What are your views on the bedroom tax?

[Cheekychops84]

the new tax for hb claimants where u loose some hb for bedrooms u don't need? we work so at the moment won't b affected but if workers later on down the line are affected I think is a bit unfair as we are paying all rent and bills ourself at the same price as Private Rent?

It is not a tax.

If you have more bedrooms than you need and you are claiming hb you should downsize.

Why do you need extra bedrooms?
I currently need a three bed, for two people, due to disability, and it's been a total pita even sorting that out with the HA, even though they made the rule!

Yea I agree with that too but what if ur working then they start aiming it at working ppl?

How would it work when they calculate how many bedrooms you are allowed then allocate an amount to you so if you choose a bigger house you tend to have to pay the rest yourselves anyway.

For example I have four children but with 3 being boys we would be also aged for 3 bedrooms. So I we decided to rent a four bed house we would still get the three bedroom amount and we would have to pay the excess. To then 'tax' that would ev unfair

Or have I got it wrong?

Hard, but true.

i can see problems with it as it isn't always clear cut.
we have a 3 bed HA house, but even when ds leaves home we will need the 3rd room for carer in the future. so not sure would happen if we were on hb

We are overcrowded found a swap but will then have one room extra :(

We have 3 girls in a 2 bed at the mo and taken ages to find someone willing to downsize bit she has 4

You should be able to keep it threesocks.
The reason I'm classed as needing three beds for two people is because one is needed for a carer.
I get full HB btw.

You don't have to live in social housing to claim housing benefit. We rent privately, therefore no 'waiting list' for our house. Luckily our claim for housing benefit shouldn't be a long term one as I'm hoping to be well enough to return to work soon (recovering from cancer).

It does make me think though - would a family in our position be required to downsize? We both work, we have one DS who is a toddler and we live in a three-bedroomed terrace. I am off work but still employed even though I don't receive any money from my employment and we are surviving on DP's meagre wage and the very few benefits I am entitled to at the moment. Downsizing in our situation doesn't make any sense.

This applies to housing benefit claimants rather than LHA I assume. I think people should be encouraged to downsize if they are in social housing with a bedroom they don't need. If the government make it easy for people to downsize rather than cutting benefits but leaving them stuck in properties they can't afford then I don't object.

Baron - if you claim LHA then you cannot claim for rooms you don't need in the first place. I have a 3 bed house but only need 2 for LHA purposes, they cap my LHA at a 2 bed rate.

I don't think it's unfair to lose benefit for bedrooms you don't need. HB should cover the minimum required.

My sister is in a large 3-bed council property with a huuuuuge garden. She lives there alone. She refuses to move. This might make her change her mind.

She doesn't see the irony that her daughter, son-in-law, and 3 children are unable to get a council property and are currently paying £1500 private rent a month for a 3-bed house.

Yea I no an old lady in a 5 bed wants to move but council dnt care

Hasn't this always been the case?

They used to reduce the amount of HB paid if people had a dining room because it could be classed as an extra bedroom.

This isn't a new thing.

This isn't new. My sister is in a private 3 bed house and only her and her son living there. She's been there 2 years an has never had HB pay for the 3rd bedroom

If people have extra bedrooms, why don't they take in a lodger? Perhaps a single person on the local Council waiting list.

Am I talking rubbish? If I am, I'm sure someone will tell me. If they take a lodger, I suppose they will lose all sorts of benefits and they don't want to do that!

I dont see the problem with it.Its usually the case that people claiming hb have bigger properties than homeowners so its fair really.I dont agree with it for the disabled.

Bull I don't think you can take on a lodger if you are claiming HB, but you could find someone to fill that room and then split the whole rent 50/50. This could still be covered by HB.

Bulldog if you claim Hb and have a lodger you can only keep £20pw of what they pay, the rest is deducted from Hb. Logical but it doesn't help much with the Hb issue.

Unfair for the disabled. Can take years to get house adapted

Its usually the case that people claiming hb have bigger properties than homeowners

Mm, not sure there's any evidence to suggest this!

You can't claim HB for a bigger house than you need, they reduce the HB they pay.

Some people who are homeowners live in massive houses!