This so called Bedroom Tax

nannytone_2

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Perhaps the option of a lodger should be considered by more under-occupying singletons then. Address the shortage, avoid bedroom tax AND increase your income... Win/win/win as far as I can see.

again i agree. taking in a lodger is somewhat different to being in a shared house situation though.
everuthing in my home is MINE. from the white goods to the curtains/carpets/furnityre, so having a stranger in and having to allow them to use personal, rather than shared property could be daunting. just advertising in shops/papers could be risky. some kind of scheme would be advantageous, with a degree of vetting/matching
i am considering a lodger, but as things are at the moment, i am a prime target for any dodgy n'er do well that wants to make someone elses life difficult

bloolagoon

nannytone wrote: »

it can already be done. people can have joint social housing tenancies. but it is upto the individual to find someone to share with, rather than being paired up by the council/KA. the other option is lodgers, but that would leave the lodger with even less security than they would have in the private sector, and as previously stated... for disabled people in particular, security is a major issue.

i know what you mean about the people that go to the press. the stories are so inaccurate and no research seems to have been done. they do people that are really struggling a great diservice. the article posted above, with the mother saying that she would have no alternative but to put the son into care, is one such story. minimally the household income would be £210 a week without DLA (income support/CA for the mother, ESA and minimum lrc/lrm DLA for the son)
the article says £84 a month shortfall... but that seems excessive (£20.50 a week) its more likely to be about £15 a week, so should be manageable, if they really dont want to move

Genuine question based on how honest you are. How would you feel if your PA wasn't there?

That is reality for many, I spend days dealing with ATOS, housing, CAB, CAP and others helping people. It is not what I am there for, I cannot dent their well being or move to recovery as cannot treat or help. If I was a physical nurse imagine needing stitches removed and leaving for months to septicise as no time to remove. I love my job, I am passionate and caring but cannot do this because their priority is none mental health. I can't start a process until barriers are removed so I spend my time dealing with letters, sanctions, forms and benefits not helping medically. Support services for practical help are none existent, so I have no choice.

They are often paying high private rents often over crowded and desparate as no DLA (can't articulate needs).

If I told them that healthy people in SH live with a spare room rent free it would destroy them. That is reality for many waiting years for affordable and secure rents, whilst some want a 4 bed for a couple to have children. It needed change!

nannytone_2

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Bedroom tax has changed peoples priorities in terms of social housing. Many who turned down your flat while sticking it out for a 3 bed house may well re-assess that decision now that the extra room attracts a real cost.

we have a surplus of both social and private housing. people are generally housed wityhin 3 months. so if they have a 3 bed now... they only have to wait a matter of months for a 2 bed house with a graden ( the reason the flats were refused)

nannytone_2

Dunroamin wrote: »

The son must be getting at least MRC for CA to be payable to the mother and it says in the article that they were in arrears pre April with mother living on toast at that time, which is why I said it must be a budgeting issue. And, of course, their household income is going to be far more than £210 with rent and CT adding around £150 to the figure.

Newspapers really should check their facts and not just accept emotive sob stories that fall apart at first glance.

thats why i agreed that articles such as those do more harm than good, because she comes avross as not wanting to help herselfat all and wanting everyone else to wipe her bum. not sure how she got arrears though if she is on full housing benefit ( im ignoring the amount of DLA as it is for the disability needs and not paying rent) when i say at least £210 a week, i am not including housing/council tax benefit, as that money isnt available to be used to pay the reduction in HB.

lighting_up_the_chalice

nannytone wrote: »

again i agree. taking in a lodger is somewhat different to being in a shared house situation though.
everuthing in my home is MINE. from the white goods to the curtains/carpets/furnityre, so having a stranger in and having to allow them to use personal, rather than shared property could be daunting. just advertising in shops/papers could be risky. some kind of scheme would be advantageous, with a degree of vetting/matching
i am considering a lodger, but as things are at the moment, i am a prime target for any dodgy n'er do well that wants to make someone elses life difficult

