Bedroom tax and our disabled child

jammother

We applied for housing benefit as our son has just been awarded DLA. We asked to be considered for the three bedroom LHA as he cannot be trusted with his baby sister at night. He gets HRC as needs night supervision.

It went through with no problems but we sent a copy of the DLA letter and the phone number of our portage key worker who works in the same building.

seven-day-weekend

evenasus wrote: »

I don't!

Nor me. I had my son round a couple of months ago, quite upset because he thought he would have to pay an extra charge because he has a spare bedroom.

He is buying his own flat on a mortgage (on slightly over minimum wage) and claims no Benefits at all. I explained to him what it meant and do you know what he said? 'Well why do they call it a tax then?'.

It is misleading to call it the Bedroom Tax, when it is a reduction in Housing Benefit, and will lead to people other than my son getting confused and distressed. Indeed, one or two regulars on this forum have already expressed confusion as to whether it applies to them or not.

Call it by the correct name, a reduction in HB.

Quinn23

Hi again,

Maybe it isn't called the bedroom tax but it seems to be commonly known as that and when people call it this many instantly know what it is

I have emailed my housing benefits advice office and am awaiting their reply.

It is nice to know I am right in this after months of being sent the wrong forms.

Thank you all for the advice!

Pollycat

Quinn
I hope you included the information from Housing Benefit Officer (post #7) in your email. Let us know what the council say.

On the subject of 'Bedroom Tax', I'm not going to get into a debate about the rights and wrongs of the 'nickname' but I'm really surprised that a council would refer to it as that in publications and communications to the public.
Unless, that is, they use it as clarification e.g. "you may recognise this referred to as the 'Bedroom tax' by the media".

I've looked on our council's website and a couple of other neighbouring councils' and also Directgov and none of them use the term at all.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Pollycat wrote: »

I've looked on our council's website and a couple of other neighbouring councils' and also Directgov and none of them use the term at all.

http://www.islington.gov.uk/advice/benefits/changes-to-benefits/what-are-changes/Pages/Spare-room-tax.aspx

http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200008/benefits/910/under_occupancybedroom_tax

http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/AdviceBenefitsAndEmergencies/HousingBenefit/Pages/HBChanges2013FAQs.aspx

etc, etc, etc....

Pollycat

I see.

Maybe here (further North) we don't need things dumbing down so that we can understand them.

Morlock

Had the bedroom tax had been implemented as planned by the Tories, disabled claimants needing an overnight carer would have been liable for bedroom tax, which was ruled as unlawfully discriminatory by the Court of Appeal.

As were cases such as the OP's where parents of a child with a disabled sibling requiring a separate bedroom become liable for bedroom tax. The DWP abandoned their crusade to the Supreme Court to overturn the appeal court ruling amid bad press coverage, luckily for those disabled children who were affected.

TOBRUK

Quinn23 wrote: »

Hello everyone

I find myself here for some expert advice.

It is to do with the bedroom tax and my disabled son. I have read online in a few places that he should be given his own bedroom or be exempt from the bedroom tax based on his difficulties and the fact that if he had to share with his sister this would cause his behavior to be bad and would keep her awake at night. He has cerebral palsy and many learning difficulties. For him to sleep at night we have to have him in a strict routine just for him.

So when this bedroom tax came in and since the legal challenges we have been in touch with our local council about this. All they seem to do is make us fill out the discretionary housing payment form. Is this wrong? We are not asking for discretionary payments. We are asking that the benefit reduction on our housing benefit is removed.
.......
Surely our housing benefit office should require proof of our sons disability to remove his benefit cut and not need to know our finances? It isn't a hardship payment we want.
.....
Thank you for any help.

Hi Quinn23,
Pollycat is right,

OP:
Maybe things are 'getting lost in translation' when you ring the Council up.
Why not write a letter to the Council and include word-for-word what HBO says and see how you get on?

I know when such matters arise you want to telephone and get an answer to your query there and then. However, it is much better to write a letter (keep a copy of everything you send) as this may need to be referred to at a later date and when you receive a reply you have it in writing.

Make sure that a letter is sent to the appropriate department, and it may be that you will need to send a copy of the letter to more than one department. Send a copy any relevant evidence e.g. DLA, GP or other health proffesionals.

With regard the benefit reduction for a 'spare bedroom' which is now commonly being called 'the bedroom tax', it was referred to as this in the commons when labour opposed it after the conlib government announced their decision for the reduction in housing benefit for anyone with an 'extra bedroom'. As with many things, when such a label is placed (rightly or wrongly) it sticks and soon becomes the norm!

As with many changes especially with regard benefits, it takes time for staff in the departments that are affected to get up to speed, and to know exactly what the rules are ... etc!

Good luck, put pen to paper (or send emails) and make sure you keep copies of everything for future reference.

themull1

Complain through your MP, im sure the council will get a shift on, and stop sending the wrong forms! Good luck.

ffacoffipawb

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

It is misleading to call it the Bedroom Tax, when it is a reduction in Housing Benefit, and will lead to people other than my son getting confused and distressed. Indeed, one or two regulars on this forum have already expressed confusion as to whether it applies to them or not.

Call it by the correct name, a reduction in HB.

It was the Labour Party that started calling it the bedroom tax. Remember them? Yes, the brainless numpties that nearly bankrupted this country.

It is a reduction in subsidy, not a tax.