Bedroom Tax

[Lupa13]

My eldest son is currently undergoing behavioural assistance & is being assessed for an autism related condition. He currently shares a room with his baby brother, but he can be so volatile sometimes that I'm afraid he'll hurt him. The behaviourist is in complete agreement that he needs his own room, but without a definate diagnosis I'm still liable for the tax if I upgrade to a 3 bedroom house. Is there anything I can do in meantime to fight my case?

[SOTIRIA]

I am not an expert in these matters but I you can apply for DLA without a Dx. You can also try to get a statement without a Dx. If a Dc was entitled to DLA or a statement then they may be entitled to an extra bedroom but as I say I am not too sure.

[AgnesDiPesto]

who is saying you need a diagnosis?
ask that person to point you to the legal basis for requiring a diagnosis rather than accepting other advice e.g. from a GP, behaviour support team etc.
Is the behaviourist private or a council employee?
I would suggest a GP letter of support.
You could ask the council social services dept to arrange for an occupational therapist to assess your housing needs (you need the council OT not an NHS one). I would suggest approaching the disabled childrens team not SS generally in case you end up with a clueless SW who blames it all on your parenting.
You could also apply for DLA as that can act as a passport to other support / be evidence of need

[boobybum]

Hi, I don't know much about this I'm afraid but I believe that disabled children are exempt from the bedroom tax. I'm not sure whether you need a formal diagnosis so it may be worth having a word with someone from the housing benefits department and seeing if you can get any of the professionals involved with your son (paed, GP, social worker etc) to write a supporting letter for you.
Also you may want to look into the possibility of a Disabled Facilities Grant to see if there is anything that can be done to make your current property workable.

[AgnesDiPesto]

Disabled children are not automatically exempt - LAs have discretion to exempt them if they choose.