to think this is an outright disgrace!

[PotPourri]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20159904

Couthy

A friend of mine has 3 sons same age of your youngest... In one room as she only has a 2 bed house. She has a triple bunk bed.

It was all they could afford when they bought so they make do.

It is doable and it seems expected.

Another friend has children that display the behr's you talk of and has been on HB for about 3yrs and did not qualify for extra HB or bedroom entitlement. Was told it did not apply and hadn't for sometime. She used the DLA the kids got to make up the short fall.

I am not feeling the rage either tho your situation sounds like it needs an expert eye... Have you been to CAB recently to see if they can look at appealing your ESA / DLA? Surestart often run sessions.
Sounds like you have fallen right into the grey areas of everything and someone who knows the system might be able to help.

Oh, I didn't know that Couthy. Our council has been allowing a bedroom for visiting children at a non-resident parent's house, so long as they're there at least 2 nights per week (which DS is), so this is a big change for us.

I'm thinking of a fairly recent thread in 'teenagers' where a mum was raising concerns that her 12/13yo daughter was suddenly having to share a bed with her dad... And now I'm wondering whether this might be the explanation...

DayShiftDoris - in a lot of areas, if the need was great enough, they DID get an extra bedroom for a disabled DC, though it has to go to a panel first.

The lady with 3 DC's in one room - I would hazard a guess that the room itself is larger than the room my older DS's are in AND they don't have the additional equipment my DS2 needs.

The ceilings aren't high enough here for triple bunks, new builds have lower ceilings. I looked at that in my previous, smaller property.

Yes, I FINALLY have a local charity helping me with DLA, though ESA will take more time - currently people with my disabilities are being refused DESPITE supposedly getting the full 15 points on assessment (they are being given 14 instead, illegally).

They are all winning on appeal, but there is an 18 month lead time on appeals here, and I have been told to wait before tackling that one, as the IS I get until DS3 is at FT school gets me FSM's, which ESA won't.

We are hoping that loophole gets closed before he is 5yo...

Ahh I did wonder if he'd got it wrong.. but he said he's had loads of guidance etc and it would apply to new HB claims.. sorry I misremembered that bit, not new tenancies but new housing benefit claims.

He promised to forward me the info so if/when he does I'll let you know

Your council must have had more available properties, flow. Now they won't have.

If this actually tackled the issue of young families stuck in B+Bs whilst pensioners live in 3 bed+ council houses they no longer need then I'd be in favour of it. It doesn't. Because pensioners vote and it's not going to make anyone popular. It's the reality of limited social housing stock.

The government are actually pushing the Right to Buy scheme harder, further reducing available housing.

It's not just pensioners either. Couples/individuals who haven't hit 50 yet but whose DC have grown up and left home are still in three bed or more council houses. And at that age, it's likely they will stay in their houses for another 25 years+. Whilst their are parents trying to bring up a family in one room of a Bed and Breakfast or a one bed flat.

I was told of overnight care is needed that there is an exemption for one room . Also one if house has been adapted due to disabiltys as obviously it will cost ti much to adapt another house which will outweighs any benefits of moving and obviously if a normal family was to move into mine HA would have to then spend money altering back ( though since I have 3 bed am overcrowded but was best option . I'll be ok for a long time to come yet )

Worry court is right especially those that provide valuable service of respite care know a couple who will be affected

There's not much council housing left around here, Couthy :( Most HB goes to pay private landlords. As more and more families receive HB that's £15/week (on average) less than their rent, I imagine there is about to be a big increase in adverts and leases that specify "No DSS".

Oh and it affects all tenennsnts . The only bit not affected for some I know our area for those that moved in from Jan last year rent is now 80% of the local average not the normal slightly cheaper average ( we are fortunate moved in 2 weeks before hand )

Mind if they forced me into a two bed ( be at least 9 years )the cost of adapting house be around £45000 .so hope what they say about adapted houses are true and then of ds3 ever was to leave home ( not likely ) then cost least that again plus I can't take normal one beds as they are to small as has to be a certain amount of square footage per room to allow turning circles . Cost be high to adapt . Think wet rooms , wide access doors every room plus front and back level access ( here fire brigade insist on it due to escape know lot of areas only one access ) plugs at mid wall height . Then I need low level kitchen plus built in cooker with side opening doors . Windows I can reach etc

So won't hell you mouthy sorry but may help anyone with physical issues

May yet affect me - waiting on a wet room due to epilepsy, and GP can't prescribe drugs to slow the progress of my RA, I'm already using a stick when I don't have DS3's pram to hold me up, on bad days. Only Rheum consultant can prescribe the drugs I need. Waiting list is a year long. GP fears I may need a wheelchair before I get to see the consultant.

I only have my diagnosis without seeing the consultant because the markers in my blood were so high they couldn't NOT diagnose.

So that WOULD throw a spanner in the works...

Couthy

Try phoning the consultants sectary direct explain when referral was done as they then get scared of the 18 week rules . By rights you then can asked to be seen elsewhere including private on nhs

Double check your area but exemptions if adapted defintley apply here . My OT checked and double checked for me when moved in ( purpose built 3 bed )

We are a bit squashed in here at the moment ( 4dc plus me )but it does the . No way will I move as adapting a property never be as good as purpose built .

