To wonderr if there hs been any movement in the housing lists due to bedroom tax (or whatever you want to call it)

[JakeBullet]

Just wondering if it is doing what it was set up for.

Thee has been some movement (although not much) locally, the family over the way got a three bed from someone who needed to downsize to a 2 bedroom place.

My friend is still stuck in a flat though, nobody wants flats and especially if they are not ground floor ones. People with gardens seem to be doing the best out of home swaps. Looking at the local house swap site it seems people are still struggling to find exchanges.

Our council has reorganised their list to facilitate swaps and will no longer add anyone who has come from out of area - even if they originally came from the town. Under this criteria I would now not be housed by them.

Have you seen any changes in your areas?

Sil was contacted about a swap by someone who needed to downsize but she hasn't mentioned it in a while, so I suspect nothing came of it.

The other person had a 3 bed house with garden in zone 2 in London, so they potentially have the holy grail in terms of property.

People like that will have so much choice, but I would assume that some of the most vulnerable people could be living in undesirable properties that nobody would want to swap with.

From what I read in the paper, many families living in London, who have a "spare" bedroom, have been moved out to places like Birmingham and Coventry, but I couldn't tell you how many.

This is because they can't downsize as there aren't enough smaller properties for them to downsize into.

We live in a one bedroom bungalow. When the bedroom tax came in we thought people would be desperate to swap, however it's older people in 3 bedroom houses that want ours. We are only able to swap to a 2 bed as we would be under occupying a 3 bed. So we have had loads of interest but unable to swap with them.

No changes here. We are under-occupying but not subject to the tax as don't claim HB, but yes, no one would swap us anyhow because it's a flat and not ground floor.

People age 61+are exempt from bedroom tax.

My neice is under-occupying in a lovely 3 bed that she was overjoyed to be given 5 years ago.

She cannot afford to stay in it with the associated loss of benefits.

She has been trying to move, but there is nowhere available. She is unwell, currently being investigated for Reactive Arthritis, and I'm sure the stress is making her worse.

I hate this new system.

One of the changes where I want to move to: anyone who has EVER owned a house, or part-ownership, cannot EVER move into sheltered accommodation.

They have cut the housing list down from 3,000 to 1,000 with various measures.

It was set up to punish the poor and the vulnerable. It's doing a grand job.

Most LA's are reporting very few changes. Very few new tenants have been allocated lots of mutual exchanges but they don't free up homes.not much change in numbers in temp or hostels.

A few people I know have altered there spending instead.

Buying cheaper food is what 1 friend has done another has gave up smoking.

Not many exchanges going on.

But then nobody who works in housing actually expected to see much movement or anything like that because the vast majority of under occupiers are 61+ and they are exempt

As are the next largest group of under occupiers (none HB claimants)

I'm the only person I know under occupying, except I'm not and the HA acknowledge this, I still have to pay though.
I'm not moving, I can't, as I need my extra bedroom.

I have seen a few more downsizing posts on the local facebook mutual exchange sites but a look at my choice based bidding site has the numbers set at the rough average it has been for a while now so I don't think it has affected anything "officially" yet.

The problem here is that downsizing from 3 to 2 bedrooms is much easier then from 2 to 1. The number of one bed places is low and once people are in one beds where are the going to go? They mainly stay there until they can no longer care for themselves or pass away.

Also, the movement is within those already housed via the LA and I can't see the tax doing much to help those hundreds of new people joining the list every month.

OP, are you one of my friends?
I too cannot get a swap out of my first-floor flat for love nor money! Swaps where I am for two-beds are thin on the ground anyway, and going on the housing list would be an exercise in futility as it took us a year to get somewhere when we were stuck in a one-room, damp, cold bedsit with a tiny baby ...

I don't know why the HA can't buy houses that are on the market.

I'm sure those houses would be well out of their budgets is why.

They tend to specialise in new builds and locally this seems to be in 2 bedroom flats, very rarely 2 bedroom houses (I am fortunate to have one) and above. I imagine that building new means they have control over the costs from the outset.