Lodgers are only part of the solution and not appropriate for all. Bedroom Tax/council tax will also encourage those using their flat as just a postal address to surrender the tenancy. Demand will encourage the building of more 1 bed units (private and social). More younger people will be encouraged to remain in the family home for longer. Co-habiting couples will actually start claiming as such and living together. etc etc etc. Housing is a wide ranging issue. A small change in one sector will, inevitably, effect all sectors and no single issue should be viewed as remote.

lighting_up_the_chalice

nannytone wrote: »

we have a surplus of both social and private housing. people are generally housed wityhin 3 months. so if they have a 3 bed now... they only have to wait a matter of months for a 2 bed house with a graden ( the reason the flats were refused)

If demand is as stilted as you suggest, you have the option to downsize.

nannytone_2

bloolagoon wrote: »

Genuine question based on how honest you are. How would you feel if your PA wasn't there?

That is reality for many, I spend days dealing with ATOS, housing, CAB, CAP and others helping people. It is not what I am there for, I cannot dent their well being or move to recovery as cannot treat or help. If I was a physical nurse imagine needing stitches removed and leaving for months to septicise as no time to remove. I love my job, I am passionate and caring but cannot do this because their priority is none mental health. I can't start a process until barriers are removed so I spend my time dealing with letters, sanctions, forms and benefits not helping medically. Support services for practical help are none existent, so I have no choice.

They are often paying high private rents often over crowded and desparate as no DLA (can't articulate needs).

If I told them that healthy people in SH live with a spare room rent free it would destroy them. That is reality for many waiting years for affordable and secure rents, whilst some want a 4 bed for a couple to have children. It needed change!

i know your frustration. my last full time job was working for DIAL ( for 2 years up until 2004 when i could no longer read for more than a few minutes before the strain caused migraines)
i know how fortunate i am to have funding for my PA, and to be homest I couldnt believe the degree of funding i got ( derbyshire county council is one of the best nationwide when it comes to funding for the elderly/disabled. and that fact that i have a sensory impairment meant that i got an extremely generous care package because they are under utilised)
without my PA i honestly dont know how i would manage. silly things like reading letters and sell by dates ... being able to wear clothes that maych that arent all black ( to avoid looking like a clown, i used to buy most of my clothes in balck) just being able to do things that i used to do without thinking or having to plan weeks in advance.

i have good friends and they also take me out... but they arent always the best at making sure i'm ok, nit because they dont care, but because i am not their only priority. with my PA i am always her priority
( we went to nottingham one saturday last year... about 8 of us. we were sitting having a drink, and decided we were going to move on somewhere else. and they all expected someone else to bring me, and instead i got left behind. they noticed about 10 minutes later and came back to get me!

nannytone_2

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

If demand is as stilted as you suggest, you have the option to downsize.

to another 2 bed? bit pointless.
there are NO 1 bed social housing properties. even the pensione bungalows ( of which there are may) are all 2 bed

skintmacflint

nannytone wrote: »

there are NO 1 bed social housing properties.

At the time when probably most social housing was built, it would have been built with families in mind. There's probably more single bed accom available in private rental market, originally built with first time buyer in mind.

It's not a viable proposition to ask the government to build thousands of single bed social houses, to suit the HB payment requirements of those affected. Much easier to identify individuals on a case to case basis, and make an allowance for it. Which is where the discretionary housing fund helps.

Perhaps the fund won't cover all the people who think they're eligible for it this year, but once they've identified the ongoing genuine cases, could be the DHF will be increased accordingly.

kafkathecat

I think the article could have had more detail but no one knows what the care of the care of the young man in the article may cost. He may need taxi's etc. Also as he has autism going away for respite care is unlikely to be an option.
Still, while everyone bickers over details I imagine £20 million could have built a council flat or 2. http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2013/05/02/hmrc-let-goldman-sachs-off-tax-to-avoid-major-embarrassment-for-george-osborne/