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?

Cheekychops your the same age as me and there is no way we could just move.Its crap for our age group.

What I find hardest is not the small space but the stigma attached to it.In the old days you could have a few to a room and nowhere cared now if you do it people think its scummy.Its the attitude I hate especially the kind of remarks I have had are from people on full benefits living in much bigger houses

Once again we are dismissing the value of having stable communities.

Yes I agree I work really hard always have as does my partner as did my mum and dad. My mum and dad did do the thatcher thing and bought their council flat and then sold it and bought a house. The council bought the flat back tho ! We have all always worked yes I've needed HB in the past for about a year but needed to get back to work not easy for ppl now I know as jobs are fewer and fewer. I agree with the stigma tho I have ppl look at me as if I am scum and and stupid for running to the school to get the kids in like a headless chicken y they are strolling along as they are in no rush to get to work I'm sure they laugh at me. I enjoy my job I just wish I was better paid for doing it then maybe jus maybe we could be out of this situation. I have about of problems with feeling secure as soon as the government announce another thing about social housing I panic I can't sleep I can't think its so unfair I start thinking maybe I will his say in depressed and sit at home and do nothing :(

birdsgottafly your point is very very important and that is the one thing that concerns me about this whole idea, but it is the individual councils' decision whether to pass this tax on to social housing tenants and they will know themselves whether it will be cost effective for them in the long run. I think they will really only bother with those empty-nesters in areas like London where there are not enough family homes.

Interesting that in London they are now making it possible for people to apply for housing across boroughs in order to move closer to relatives. This is probably designed to stop that gap as in London they know what these costs are.

The unemployed are a small % of HB claimants, the main are pensioners (who this will over look), then the working poor and then other benefit claiments (disabled etc).

What this does is put restrictions on anyone who hasn't got a large enough income to buy a house and keep it, which is usually because of the wage structure in the UK and the lack of permanent work.

As I said before Birds, we have to pick our battles, and the real battle is low wages and lack of job security which have created an unequal Britain. These are the real causes of all of this but the government is too wrapped up in their love affair with bankers and big business to realise this.

Someone mentioned before that people work reduced hours so they don't lose their benefit - it's very hard to get unemployment benefit these days and not worth the endless hassle of the Spanish Inquisition when you sign on. Far easier to do a few hours work and feel comfortable - not that I am judging that as a bad thing, I would probably do the same if the only option were a crp wage in a crp job.

This is actually a tax on empty homes that the social housing landlords are choosing to pass on to the tenants as they can't afford to cover it out of their existing budget.

What my concern is that HA's may change their rules across the board.

My estate has improved because of tough policies on crime and anti social behaviour, but more and more houses are standing empty, so my fear is that the rules will go back to what they once were and allow families to stay, as long as the offender leaves, which never worked.

I'm pretty sure any council will try and 'get rid' of their problem families as they cost so much, but others won't want to take them on either. My guess is that things are getting so tough now that even those families will take on the cr*p jobsas a way to get benefit (not fair, but effective).

Camden now has a policy of 'trial periods' where they will not give a permanent tenancy until they can prove they don't keep out of trouble. I wonder why they thought that one up? All these families will then end up in private accommodation, moving about and going off the radar.

achillea it would be ideal if it only impacted on the people who you think it will.

re disabled parents/children/both you are basing your knowledge on a none gov website and repeatedly posting the link that says very clearly "the gov has said" not this will actually happen.

i am basing mine on the actual guidence that has been sent to LA's.that states the dhp should be claimed by these people to bump up where the reforms mean they lose out. this fund if denyed has no right of apeal or tribunal.and when its gone its gone no matter how valid your claim is you cant have it if others got there befor you.it also cannot be paid if you apply because other benefits have been reduced so this can result in a blanket refuseal for those very circumstances even tho the budget for this fund being increased is because of that.

also all LA's have the same thing with tenancies and have done for years when you first get given a council house the first year that you live in it is covered by a introductory tenancy agreement,they make it easyer for you to be evicted if you are a problem.

Guidelines are guidelines, not rules - it depends on the individual council whether they will charge this in the first place. You are bringing a lot of red herrings into the debate - if the council decides to pass this on to the disabled person then they will get the money from the dhf or their DLA or carer's allowance. My guess is they will know it won't be worth pushing for.

How is a bedroom defined? i live in a three story Victorian house (owned outright) but if it was a private rental, would my converted cellar be classed as a bedroom seeing as many cellars could be used as one? And if an upstairs room tends to be classed as a bedroom, then how would that affect a home that is all on one level or with an upstairs living space? What if 'spare' rooms are clearly used and decorated as something else i.e another bathroom, study/workroom, dining etc?

Time to get re-decorating/ re furnishing, all those of you with 'spare' rooms on HB! Don't describe a room as a bedroom unless it is used as one.

Im guessing what's on ur council tax bill? I guess SH tenants don't need a study as we wouldn't b entitled to one ? Some dinning rooms u are expected to use as a bedroom aswell

Many disabled people that need extra support are not identified as such in the eyes of the DWP or LA, though, because of a change in criteria.

Many vulnerable people are falling through the net, support and benefit wise, now housing has been added to their list of problems.

Many disabled people, through changes in policies do not qualify for disablity benefits, or help, so family and friends are making up the shortfall in care.

Lots of 'spare bedrooms' in council properties are actually box rooms, hardly big enough to fit a bed in.

Not great big massive bedrooms as some seem to think.

Cheeky...... plenty of SH residents study and have children who study. They pay bills and need room/ storage to do these things..........I hope you were being ironic..................

Yes migonette I was being sarcastic :D I myself am in SH I am doing a diploma : D would love a study at least I could do it in peace!

I have 3 girls in a squashy 2bed we deff need storage but y? I guess SH are not entitled to 'things' so y give us storage space? No jus make all the kids squish together in one room they dnt need clothes or toys do they?

Thought so cheeky .

I think one spare room is viable Anything more is too much .

It's always worth a try.

Lol not in the governments eyes u can't really hide a bedroom can u ? Lol mind u a teeny tiny room could b used as a cupboard : D

Lol I no someone who had such a tiny bedroom a normal size bed wouldn't fit so his dad had to make him a bed so if a single bed doesn't fit in what they class as a bedroom what does that mean

They don't do housing checks on every application. If it's not being used as a bedroom and is furnished as a different room, then how would they go about defining what is a bedroom? I'm interested to know if anybody can tell me what the criteria is.