BEDROOM TAX related. Letter mentioning Childrens Services. AIBU to think this is appalling.

[Darkesteyes]

Apparently if a parent recieves a letter notifying them of eviction proceedings they will be considered to have caused this situation intentionally and Childrens Services will be notified.
Ive seen at least 3 copies of letters like this on Twitter over the past few days. So

twitter.com/robolollycop/status/397035649460498432/photo/1

That is awful!

Well tbh if they are being evicted for not paying why wouldn't child services be made aware.

If they are being made homeless then surely child services would help?

That's horrible - how terrifying to receive a letter like that at such a terrible time.

Does this mean that CS will help rehome the family, or just have them on their radar?

Well SS should be involved if a child isn't going to have a roof over its head.

This isn't about the parents it protecting a venerable child

Surely a homeless child is at risk and therefore I would imagine SS would want to assess the situation? Or have I got it wrong.

Its not yet clear but there are many ppl on my twitter feed discussing it who are incredibly worried and trying to get a journo to investigate it so it can be clarified whether the families are going to be helped or the children taken into care. It does need clarification but i thought ppl should at least be aware of it so i started this thread for that reason,

Its the housing provider watching their back as far as a SCR is reviewed. If a child died whilst homeless they've told childrens services.

Doesn't mean that Childrens Services would actually become involved though!

I agree with the letter! If a child might be homeless soon then that's exactly the scenario that SS should be aware of.

Why the hysteria? It's to protect these children that may not have a roof over their heads soon

I don't see anything awful about the letter.

I would hope that ss would be involved with any homeless family, for the sake of the children.

And it doesn't say that that letter is because of bedroom tax, its just about upaid bills.

So could be for anything.

How is it related to bedroom tax?

It would be fantastic if they were able to help a family in these circumstances. However, the fact that the family would be deemed to have made themselves 'intentionally homeless', combined with a referral to Children's Services, suggests some criticism of the parents. I'd welcome a referral system if children and their families were helped with suitable rehoming by CS, but I'm not clear if that is indeed the case.

In all fairness if you aren't paying your rent then you are intentionally making yourself homeless are you not?

I didnt think it would be up to SS to help home a family who had failed to pay their rent? Isnt there another agency who would help with this?

Not paying your rent has always meant you have made yourself intentionally homeless, its not new.

Thats why i posted this here I thought other MNers might know more about it but like i said in the OP ....its not the only letter ive seen like it.

If they haven't paid their rent, maybe it's for a good reason, eg. The bedroom tax.

Sounds like passing the buck really doesn't it? Bet Children's Services are thrilled that they are being handed all this extra work when this situation should never be one so many families are stuck in in the first place

The SS referral is not necessarily a bad thing. A child at immediate risk of being made homeless may ensure that the family can receive a section 17 payment (payments that are made when a child is deemed to be vulnerable due to destitution) which could pay the arrears, even if only partially, averting the risk of eviction.

Even if a section 17 payment isn't appropriate, the family will be pointed towards other help. Local Authorities have lots of different funds that are not well publicised due to being relatively limited, but get opened up after the first referral.

Not many people know that these payments are available and they are very useful if people are really at the point of destitution.

As long as the parents are good parents otherwise and not prioritising drugs, booze or other indulgences over their child's welfare, a referral to child services may just keep a roof over their heads!

it would be a matter of course to inform SS if children where going to be made homeless - often they can help and sometimes even help avoid eviction

SS aren't always evil but more importantly being homeless puts kids at risk - so they need to be aware

Local Authorities are also very aware of the effects of the bedroom tax and the majority are putting various funds in place to help people who risk losing their home due to it.

Someone I know was made homeless in a similar way and SS were indeed contacted. They would not help house the family, as they had no obligation to the mother, the adult, who had 'made herself homeless' by her behaviour, but they would have taken the children in to care so they would have a roof over their heads. Her own mum eventually helped her out but taking them all in for a while.

Heres another copy of a different letter To the poster who said it doesnt mention bedroom tax.....it wont will it because Government bodies refuse to refer to it as such.

twitter.com/gallusgirl/status/396203873570148352/photo/1

Shelly thats awful