To think this is a cruel policy, and not an actual 'tax'?

[katykuns]

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/25/spare-bedroom-tax-contradiction-impossibility?CMP=NECNETTXT766

I just think its unrealistic, and completely ignores reality that it is not just easy to drop everything and move. It is also very unfair to the disabled.

Why can they not target the damn landlords charging extortionate rents?

It is not directly affecting me, but I do claim housing benefit and I work, and life is hard. I just feel like it makes it impossible to live with a 14-25% cut of your benefit.

Its not a tax, its a benefit cut. Say it as it is ... just another attempt to make people struggling to get by struggle even more!

Oh, I wondered what had happened to Business Link!

Yes, and did you see the rules about costs? They're only allowing you to offset costs in the month you incur them (again, opposite to normal business practice.) So, if you buy a £10k van one month and earn £5k that month, you put down a zero income - not a net loss of £5k. The following month's earnings are income, the other half of the van cost doesn't matter. Thus your earnings will appear much higher than they really are, so you'll lose benefits faster.

It'll be like Christmas for leasing companies, I guess, but you can't lease consumables like stationery and raw materials.

Also the jobcentre staff will be going through your books, making recommendations which you will have to follow. I'm sure that'll be jolly constructive.

With the workfare thing whilst its not actually called workfare

Until you earn the equivalent of 35 hours at NMW each week or your family unit does even if you earn that doing two hours a week then you will be classed as under employed and they can put you in a work support group system this can mean being

Forced to attend meetings with DWP staff or any agent acting on there behalf
Going on employability courses / groups ones that tell you not to pierce your forehead and not to tattoo your face ect
Attending agent based work support program's ( made up name for fecking workfare).

And shit loads of other things the DWP thinks is reasonable, one of the things being discussed is forcing under employed parents to put over ones in full time childcare so you can actively job seek for more hours.

They can force you to leave a job you Have done for years where your hours are contracted and you are protected by employment law for a fecking zero hour contract if they have decent reason to believe you may get more hours doing it even if you won't.

And it apply to every one who gets any top up benefits ( yep hb and wtc) if they earn less than NMW x 35 each week.

Sheesh. it's way worse than I thought, Sock!

It's going to be chaos.

What about the fact that many people currently receiving help with Council Tax are going to lose part of that, too?

I work for a social landlord and we're estimating that rent arrears are going to treble over the next few years.

Those right wing people frothing on my fb feed sure have a big shock coming. One of the more recent comments is "why should they be paid for pleasure"
Thats what the young mum on there said about SAHMs who happen to be claiming benefits.
She herself is working part time and claiming tax credits. The hypocrisy is mind blowing.
Hmm maybe i will stay on fb for a bit longer at least for a few more months anyhow.
Just to see the complete fucking about turn they are going to do. If any of them are expecting any sympathy from me they wont be getting any.
Incidentally the young woman who started the discussion is an ex work colleaugue.So the comments underneath that appeared on my feed arent from people i know. And i dont really class her as a friend. More of an ex acquaintance.
I am fucking disgusted with the lot of them. There was one bloke on there who even linked to a daily mail article with IDS face on it to "prove his point" so i had IDS smug face on my feed as well. UGH.
Sorry i will stop now. I just needed to rant.

The woman who said "why should they be paid for pleasure" she meant sexual pleasure . Mysogyny AND classism. You couldnt make it up!

Don't fret about rent arrears fourtyplus there trying to cut off any HB after 2 years anyway so everybody effected will be homeless.

Homeless people don't tend to run up rent arrears.

Dark, I'm not sure I understand the sexual pleasure comment does she think that any SAHP spend all day having sex? Anyways amuse yourself tell her she's going to have problems with UC and freak her out by posting a link to the dwp UC info.that will teach her about not sticking IDS on her wall.

Lets hope they are voted out in 2 yrs then.
I for one voted labour last election & i'm voting for them again.
I know they did wrong by getting into debt, but atleast they are a party that are dedicated to people not just numbers.

Looks like the fightback is finally beginning.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/campaigners-unite-to-fight-housing-benefit-cuts/6525584.article#.UQwn1h4VTn4.twitter

A little birdy told me that there were a disproportionate amount of housing officers heading towards London a few weeks ago,

Quite funny but legend has it that a few of them met up,what a coincidence

Sockreturningpixie - exactly - there will be increasing numbers of people falling into arrears and facing eviction. No social landlord wants to see that scenario. Add to that the proposals that benefits get paid direct to claimants and the most vulnerable people who are least able to manage their own finances are the ones who will suffer first.