Where i am it is mostly those exempt (pensioners) that are underoccupying 3,4 & 5 bed houses. I just can't see the point of the bedroom tax if these people are to be exempt. The housing register is already clogged with people need two bed family accommodation. And its just getting worse and worse.

Netto do you mind me asking why you need the room they say you don't?

For a carer Sock.
Their rules say that DD and I can have a room each, and my disability means I get HRC DLA which means at times I need overnight care and therefore need a carers room.
I have to pay for it now though, or downsize, to a property which is not suitable for my needs therefore they wouldn't let me.
It's bonkers.

our town has allways had the rule of new tax,(as in will only give you the right number of rooms with a few exemptions ) so i dont think it'll hit as many as it would thouse out of town.

though its mainly the 3- 4 beds that swop well.
you have no hope hope in hell swopping a flat for a house, unless its ground floor.

new building need to built.

My sil has had a lot of interest in her flat, it's a 4th floor flat but in zone 1 so still desirable. Think it would have been tough for her to move before the bedroom tax, as it's a 1-bed and she needs a 2-bed. People didn't want to downsize before but this is encouraging them. I hope she manages to find a suitable swap as she is sharing a tiny bedroom with her toddler and they need separate rooms now. In London the number of 1 bed flats aren't so rare as they are up north, they always appear on the bidding lists every week and they tend to get a lower number of bids as well.

I used to live in a council house with garden, swapped it for a flat so don't say it never happens! But my house was in the Midlands and the flat is in central London near a zone 1 tube (first floor but has a lift, no garden but lots of parks nearby). Would not have swapped to a flat in a building without a lift though.

I haven't noticed any families moving out of my estate so it clearly hasn't led to much movement - there are very few under-occupiers here though, if anything they are most likely to be overcrowded. I do know some families who have received discretionary payments as they are technically under-occupying but have disabled children.

Ummm netto, no you don't as long as you can prove the requirement for a regular but none residential carer you are automaticly exempt.

Request an exemption by letter or email ( do not ask for there form as all you will get s the DHP form and you don't want that unless they refuse your exemption and if you apply to that first you override the exemption) do it ASAP as there are legal challenges going on that will make a difference to backdating ect.

Email with a request for exemption stating you will provide evidence in due course state the reason as being a none resident carer.

Then send it.

After that get a letter from your gp it has to actually state you often need a overnight carer.

This should be enough but if you happen to already use a regular overnight carer ( does not have to be formally or qualified) obtain a letter from them confirming they regularly act as a overnight carer for you and that they do not reside in your house.

Payment or not is irrelevant as they could be a friend family member or a professional carer and they do not need to be getting any carer related benefits.

I'm against the bedroom tax as a concept for a variety of reasons but I was pleased that one of my neighbours moved. She is a single woman in her early fifties, living alone in a three bed house that she moved to less than a year ago. She was outraged when the tax came in. She'd never gone back to work when her 2 children grew up so is reliant on full benefits, her children have their own homes and families. She was moved to a one bed flat by her housing association.

I'm also gobsmacked that they didn't tell you this as even when it was just being talked about other than over 61's people who need none resident overnight care were the ONLY announced exemption they still are the only automatic exemptions.

Taken directly from HB guidelines

Definition of a ?person who requires overnight care?
7 The amendment to Regulation 2 defines a ?person who requires overnight care? as someone who
 receives Attendance Allowance (AA), or
 receives the middle or highest rate care component of Disability Living
Allowance (DLA), or
 if they do not receive either of the above, has provided the local authority (LA) with sufficient evidence to show that this type of care is required
8 In addition, the customer or partner, will only meet the definition if the LA is satisfied that the customer or partner, (?P? in the amendment regulations)
?reasonably requires, and has in fact arranged, that one or more people who do not occupy as their home the dwelling to which the claim or award for housing benefit relates should
i be engaged in providing overnight care for P;
ii regularly stay overnight at the dwelling for that purpose; and
iii be provided with the use of a bedroom in that dwelling additional to those used by the persons who occupy the dwelling as their home.?

In addition your 'extra room' must contain a bed and that bed must be able to be used as a bed so bedding is essential as is not using it as storage.