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?

[cantspel]

Of course there will be places to move to as those waiting over crowded on the waiting list will upsize and you will down size to the homes they vacate.

Or you could rent a small flat privately and still claim hb if entiltled.

[MagicLlamaStrikesBack]

I think in principal its a good idea.

Benefits should pay for what you need, not what you want IMO. If you need a 2 bed but want a 3 bed, either pay for it yourself, or stick with what you need.

The difficulties are in the details I suspect. Where are all these new properties going to magic up from? Are you going to be able to stay in the same area you are already in? What will happen to NRPs who have their kids alternate weekends - I dont think they get a bedroom do they? What the hell does a parent do in that situation? What about the under 25s?

Another thing I think needs to be looked at is why are private rents so much higher that council & HA rents? Is that because the council are so highly subsidised or because the private are making massive profits?

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Private renters already only get HB according to their need though, and if they want to top up themselves then that's up to them. It doesn't affect anyone else. But when they are taking up more social housing than they need then it's a different issue because it does affect other people, as in those that are on the waiting list.

Private renters do not get treated badly at all, many LLs prefer to have the same tennant for long periods of time. There are only so many rights you can give to someone over something that belongs to someone else. Private renters are not being treated badly just because the LL might need to sell or use their own property themselves.

[expatinscotland]

Private renters don't get treated badly??

LOL!

There are at least 3 or 4 threads on here a week from private renters being scewed over by landlord or letting agent.

One right now who has been scammed out of her deposit.

[expatinscotland]

And the rules have or are changing for private renters as the LHA caps come in or are in.

Do you honestly believe all the people on the waiting lists are in council/HA properties now, cantspel?

A significant percentage of them are in a homeless situation.

[cantspel]

No of a fair few will be or they will be living in private rents that accept hb

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Those are individual cases though, you can't say that as a general rule private renters get treated badly, because many many of them don't so it would be inaccurate.

I may as well say that LLs get treated badly, but that would be equally inaccurate. Some do, but some don't. It's the same thing.

[expatinscotland]

'No of a fair few will be or they will be living in private rents that accept hb'

Oh, so the landlord is just going to be willing to swap? They are not under obligation to at all. Many may chose to sell up, occupy the property themselves or not take another HB tenant.

[expatinscotland]

'Those are individual cases though, you can't say that as a general rule private renters get treated badly, because many many of them don't so it would be inaccurate.'

Then it came be said that it's the general rule private renters get treated well, either, by the same token.

[usualsuspect]

Do you think it's easy to get a private rent when you claim HB?

[cantspel]

But they could choose to do those things at any time anyway.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

True, but I didn't say that anyway.

[ryten]

I don't understand why people think its the State's job to either provide or pay for people's housing for them.

[expatinscotland]

'But they could choose to do those things at any time anyway. '

Exactly! Which is why so many end up on wait-lists and/or in homeless accommodation and we have this massive problem now.

[cantspel]

Depends on the area. I have a family member who has a few buy to lets and all his properties are let out to hb claimants.

[expatinscotland]

You said, 'Private renters do not get treated badly at all.' So that's not a general statement?

[usualsuspect]

Well thats the HB paying his mortgages then, no wonder hes happy to accept HB.

[bronze]

Treated badly is probably the wrong phrase but private renters have the security, which I guess can be galling as they tend to be paying the most for what they get.

(roofless private renter whose stuff is getting trashed)

[expatinscotland]

But these new rules don't take the area into account.

[expatinscotland]

Private renters on the whole have little security of tenancy. Most are on short-assured/6 months contracts and even those on longer ones, we were on longer ones and they still had 2-month get out clauses.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

I understand the problems associated with getting private LLs to take HB, but I think LLs get unfairly blamed for that on MN.

The reason LLs don't like to take HB is because of other HB claimants being bad tennants, or because their mortage won't allow them to, or because they are worried that the tennant won't pay the rent and that if the council pay directly then they will be liable for paying the money back if the tennant falsely claimed.

HB claimants are to blame for LLs being reluctant to rent to them, its not LLs being difficult just for the sake of it.

[bronze]

Less
Less security

[BeeBee12]

If your not in luxury apartments or house everyone takes hb here.

[Emmielu]

Expat- if I was in a 2 bed house & I didn't need a 3 bed I wouldn't bother with it. Why would I want to skint myself paying for a bigger place when I don't need one? This is what I've been trying to say. I've not managed to have my own place yet so yes I might not know everything there is to know but it's simple: if you don't need the extra room you shouldn't be entitled to it.

[cantspel]

But i dont see these changes being bought in to because of the lack of social housing. I see it more to free up larger properties so you dont have people living in the same area with more than they need whilst others have less.
My cousin bought up a family of 4 mixed sex children in a 2 bed small ha flat. On the same estate you had childless and i child families in 3bed and 4 bed flats. How is that fair?