in the next room there will be a three year old with very disturbed sleep pattern who wakes 4 or 5 times a night usually in tears.

I accept the fact that we all have to make savings and we have given up things in preperation for the benefit reduction. I just feel a bit peeved that people seem to think we have a luxurious spare room and live the life of reily. I've worked all my adult life and paid in enough, I can't understand how they give you enough benefit to live on and then say hang on lets just take some back.

It's not just the unemployed that it is affecting. I'm off to a job interview this afternoon for a order picker in a wharehouse, pays NMW and is full time. Even on that I'd still be getting HB that would be reduced. The whole thing just stinks.

Couple of things that jump out - I don't think anyoneis stating that a box room is luxurious, nor that you are living a life of riley, however, you will at least be having over £250 per week coming in, if on JSA, child tax credits and child benefits, unless any of you are disabled, and then you will be getting more.

That approx figure of £250 coming in is without the worry of any rent payments or council tax payments until now. Why will it be difficult to find around £10 of that, unless there are lots of debts.

You say you have paid enough in, but what about the use of doctors, hospitals, bin collection, road use, education. If you really looked into it, what you have paid in wont equal what you have taken out.

A final thought, I wish you well with your interview, and god willing, you will be accepted for the job.

mysterywoman10

ab.da54 wrote: »

I could be mistaken, but I thought you said recently in a thread that you are very supportive in your local commuinity, so I assume you are known in the community, have friends and therefore see people.

Since meeting up with people can be a free event, how will it make you more isolated?

Have you thought about attending your local church group?

People at the church can be very supportive - offer lifts to people so that they can get to church and it isn't just about becoming religious but there are often social groups connected to churches.

Have you a ring and ride service in your area?

Are there other social groups - the WI, for instance?

You don't have to be isolated, nor do you have to spend money to see people.

She might be an aethiest!!

Sorry I really find this post a bit patronising