This so called Bedroom Tax

GlasweJen

Yeah but I need to pay rent, council tax, care fees, adaptions and aids and my access to work contribution, you get a lot more "free" than I do and I certainly don't have access to a PA to help if the lift in my building dies or I need to nip to the shops, or I need help with changing a soiled nappy or want to move from my couch back to my wheelchair.

If my sister wasn't willing to sacrifice her career to help me I'd be stuck in this flat 24/7 because Glasgow city council can't even be bothered to assess me for social care.

Oh and I hope to god there's not a fire at night because unless it happens to be a night my sister is in my (unrelated, male) flat mate would have to help me out of bed, down 5 flights of stairs and that's after waking me because I won't hear the fire alarm. But that's not intrusive at all, I'd rather have someone read my mail than I would have someone carry my bag of dirty nappies downstairs for me every week.

catkins

charlieismydarling wrote: »

Why did you go with him to tenants' houses when he was working and presumably being paid? Didn't they mind? I certainly would.

On looking at Mosiac's website they are more than a HA, they provide supported living for one thing, where it might be the norm to provide more than the basics. So your post is misleading.

He worked long hours and was often on call out which could be all hours of the day and night. We lived quite a distance out of London and I would go with him and sit in the van so we could actually spend some time together when he was driving around. No they didn't mind - they were obviously not as narrow minded as you.

A lot of the tenants who were given carpets, white goods etc and expected lightbulbs to be given and put in by someone else were NOT supported living tenants but hey you obviously know better than me

charlieismydarling

catkins wrote: »

He worked long hours and was often on call out which could be all hours of the day and night. We lived quite a distance out of London and I would go with him and sit in the van so we could actually spend some time together when he was driving around. No they didn't mind - they were obviously not as narrow minded as you.

A lot of the tenants who were given carpets, white goods etc and expected lightbulbs to be given and put in by someone else were NOT supported living tenants but hey you obviously know better than me

He was called out to change light bulbs? Really?
I am not narrow minded, but I would mind someone else tagging along, especially someone as judgemental as you appear to be.
How do you know they didn't mind? Did you ask?

It is not usual for HA or the council to replace light bulbs. It really isn't.

Dunroamin

nannytone wrote: »

would your cleaner be reading your personal mail?
and be attending personal medical assessments?

i am independant, i make my own decisions and go where i want.
the fact that i need someone i can trust to accompany me id irrelevant.

you really need to learn a bit of humility otherwise when you fall off your extrememly high horse, no one will be around to help you up

Your PA may be helping you get to medicals but why should she need to actually be with you when in with the doctor?

Your idea of independence is obviously very different from mine.

Dunroamin

nannytone wrote: »

but you have more than £100 a week coming in

That might be because GlasweJen actually works, don't you think?

lighting_up_the_chalice

nannytone wrote: »

but you have more than £100 a week coming in

There will be many working full time who, after paying transport, rent and council tax, have less than £100 a week.

Lou76

I live in Glasgow and, including the 25% single person discount, I pay £108 per month Council Tax, and I'm not in an expensive flat/affluent area, so I assume Jen pays roughly the same, if not more.

Add to that she's paying out money to actually allow her to get to work.

I would be surprised if she has £100, after all her bills/expenses, left over per month, let alone per week.

GlasweJen

I wish i had £100 a week left every week for spends, I can't afford for my food bill to top £100 a month.

I'd like to sacrifice my high rate mobility against a new wheelchair (lighter and easier to manoeuvre) but I couldn't afford to lose the money that brings in.

My rent is £350 per month and council tax is £119. I don't get LHA, CTB etc and I don't get direct payments either.

TheFactory

kafkathecat wrote: »

A group who have been massively affected by the bedroom tax is disabled people who have had their housing adapted for them. No only do they often need the extra room for equipment or to sleep separately from their partners but what are the chances of a private landlord adapting a property for them and teh cost of that adaptation has gone to waste. More joined up thinking.

Just read this and couldn't agree more. My mother got her council house adapted for her needs last year and signed a piece of paper to say she would not move for 5 years. She is disabled and still lives in our family home with 1 bedroom spare and has now been hit with this reduction in her benefits - she barely had anything to live on before so now I help her out by sending her money when I get paid - I shudder at the thought of her not being able to feed or heat herself.

bestpud

nannytone wrote: »

my support worked lives in the same place that i live. if i need her, she is on the doorstep. nottingham is a 40 minute journey away.
if she has those assitional costs on a dail;y basis, then working for me wouldnt be financially viable for her.

if i moved away from the area i am in, if she decided it was worth her while to still work for me ( doubtful) then she would be the only person i saw.
do you really think friends and accquaintances are so unimportant to wellbeing?
especially for someone that is easily isololated through disability?

dunroamin... your husband is disabled. if you werent there to care for him and he relied on a paid carer...

you honestly think it would be appropriate to move away from his friends and everything he knows to start again all alone?

if you say yes it would be fine, then your either lying or you obviously dont care about his wellbeing

Your PA is not doing you a favour. She is being well paid!

If you moved, she'd very quickly learn that she is actually on to a good thing.

There isn't many caring jobs that pay £250 a week for 25 hours of light work and socialising with a friend! Plus she has expenses paid on top of that and isn't even doing any rehabilitation work!

Crikey, she may even get free gym membership again if your housing costs were reduced.

Believe me, she'd travel!

If not, I can assure you there are plenty of experienced and well qualified carers you could choose from. You'd have no shortage of applicants that's for sure!

That should be the least of your worries, honestly!

You need to understand she isn't doing you a favour - if anything it's the other way around!