To think that if your answer to complaining about Bedroom Tax is "get a smaller house", you are a bit thick?

[MarmaladeTwatkins]

Where IS this glut of smaller properties, just waiting to be filled by people being stung by the bedroom tax?

TWICE today I have heard supposedly intelligent people say "Well if they don't want to pay the bedroom tax, they need to move to a smaller house."

Fucking depressing. I think it earmarks you as being a bit hard of thinking if that is your solution. :(

expat, yes, my friend will be paying for the eighteen months until her DD is deemed old enough to need a room of her own. It costs fortune to move and they'd have a wait years to get another three-bed in our area, if ever.

In my seventies new-town they were mostly bought by baby-boomers who proclaim that they have never had any help from the state and that this generation are a nation of benefit cheats and scroungers. Many of these are happily accepting housing benefit to pay the mortgage on their buy-to-lets.

And, as the reduction applies to those in receipt of HB, 'just move' is a lazy response.

First of all, private renting has become very competitive as fewer are able to purchase a property. It is already quite difficult for many people with children to rent at all, much less if they are in receipt of HB, as many landlords are unable to rent to such tenants or chose not to.

They are also subject to the LHA cap. So they need to find a home that will a) take tenants on HB b) be at or under the cap. The cap is often higher than what the rent would be in a council/HA property, so if the tenant did find it possible to rent privately, they will require even more HB. So much for savings, eh?

And the idea that every council offers grants or financial support when it comes to agent fee's, first month's rent and deposit is entirely erroneous.

So here is a group of the most low-income people who are effectively shut out of private renting and if they find one it will cost more in HB.

There are hardly and two beds and even fewer one beds in my area. The housing association has assigned three bed properties to people with one child or same sex for years otherwise they wouldn't have a home at all. Op yanbu.

Yes, I know what happened to them really.
I went to university (RG) with people studying history and politics who thought council housing was a pre-war thing and had never in their lives met anyone or even known anyone who lived in a council house.

I know you knew, just ranting really

I have been spending too much time with my Dad recently

It's a scheme to demonise and punish the poor who claim benefits. That is its entire goal: to stir up ire at them not only from the public but also from other poor and working poor and to punish them for being on benefits. Hence, why people age 61+ are exempt.

It's not going to cause a bunch of swapping or evening things up because in most areas the appropriate stock isn't there and waiting lists are too long on both sides.

I think if you have put your property on the transfer list you should not have your housing benefit cut.

Sorry to sound stupid (havent read thread).....does this 'bedroom tax' apply to people on benefits? Is this housing benefit we are talking about?

How do people swap houses anyway? I don't think this applies to normal home owners, does it?

Um, no, treacle, normal homeowners have a mortgage or deed in their names and sell the home or let it out if they wish to move.

Sorry, I'm thick, I've heard people talk lots about swapping their homes but I didnt realise they were all on benefits.

there are not loads of properties

many people find themselves overcrowded due to homelessness - so if you happily private rent or have a mortgage on a 3 bed - loose it, go onto the housing list but, because of the number of kids, you can only bid on 4 bed property - you can be doomed to stay in temp overcrowded accommodation for years.

It's not just people having loads of kids - again very few families on benefits have more than 2 kids - a tiny tiny percentage how lots of kids

oh and many people claiming housing benefit are IN WORK but on low wages

I agree with celticlan too! If you've signed up to swap and therefore showed willingness to swap, you should be exempt. You shouldn't be penalised simply because the government haven't consider that there are no properties to move too.

Im on a low wage and i cant get (housing) benefits.

Another vote for celtician's idea

Very little reporting about people who do want the option to downsize but there are no suitable properties. So unfair that they still have to pay it. Although the whole thing stinks

Only renters can get HB unless you are homeowner who loses job/becomes eligible for ESA and then you can get support to cover the interest on your mortgage.

Or sell the home and move into rented accommodation, then you can claim HB.

Sorry, didnt mean to hijack this thread, but i dont want to sell my home! so am working my arse off (2 jobs, single parent)to keep paying for it. Seems unfair that others get their rent paid for free, is all, when i have to work my arse off.
I'm thinking of my "entitled" sister who makes sure she only works 16hrs to get maximum benefits and a lovely 3 bed house for free.

Hope that didnt sound offensive btw. It wasnt meant to, I'm just bitter!!

'Seems unfair that others get their rent paid for free, is all, when i have to work my arse off.'

How is it unfair? You have an asset. They do not. If you don't want to sell it out and have to work your arse off, rent it out and let yourself a cheaper place.

What is unfair is that buy-to-let landlords have getting a house to keep, for good, courtesty of the taxpayer, because if they let it out to tenant on HB, that HB pays their mortgage.

Why take it out on teh renter? They will walk away with nothing, they don't own a thing at the end of any term.

The LL does. Or the homeowner. The only people getting a 'free' house courtesy of the taxpayer are MPs and buy-to-let LLs who let the place out to those who claim HB.

And that one particular family who have just welcomed a new addition.

yes but Treacle you will have a house, and the equity etc to show for it, renters will not - I am also a single parent with a mortgage - we both have the option not to have one - we choose to

My Dad's mate has been visiting, thumping the table and ranting about the Benefits Bill but his second home was paid for entirely by housing benefit which he rented to his step-daughter for twenty years. Totally against the rules but they had different surnames so nobody twigged.

He now has a nice income from the person he is renting to, and if he needs, it, a huge lump sum if he sells. Fucking scrounger.

He also used to give her a lot of cash-in-hand work to supplement her lone-parent benefits.