This so called Bedroom Tax

DCodd

nannytone wrote: »

when you sign a tenancy, you rent the property and the fixtures and fittings.
if my shower breaks... i phone the HA and they fix it. if i have a broken window, i call and they fix it. if my heating breaks, i call and they fix it.

OK but would it not be sensible to offer prospective tenants (if the properties have been allocated) the buying power of the developer? The white goods and carpets could be paid for by the tenant but purchased in bulk by the developer?

nannytone_2

DCodd wrote: »

OK but would it not be sensible to offer prospective tenants (if the properties have been allocated) the buying power of the developer? The white goods and carpets could be paid for by the tenant but purchased in bulk by the developer?

that would be a really good idea.
but the post i replied to stated that the properties came complete with white goods abd carpets ( inferring that the tenant got them free with the property ( to rent))

nannytone_2

365days wrote: »

I'm not too sure of the rights you are talking about. Do you mean the right to stay within your 'community'.

Many, many people in my generation have had to move away from their families because they COULD NOT AFFORD to live where they grew up. There is always a choice. I could of chosen to stay where I was in inferior accomodation or move to a cheaper area and have a nicer home.

I don't think anyone is being stigmatised for being poor. I suspect many people living in council houses are far more wealthy than I. People are at long last being told that the government and tax-payer will only pay for the houses that they need not the houses that they want.

If people want a larger house than they need they will have to pay for it. What really is the problem with that ?

i totally agree.
if the smaller properties were available.
even if everyone needing a one bed moved to wherever they were told to go, and rented all one bed places in the social and private sectors ...
there would still not be enough one bed places for everyone that needed one.

wriggly

nannytone wrote: »

it has been before the courts and is now LAW, that disability living allowance is not for housing costs. it is additional money paid out to enable the disabled person to meet the additional costs of daily life

So if a disabled person uses their DLA to pay for an extra room, will they go to prison?

Do you have a link to more details?

nannytone_2

wriggly wrote: »

So if a disabled person uses their DLA to pay for an extra room, will they go to prison?

Do you have a link to more details?

i'll have a look for it.
they wouldnt use their DLA though. they would reduce spending on heating and food from their 'normal' income in order to make up the shortfall

kafkathecat

365days wrote: »

I'm not too sure of the rights you are talking about. Do you mean the right to stay within your 'community'.

Many, many people in my generation have had to move away from their families because they COULD NOT AFFORD to live where they grew up. There is always a choice. I could of chosen to stay where I was in inferior accomodation or move to a cheaper area and have a nicer home.

I don't think anyone is being stigmatised for being poor. I suspect many people living in council houses are far more wealthy than I. People are at long last being told that the government and tax-payer will only pay for the houses that they need not the houses that they want.

If people want a larger house than they need they will have to pay for it. What really is the problem with that ?

The problem is that house prices are out of reach of the vast majority of people. Unless you got on the property ladder some time ago for many they face the prospect of never owning their own home. This is coupled with the fact that we have one of the most unregulated rental markets in Europe so rents have gone up much faster than income destroying the standard of living of people who need to rent. Social housing which was sold was not replaced and rents are being increased to match the market level. Who benefits? Only those who already own their own homes and landlords who are the people raking in all the Housing Benefit that so many get irate about. Many of those forced to move by the bedroom tax will go into private rental accomodation and the rent may be more but everyone is happy as long as someone is suffering.

kafkathecat

wriggly wrote: »

So if a disabled person uses their DLA to pay for an extra room, will they go to prison?

Do you have a link to more details?

Even if this is an option it leaves people less money to pay for the extra expenses that disability brings. And for what? So that those on over £150,000 a year can have a tax cut. Nice.

kloana

claire2k wrote: »

I was just sat here wondering how it is allowed that a council who allocated me a 3 bedroomed house 25 years ago

If I had gone to university prior to 1998, I wouldn't have paid any tuition fees, and probably would've got a big fat grant, too.

If I had gone between 1998-2003, I would've got my tuition fees of £1,200 per year 'free', paid by my local authority, but would've got saddled with a £12k loan for my living costs.

If I'd gone between 2003-2012, I would've had to have paid my own fees (now £3,500 per year) and living costs, but would have been assisted with a combination of loans and grants, leaving with a total debt of around £21k

If I'd gone between 2012 and now, I would've had to have paid my own fees of around (now £9,000 per year) and living costs, but would have been assisted with a combination of loans and grants, leaving with a total debt of around £37,500.

A lot can change in just a few years. It's unrealistic to expect housing policy to have remained static for a quarter of a century, when so much else has changed quite radically.

tomtom256

claire2k wrote: »

I was just sat here wondering how it is allowed that a council who allocated me a 3 bedroomed house 25 years ago when there was just me, my husband and one child can now start to charge for an extra room. I dont claim benefits because we both work full time and pay full rent but this Bedroom Tax does really bug me and i do worry that as we both get older and perhaps have to claim benefits are we going to have to move from what has been our family home for so long. The council gave me the house in the first place with just 1 child, it was technically too big for us then so how can they decide in the future it is too big. :mad:
xx

Because the council didn't make the rule and 25 years ago it didn't exist so would have made no difference at all.

365days

nannytone wrote: »

i totally agree.
if the smaller properties were available.
even if everyone needing a one bed moved to wherever they were told to go, and rented all one bed places in the social and private sectors ...
there would still not be enough one bed places for everyone that needed one.

I'm guessing there aren't many one bed places as most people on low income, who do not have a HA/Council place house share.

I bet there will be a few more of those about as people take in lodgers.

Many of my single colleagues house share. If you are a single person what else do you need? Need remember not want.