Square foot size of room for bedroom tax

GlasweJen

pipkin71 wrote: »

How do you manage the stairs when you visit?

Fireman's lift - I'm "only" 8 stone and OH is a big strapping rugby player. I've only been to his house twice since we started dating.

pipkin71

GlasweJen wrote: »

Fireman's lift - I'm "only" 8 stone and OH is a big strapping rugby player. I've only been to his house twice since we started dating.

That can't be nice for you - although, seeing as it's your boyfriend, it may have it's positives

Hopefully though, you will soon be allocated somewhere more suited to your needs.

Brains64

This 'between 50sq ft and 70sq' bedroom size rule is one of a few other possible headaches that may well force the Government to think again regarding this, the Bedroom Tax has clearly been ill thought out, it reminds me of the way the Poll Tax was rushed through, especially when it comes to considering the needs of disabled and vulnerable people, they make up policies on the spot that seem to presume that everyone is the same and forget that there are people in society that have different kinds of needs from the norm.

The Government are also once again playing on the emotive because they are trying to portray and demonize individuals and families with an extra bedroom, they want to make them appear as being "greedy and selfish", they want to point at them and say to those on housing waiting lists "look...see....there's why you're not getting a house...because of these people...they deserve to have their benefit cut"...but the reality is different, far from being greedy, many will be needy and struggling themselves, which is why they're claiming Housing Benefit in the first place.

wigglydave

When my ex-partner left 6 years ago,she left me in a 3 bed Council house,on my own,but with my son staying 3 nights a week.Wasnt a problem,as I paid my rent every week. But,being sensitive to the lack of social housing, I joined the local council downsizing scheme,where I was told I could have a 2 bed FLAT. Which was fine.......however,I lost my job due to no fault of my own....so now the council tell me I can still downsize,but i can only have a ONE bed flat,due to being on benefits,and possibly (in their eyes) unable to pay the bedroom tax. However,I can also stay in my 3 bedroom house (as they can't evict me)...so possibly racking up even more debt....I need the extra bedroom as ,I said before,my son stays 3 nights a week (he's 10).
So I have no choice...I stay where I am....thus depriving a needy large family a home...:(

welshee

wigglydave wrote: »

When my ex-partner left 6 years ago,she left me in a 3 bed Council house,on my own,but with my son staying 3 nights a week.Wasnt a problem,as I paid my rent every week. But,being sensitive to the lack of social housing, I joined the local council downsizing scheme,where I was told I could have a 2 bed FLAT. Which was fine.......however,I lost my job due to no fault of my own....so now the council tell me I can still downsize,but i can only have a ONE bed flat,due to being on benefits,and possibly (in their eyes) unable to pay the bedroom tax. However,I can also stay in my 3 bedroom house (as they can't evict me)...so possibly racking up even more debt....I need the extra bedroom as ,I said before,my son stays 3 nights a week (he's 10).
So I have no choice...I stay where I am....thus depriving a needy large family a home...:(

As people know the Tory T***s do not worry about that, it is the stupidest law ever expedited by the bunch of toffs.
We pay their wages yet they sh** on the general public.
Now excuse me while i go and kick the dog. (PUN)

mysterywoman10

wigglydave wrote: »

When my ex-partner left 6 years ago,she left me in a 3 bed Council house,on my own,but with my son staying 3 nights a week.Wasnt a problem,as I paid my rent every week. But,being sensitive to the lack of social housing, I joined the local council downsizing scheme,where I was told I could have a 2 bed FLAT. Which was fine.......however,I lost my job due to no fault of my own....so now the council tell me I can still downsize,but i can only have a ONE bed flat,due to being on benefits,and possibly (in their eyes) unable to pay the bedroom tax. However,I can also stay in my 3 bedroom house (as they can't evict me)...so possibly racking up even more debt....I need the extra bedroom as ,I said before,my son stays 3 nights a week (he's 10).
So I have no choice...I stay where I am....thus depriving a needy large family a home...:(

Welcome to the forum wigglydave. Many children of all ages need at sometime in their lives to return to the family home especially in such difficult times. This safety net will be removed for many if they are able to move people into one bedroomed flats, which I doubt in the majority of cases. Because the housing stock isn't available. Unless they are planning a massive building programme of one bedroom homes?

I'm not aware of any one bedroomed stock in our area apart from housing for the elderly.

Bootsalebargains

mrs_motivated wrote: »

One case I have had success with is.

Lady severely disabled and has a through floor lift into her bedroom, hubby sleeps in another room (as the lift takes up so much space that bedroom can only fit a single bed in) therefore 2 bedrooms are clearly needed. The hubby's bedroom is not large enough for a double bed and the equipment his wife needs, and accessibility would be a problem for her.

Initially he came to see me, absolutely worried sick (he sobbed in my arms). This is the reality, the worry and stress for already vulnerable folk is incredible. I swore to myself then, this is one family come hell or high water will not have to pay for their supposed extra bedroom.

Just for info I am CEO of a small housing association, but my work on welfare reform has been mainly though my other role, I am a exec board member of a national tenants group ( elected by tenants) to campaign on their behalf. Having access to ministers is not helping though. When they consulted on these changes, everyone response was to much to soon and not thought through properly. Our reports (although asked for by DCLG) were largely ignored.

This is very similar to our situation, when we moved in the house was a 3 bedroom, the lift came into the back bedroom which could only fit a single bed and nothing else and he couldn't get through the doorways into the front bedroom so the council with social services knocked 2 bedroom into 1 and our daughter is in the other. Now the council are saying we are a 3 bedroom house, I have had them out and they've confirmed we only have 2 bedroom sbut as it is on their system that it's a 3 bedroom we have to pay the extra.

mysterywoman10

What a ridiculous situation, do feel for you!

Especially when the house was adapted by them in the first place!

Can't they change it on their system?! So it's going to be such a postcode lottery depending on the LA.

I'd like to get up to speed on the appeals process can anyone point me in the right direction please I seem to be having trouble finding it?

Ziggazee

I know.......why don't you bleaters just pay your own rent......then you can't complain about the government "screwing you over" with their handouts!

squinty

Big_is_beautiful wrote: »

This information may well have been listed before, but today a Police Office informed me of a section of the Housing Act 1985 sec 326 states that rooms under a certain size are not classed as bedrooms.
Here is the link.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/68/section/326

A room measuring between 50sq ft and 70sq ft can only accommodate 1/2 a person, (child under 10). This may indeed mean that a room this small cannot be classed as an extra bedroom.

I am sure someone will check this out and correct me if I am wrong.

OK, you are wrong.

Section 326 of the 1985 Housing Act was repealed by the Local Government and Housing Act in 1989 and was to do with overcrowding.

There is no guidance on bedroom size, however the guidance at

http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publ...roh-rooms.html includes the following

An indicator that a room can be used as a bedroom could be that at least a small single bed will fit into it, and in most cases it will have a window. Again, the application of a Rent Officer’s skill and judgement is the over-riding determining factor.