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?

[BeeBee12]

Its not a myth here if you live in a low wage economy area dont south you get really nice properties on hb.It is different in different places I have friends and family up North and they have to live on actual council estates where as here most young families are priced out of buying a council house and they are all owned

[usualsuspect]

So the poorest in society and a lot of working poor claim HB will have to up sticks and try and find a smaller house or become even poorer?

[usualsuspect]

Exactly, they are saying no HB for under 25s and no HB for a spare bedroom.

I think they haven't quite thought this through.

[expatinscotland]

'So what's the maximum you can earn to be entitled to some help? '

It depends on your council as it's region-adjusted. Google your council's LHA rules and find out.

[Emmielu]

Ok so steering away from HA. I'm going to use an example: (I stress example. This example isn't my situation)
I have 1 child. It's just me & her. I therefore will have to look at 2 bed places. Because there is 2 of us. That makes sense. If I needed a carer, I'd look for 3 bed. Makes sense. If I didn't need a carer & it was back to DD & me. Would I look at 3+ bed places? No. What's the point in that if there's no one to fill the space regularly. I'd be stupid to do it knowing a 3+ bed place is naturally going to be more expensive.

Unless it's needed. I don't think it's unfair.

[expatinscotland]

'I have 1 child. It's just me & her. I therefore will have to look at 2 bed places. Because there is 2 of us. That makes sense. If I needed a carer, I'd look for 3 bed. Makes sense. If I didn't need a carer & it was back to DD & me. Would I look at 3+ bed places? No. What's the point in that if there's no one to fill the space regularly. I'd be stupid to do it knowing a 3+ bed place is naturally going to be more expensive. '

Actually, in many councils, you and your daughter would be expected to sleep together. They would not consider a 1-bed overcrowded.

[expatinscotland]

And you can't really steer the situation away from HA beause you're talking about: LHA for private renters and then best of luck finding a private landlord who take HB AND your kids OR HB for HA/council tenants who have nowhere else to downsize to besides the private landlords, who aren't beholden to take HB or kids and most don't.

[violathing]

What happens if your child leaves for Uni and has term time only accommodation? Are you entitled to one or two bed allowance? The chils will need the bedroom in hols etc

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

I think it's completely fair and long overdue.

Its social housing, which all of us should be entitled to, but aren't, because of the lack of it and the points system. So while there are so many people who are not getting what they are entitled too, those that are lucky enough to have social housing certainly shouldn't be getting any extra.

If you are paying the same rent as you woudo be in private, you are free to go and rent privately. Except then you won't have the security and the control over your home that you currently have. Social tennants are very very lucky, and have no right to gripe about the fact that they aren't going to continue to get more than they need.

[Emmielu]

Expacts- that was a example. I know I'd be expected to have a 1 bed but because DD is 5 they've allowed me to bid on only 2 bed places. What I was trying to say was it's silly to be tenants in places with more bedrooms than you need unless you're planning a lodger too but obviously that's difficult with HA.

[usualsuspect]

Council house envy at its best.

[usualsuspect]

And once again why are people making this all about social housing?

[groundhogmum]

I agree with this system - I live in social housing and had 3 children crammed into one bedroom for 4 years whilst waiting for a larger house. We live in an affluent area so private rental is unaffordable as we get no benefits at all.

Meanwhile, there are a lot of properties nearby which have 3 and 4 bedrooms but have just one person or a couple living there. I have a relative with a 4 bedroom property who is now being forced encouraged to move into a more suitable, smaller property. My relative would not move at all if she had a choice but why should HB pay for one person to stay in an enormous 4 bedroom house when families are crammed into tiny properties?

The biggest challenge in my area is that a lot of the "house blockers" are pensioners and they will not be affected by this change. I do feel for the people who like my relative, have lived in their social housing property for 40+ years and are now being forced to move. Unfortunately, the befeit system can't afford sentimentality

[NovackNGood]

Oh the irony that those on HB moan about losing a bedroom they are not entitled to yet can afford to heat the larger place.

[groundhogmum]

benefit

[OddBoots]

I think it is more unfair that private renters have so little security, Outraged, it's not really a case that social tenants are very, very lucky it's that private renters are treated badly. In any case, this will apply to a great number of private tenants too.

[ErikNorseman]

It's about social housing because private rent already has rules about numbers of bedrooms that you can claim for. This won't affect people in private rent.
Example; I have a 3 bed house, I work and alsI claim LHA. I have one son. My LHA is capped at a 2 bed rate anyway, I choose to pay the extra for an extra bedroom. I won't need to downsize because I already get the maximum for 2 people.

[dryu]

First of all it's not a tax its a reduction in welfare payments.
I don't see what is wrong with the policy, if you have a house with more bedrooms then needed then you will be paying more rent then is necessary and as this is paid either in full or part by the State then this is a waste of taxpayer money and should be stopped immediately.

[expatinscotland]

The trouble is, there's nowhere to downsize for a huge number of people because a) LHA caps for private renters make private renting unaffordable, YES, even if they work! 80% of those who claim HB are employed b) lack of landlords willing to take HB claimants at all.

'What I was trying to say was it's silly to be tenants in places with more bedrooms than you need unless you're planning a lodger too but obviously that's difficult with HA. '

So, given this is the case, where do you go? Because you won't be allocated a place with more bedrooms than you need unless you needed them at the time you were allocated.

[usualsuspect]

but when your son leaves home you will have to downsize.

[dryu]

Why shouldn't people downsize when their children move out?

[usualsuspect]

I'd love to know where all these smaller council houses are going to come from.

[usualsuspect]

The poorest in society will have to downsize, even the working poor.

[expatinscotland]

'It's about social housing because private rent already has rules about numbers of bedrooms that you can claim for. This won't affect people in private rent.'

They have LHA caps, which are effectively the same thing.

And these caps will majorly affect those in private rentals, even in the appropriate numbers of bedrooms, as the difference between the cap and their rent may not be able to be overcome by the tenant, particularly lone parents who can only work so much and they can't downsize to say, a property too small for them as it violates the tenancy agreement (not to mentiion the whole find-a-private-landlord-who-takes-HB).

[expatinscotland]

'Why shouldn't people downsize when their children move out? '

To where? All those lovely private landlords willing to take HB?