Bedroom Tax: A Letter Everyone Should Read

[SameDifference]

samedifference1.com/2013/02/10/julia-jones-bedroom-tax-letter-to-david-cameron/

Bump this needs reading......

This letter is so emotive that it loses credibility.

It's not a tax, it's a reduction in credits.

How do you think the government should deal with people who get council houses, and then their circumstances change - people die, grow up, move out - and their houses are now bigger than what they would qualify for?

Sure it's sad when people die, but the government doesn't insulate anyone from the financial impact of losing a husband or wife (that's actually the role of insurance - and family). I'm not really sure why this lady should be any different. I'm not being callous, it's just not reasonable to suggest that we can afford to be really nice with the public housing stock in this country.

Really, what would you do differently?

i agree with saski. on the one hand people moan about there not being enough housing around and it not being large enough, but then when the government tries to do something about it - by encouraging people to not have larger properties than they need - there's an uproar from the same group of people who complain about lack of housing.

i can see anywhere in the letter where it explains why she has to move or how many other suitable local properties she has considered - just the one thats £98.

i agree that people's situations should be handled in a sensitive way. But if you are using social housing i think you should accept that you are in a different situation to that of someone who has bought a property

she's 59. She's talking like she's 99.

it's her home! Why are you lot so content to go along with this?
What should be done? Train unemployed youth to BUILD COUNCIL HOUSES!!
Stop private landlords charging exorbitant rent subsidised by housing benefit

It's her home? If it's her home, then no one can reduce her benefit for under occupancy.

OTOH it is quite emotive. has she seen her own MP to see what could be done.

she says it is a 1.5 bedroom bungalow so isn't she allowed to stay. I can see her point. It sounds horrendous.

if you read the letter though it doesn't actually say she isn't allowed to stay. its really not very clear at all. it does in fact say she is being assessed for housing benefit.

She states that the bungalow only has one and a half bedrooms and is deemed not for the under 55's. Therefore a young family wouldn't qualify for it so what on earth is the point of moving anyone such as this around?

A family can't occupy her home as it's for over 55's

She will be left with £53 a week to live on.

This is needless cruelty.

she is being asssessed for housing benefit which is awarded for 13 week periods on a rolling basis. so in reality she may be perfectly ok - she doesn't know yet.

so before everyone says how unfair this is perhaps we ought to wait to see what actually happens rather than just scaremongering and trying to make out how appalling the current gov is.

"she's 59. She's talking like she's 99."

If she is has a chronic illness then she may well be just as weak and vulnerable as someone who is very eldely. She said she is in constant pain.

Discretionary housing benefit is a finite fund alloted on a first come first served basis. When the fund runs out, no one can have it. She is not guaranteed it.

I don't think this is scaremongering.

I've just had a heated discussion about bedroom tax with my sister - I didnt know what it was until half an hour ago- and I only have her opinion on what it is.

She is upset as she says her daughter who is on beneftits as both her and her partnet do not work and have 1ds and 1 dd will have to move or pay £12 a week extra as they have 3 bed house to a 2 bed as the children can share - uprooting their ds schooling , only to move them back into a 3 bed in afew years time when they can no longer share. Is this not a waste of time? Also when my husband lost his job there was the very real possibilty of us not being able to pay our mortgage, and have to sell up and uproot my kids education too . Maybe my neice and her partner could give up smoking and then they would be able to pay the extra.

She also says that apparently we will house the 20000 immigrants that are coming here? Seems a bit unbelievable to me.

Mrs DeVere, is who actually owns the house she lives in not relevant to the discussion?

Re: it's for 55+ only - I'm guessing the 1.5 bedroom would probably go for an older couple where one of them has some kind of in home care & therefore needs a separate bedroom from their spouse. You can see how this could be viewed as a priority.

it's her home! Why are you lot so content to go along with this?

It may be her home but it isn't her house

In this case, I can see the sense in leaving her there, but I also kind of understand why this "bedroom tax" is being brought in. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I do understand it

This is not the way that I fix the housing shortage.

The way to fix the housing shortage is to build more council/HA housing.

I Agree - my mortgaged house is my home too but if i cant afford to pay my mortagae the government wont come and pay for it for me so I can stay in my home will they?

Actually, plum, the government WILL come and pay your mortgage for you so you can stay in your home.

Support for Mortgage Interest and Mortgage Rescue Scheme.

Presumably because it's cheaper to support people to stay in their mortgaged homes than to pay rent.

Interestingly, as far as I've seen, none of these schemes are affected by bedroom tax. So atm it looks like someone under-occupying a four-bedroomed house with a mortgage will continue to be supported, but someone renting will be penalised.