Bedroom tax despite one bedroom only being enough room for medical equipment

AimeesMum_2

Hi all,

My mum has been bedridden for 20 years with Multiple Sclerosis. She has a partner who is her carer and they live together claiming income support, carers allowance and high rate DLA minus the element for a mobility car.

They are in an adapted council house which consists of two bedroom. It was designed especially for my mum and has a wet room, extended doorways, ramp, and two bedrooms. Both bedrooms are of equal size. Carer sleeping in one room and my mum in the other.

The rooms are literally only big enough for my mum's single hospital bed, hoist, and other medical equipment. When the nurses are in helping her they need to literally breathe in and shimmy round the bed.

She was sent a letter telling her that she is now liable for Council Tax. Is it worth querying this with the Council?

She is struggling as it is with care at home costing £40 a week, will have to contribute to her council tax and now this bedroom tax

Any help would be greatly appreciated regarding potentially contesting the bedroom tax xx

P.s I know it's not a tax and is a reduction in benefits

Thomas_Hardy

Council tax is separate from the under occupancy charge - the amount of benefit/ support offered will vary between councils. You will need to check your local authority website to see whether they have to pay anything.

What size are the bedrooms? It is rare that a council property would have two very small bedrooms.

AimeesMum_2

The rooms aren't incredibly small - it's more an issue of my mum being large (went from 10 stone to 26 stone in the last 5 years alone!) and the amount of equipment she has in her own bedroom leaving only the other bedroom for storage of both of their clothes and things.

If the bed she slept in wasn't so large, that would help but it is and that can't be changed I also suspect the rooms are smaller as she was moved into a brand new build where all the other flats in the block are only two bedroom and she has had to have a range of adaptions to hers which would limit the space around the floor plan x

HappyMJ

I can see a case for some discretion here...It's not all hard and fast the council can help and especially in the case of your mother it seems she shouldn't have to pay any extra. Seek some advice from your local CAB or for another angle try your local MP.

pipkin71

AimeesMum wrote: »

Hi all,

My mum has been bedridden for 20 years with Multiple Sclerosis. She has a partner who is her carer and they live together claiming income support, carers allowance and high rate DLA minus the element for a mobility car.

They are in an adapted council house which consists of two bedroom. It was designed especially for my mum and has a wet room, extended doorways, ramp, and two bedrooms. Both bedrooms are of equal size. Carer sleeping in one room and my mum in the other.

The rooms are literally only big enough for my mum's single hospital bed, hoist, and other medical equipment. When the nurses are in helping her they need to literally breathe in and shimmy round the bed.

She was sent a letter telling her that she is now liable for Council Tax. Is it worth querying this with the Council?

She is struggling as it is with care at home costing £40 a week, will have to contribute to her council tax and now this bedroom tax

Any help would be greatly appreciated regarding potentially contesting the bedroom tax xx

P.s I know it's not a tax and is a reduction in benefits

Are both rooms that small Aimees mum?

My hospital bed, width wise, is no different than a single, but it is longer than a normal bed.

Do you have any idea of room size?

I wonder, if the other room is larger, if equipment could be moved into that room. I never thought a house would just have single size rooms for bedrooms.

AimeesMum_2

She had to have a bed specially made which is a large bed as she has to be turned regularly due to her size and bed sores which she gets if she is not rolled or move often. It might be that some rearranging could be done - just seems a shame that her carer can't have someone which isn't so full of clutter to be able to rest in given that he looks after her 24 hours a day with the exception of the nurses who come in 2 times a week for an hour xx I think I will try and appeal...no harm in trying

BigAunty

Check her local council policy for council tax discount. In april, in England, the discount policies are changing for CT as councils can set their own schemes up rather than there being a national one with rules for all occupants.

The councils have a reduced budget and many claimants who had 100% discounts in the past are not necessarily getting them in full now.

Council policy will vary with every council in England.

This has meant a double whammy for some claimants - they have reduced housing benefit due to unoccupied rooms and have to contribute towards their council tax.

RAS

Aimee - check Duncan Smith's statement. According to the Guardian

"Duncan Smith also said he had issued guidance to local authorities emphasising that discretionary payments would be available to support "other priority groups" affected, including "people whose homes have had significant disability adaptations and those with long-term medical conditions that create difficulties in sharing a bedroom"."

HappyMJ

How much are they asking for the council tax? What would happen if she didn't pay it? Does she own anything of value? She will not be put in prison for default so if there is nothing the council can do to get payment I'd just tell them that there is no money available and not pay. Money can not just be whipped up from nothing...there will be a lot of low income earners going into default she won't be the only one. Could she get the housing department of the council or housing association to reclassify the room so it is no longer a bedroom? Many housing associations are reclassifying very small rooms as box rooms as they are a too small to be used as a bedroom except maybe for one small child or a baby.

Ms_Chocaholic

Where does your mum's partner sleep?

zzzLazyDaisy

There is a recent case on the 'bedroom tax' which was going to appeal but the government backed down today. It concerned severely disabled children needing their own room, but was decided on the basis of unlawful disability discrimination, so may have farther reaching consequences and may help you. I don't have a link at the moment, but I'm sure it will be all over the place by tomorrow.

Dx