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Original poster

Bedroom entitlement and gender

32 replies

hungryhippie · 29/08/2018 09:58

Im just running a benefits calculation, taking into account a potential new job and this question came up with regards to the kids:

Childs Gender
We need to know your child's gender to work out how many bedrooms your household needs.If you don't yet know the gender of an expected child, please select female or male. This might affect your bedroom entitlement.

I wonder what would happen if your child identified as another 'gender' and whether or not people could potentially use that i their favour to get around the bedroom tax rules?

OP posts:
HotRocker · 29/08/2018 10:18

Oh God, just realised I accidentally misgendered my own child there.

HotRocker · 29/08/2018 10:16

Oh dear, they really haven’t thought this one through have they?
Just imagine what will happen when every low income family in the land start having children who identify as different genders, and councils are forced to find bigger and bigger houses to accommodate them, and pay out more housing benefit to support their families.
I might tell them DS is gender fluid and that he needs one pink bedroom and one blue bedroom for his girl and boy days. I can’t be expected to redecorate three times a week, and how dare they not respect his gender identity?
We really are headed deep, deep down the rabbit hole with all this.

Original poster
hungryhippie · 29/08/2018 10:16

Just for clarification, the form im filling in is on Entitledto.co.uk so im not sure how the question is on local council housing benefit forms.

OP posts:
Ofew · 29/08/2018 10:14

It's a load of rubbish. They mean sex and they should say it. AFAIK children of different SEXES are not expected to share a room above a certain age (8?). Because, SAFEGUARDING. So saying gender instead of sex opens the door not just to people getting around the bedroom tax, but worse, meaning that children of different sexes are expected to share rooms beyond an appropriate age, potentially through adolescence. And it means that DWP could reduce a family's bedroom entitlement to below what it should be.

I love my brother dearly but the 16 year old me would not have wanted to share a bedroom with him.

I would raise this with them, OP.

Original poster
hungryhippie · 29/08/2018 10:14

Yes deydodo they wont put boys and girls together after a certain age. Think its teenagers.

OP posts:
theOtherPamAyres · 29/08/2018 10:07

They ought to be asking for children's sex.

As far as I am concerned, 'gender' has no place on official forms.

deydododatdodontdeydo · 29/08/2018 10:02

I don't see why not.
I take it they won't put boys and girls together?
Do they check the gender?
I bet you it would work, or they could be taken to court for discrimination.

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