Bedrooms rules here are officially own room when 16 and if more than 8 year age gap plus the opssite sex rule kicks in at 10

Though they are more than happy to break it when needs ( by their rules I need 5 bedrooms but maximum is based on 4 bed laughable as whee we live not cheap ( near airport and London )

Dd and I share , hoping to build fake wall she get a box I'll end up with tiny bit more due to floor lift but I'll be stuffed of ever meet anyone as single bed room only

Ds1(18) has box room

Ds2 (15 and ds3 5) share but ds2 uses ds1 room computer wise etc

I don't understand this at all. If you are paying a mortgage and you have more children, but your earnings haven't gone up, will HB pay for a mortgage on a house with more bedrooms?

Betty the worry is after more being forced out of areas you live in where schools are ,

For example if I gone with their rules ( discounting adaptionsetc ) I ended up in a 5 bed potentially but then 2 years down line have to move then again 3 years after but with the stress of changing dc schools etc then again 8 years later

And yes I'm totally ignoring my circumstances are not that but so easily could have been

I do know it is being challgened by some people when they been told medically and by SW their children can not share due to Sn . So have been given a 4 bed yet their is no workaround for this yet ( it needs looking at exemption wise )

And let's be honest the biggest issue with underuse is the older generation who are in fact exempt and often familes club together to buy the property die to large reduction

Oh and if aimed at me worried read above mines only 3 beds and I'm not moving or planning to move ( I am exempt even when the older 3 leave due to cost of adaptions that be needed average 2 bed would not have the required floor space for a wheelchair )

It's more the fact they changing rules half way through as mouthy was told she needed a 4 bed then got one . Now they saying she's not entitled to one anymore which strikes me as unfair

I have friend who had a 3 bed quite happy but then 2 of her 3 children dx with Sn . Drs and Sw said due to risks must not share given a 4 bed after long wait but now council are saying does not matter what drs Sw say they are not entitled ti it . Yet without the Sn they Benin happy staying in the three bed .

Not like they went had 3dc and thought oh I want a bigger house . Dc already born and not till got older did the Sn become obvious . Surley even you worried can see in these sort of circumstances it is unfair when medically told cant share and councils ignore ( think mouthy similar issues to )

Re: "A big nationwide council house building project would do an awful lot towards improving the economy and society."

It's been tried in the past, without success. In general, it led to large swaths of blight.

I thought they would only pay full HB for a certain number of rooms and children were meant to share rooms anyway.

It sounds sensible in theory, but it isn't if the houses aren't avaible. It sounds like that old chestnut - the Tories punishing people for the sin of being poor and disadvantaged. I'm sure Cameron thinks that poor people are morally wrong.

It's not nice but it's fair.

No it's not. And it's not going to save much either. Here are a few examples - they are repeated around the country.

Say a 3 bedroomed house costs £500 a month in a 'dodgy' area and a 2 bedroomed house in a 'nice' area is also £500 a month.

A family with 2 childrent the same sex (or with two under 10s) in the three bedroomed house would have to move to the smaller house to keep benefit. There is no cost saving to the tax payer / council / DSS. And if they are on a low inccome they will be able to claim moving expences.

A couple in their 50s who live in a three bedroomed house. Their children have left home and they now foster children. They specialise in taking emergency foster children. If they cannot afford the extra rent then they will have to move and no longer foster. There may be financial benefit to the council HB depatment but the costs of keeping a child in a home will cost £££.

My own case.

I'm in a bungalow that can only be rented by people with mobility needs. It has level access so when I start to need a wheel chair full time it does not need to be adapted. But it has two bedrooms. My landlord (social landlord) has no one bedroomed places. The ground floor council flats do not have wide enough doorways for a wheelchair.

If I manage to get a job I will be able to stay in my home. I get about 40% of my rent paid through housing benefit, the rest I pay myself.

If I move into a council property then I am entitled to have it adapted to my needs, and the bill will be picked up by the council and in tern the tax payer.

My next door neighbours look after a relative's child. But because she is not officially a foster child they will not be able to claim they need two bedrooms.

I rarely see the lady who lives opposite me, she is too ill. I see her relatives arrive daily, I see the nurses arrive and leave. She isn't well enough to go to church anymore, but she will have to move.

The HA built this little grove of 7 bungalows for people with mobility needs, and now the occupants of 6 of them will have to move or find an extra £14 a week.

Sassh please in your case look into its doorways ate wider it's classed as adapted and is HA and if you ate looking at wheelchair full time then there may be exemptions aa there is here also there are strict rules of minim amours of floor space for a wheelchair user ( I'm H/A to and will be exempt Fron the rules of they still exist in 10 years time (ddonly 9 and ds3 has Sn so chances are he not going to be leaving home even if ds1 and ds2 gone )

Yet another Tory policy, saving very little and designed to play to the popular idea of sort the scrounges.

Ha ha you all fell for it. Can I ask your circumstances.

Mine are lone parent, one child, dead ex and carer for two elderly frail grandparents. No car, they live a mile away. No smaller proPerties within miles.

Although I care for go, I am on jsa so looking for work. I get to lose 14 of uh and 25 pc ctb. So about 15 a week out of a budget that has already been decided to be below poverty level.

History is I worked in high paying job for twenty five years before this.

How many of the agrees actually know the facts? How many are moaning about losing cb? Thought so.

Oh and most of the over occupiers are elderly and exempt.

This along with every other policy is the tories penalising the many in order to punish the few. It's sickening. And put in place by people who have never found themselves in an underpriviledged part of society. People with the arrogance to think that people on benefits are chosing to be there. Sure there are always a few mickey takers in any system, but using the fact that "daddy worked hard and had a pinch of good luck old chap" to justify attacking our most vulnerable people because they have not had the chance to walk on that priviledged road is a disgrace.

Those people on the thread who agree with this policy- you better hope and pray that you never fall into the situation where you need the welfare state- because as sure as fate, it will be gone.