Council Mutual Exchange , Bedroom Tax & what is allowed??

starrystarry

cazzap06 wrote: »

I know , but I really am scared! lol

Will have to pluck up the courage to do it ASAP though and hope it is good news!! :j

I don't get it, sorry. Why not just find out the answer so you can plan accordingly?

Being scared won't achieve anything. Arguing with folk on here won't achieve anything.

Errata

cazzap06 wrote: »

I am not complaining the system isn't working - I just think if someone who wants a spare room and is willing to PAY the bedroom tax for it , then why not let them do so , especially if their circumstances call for it and your solutions are impractical and restrictive , and yes it is my choice , I never said it wasn't , was just enquireing if some boroughs would let me HAVE my choice x

Wants aren't needs. Social housing is intended to benefit the most people the best way, so it's allocated to people according to what they need, not what they say they want.

sulkisu

cazzap06 wrote: »

I know , but I really am scared! lol

Will have to pluck up the courage to do it ASAP though and hope it is good news!! :j

I hope so too - you can but ask . I don't think you are being unreasonable under the circumstances and many LAs will allow an extra bedroom when undertaking a mutual exchange, even without the question of 'need' and even more so when you are downsizing. If you were applying for housing, my answer would be different, but as you are already in a 3+ bedroom property, swapping with someone who is in a two bed and overcrowded would benefit both of you. Or for the naysayers, you could always just stay where you are, in your much larger property.

[Deleted User]

Just dipping my toes in the water before I take the plunge...

You do hear conflicting things on the net etc - I did read somewhere that my preferred borough does let you have ONE bedroom extra only which is fine , so was hoping it was still true and that things hadn't changed across the board?

I think the clear picture is that yes it is indeed possible as some councils allow it , do all councils in my preferred boroughs allow it , yup , that I will just have to find out & was of course hoping that SOME boroughs still allowed it and that there is a chance , possibly even a semi good chance

sulkisu

Errata wrote: »

Wants aren't needs. Social housing is intended to benefit the most people the best way, so it's allocated to people according to what they need, not what they say they want.

Fair enough, but OP is already in social housing in a property that is already too big for her, so it is not a question of having something allocated to her. She is looking at doing a mutual exchange - thereby swapping her home with another (overcrowded) social housing tenant.

JemmaM91

Tbh I feel your being a little bit too picky.

I live with my partner and 17 month old son permanently in a one bed flat. So I don't quite understand how you need a 2 bed for your grandson who stays over occasionally.

With a one bed all you need to do is put a wall divider in your front room and you'd have a 'bedroom' for when your grandson stayed over.

I understand that you've currently got a 3 bed property but assume that was when it was needed. People need to be less selfish with social housing and when they no longer require extra bedrooms then they should free up the property. This is why social housing is now so hard to get.

I've been told I'd be lucky to get a 2 bed before my son is 5.

A one bed wouldn't be the end of the world, especially as most have quite spacious rooms so you could easily divide living room or bedroom. Also if it was ground floor you'd also likely get a garden.

sulkisu

Also, just to add that a mutual exchange is more likely to be available to the OP with a two bedroom property as opposed to a one bedroom property. The chances of a tenant in a one bedroom property justifying the need for a 3+ bedroom property are going to be pretty remote although not impossible.
Reading many of the posts on here, I think people are missing the point that it is a mutual exchange.

nannytone_2

where i live... social housing is plentiful, so many people over occupy.
previously i lived in london in a 4 bed property.
they wouldnt allow you to move to another property that was too big. they allowed me to live in a 3 bed that was already allocated to me, but wouldnt allow me to move to a 2 bed because it was bigger than i needed.

i do understand the viewpoint of the OP.
she is giving up a bigger property.
but the chances are. she wont be allowed to MOVE to a property that is bigger than she requires ( due to the benefit changes)

she has a clear choice.
stay in her current property or move to a 1 bed.
neither suit her needs properly, but at least she has a choice

Errata

Given the scarcity of social housing, why would one borough be happy to allocate a property larger than their need to someone from another borough ?

[Deleted User]

mrs_motivated wrote: »

Mutual Exchange is a Stautory right for secure tenants, Landlords can only refuse using on2 of the reasons contained in the Housing Acts. One of which is if the property is substantially bigger than needed by the person wanting to move in.

In many councils (even with the introduction of underoccupancy charge) they will still allow a mutual exchange to go ahead with one extra bedroom, providing you are not currently in the right size home ie a 1 bed, so if you are in a 3 bed and going to a 1 bed or a 2 bed for a 2 bed, the majority of LA's will allow this. Although this is less likely if you live in London, but common in Midlands, North etc.

Check your LA's mutual exchange policy, they may allow it.

Thanks for this by the way and for those sharing stories of their moves , it just gets worrying after April 1st as it seems after which everything changed , but looks like some do , some don't so will definitely swallow the lump in my throat and get on the phone and find out for sure , it's vital to me!!