Bedroom tax

[Linny1989]

Im in a 2 bed house with a 3 year old a 15 month old and one due in June. Our 2nd bedroom can just fit a bed and cot in. We have there wardrobe etc in our room! Our house is a 3 person house and we will have 5 people in it. Sucks x

 

[Mrs N]

I live in a local authority house that the bedroom tax is going to be effective as of the first of April. I'd love for someone from the council to come and see my 'spare' bedroom, we have 3 bedrooms, a 7 year old, 8 month old and one due in June....oh yeah I have loads of room, I'm my case it's ridiculous, but I can see where others may need addressing.

I own my house and only have a 3 bed (v small 3rd bed) and there will be 5 of us and I think it is adequate. Two people in the two larger rooms and one in the box room. I don't see why you would 'need' more than that?
Xxx

 

[evie_smith]

I 100% agree with it tbh. My mil and FIL live in a 3 bed house and been there about 35 years. They love the area and it suits them well, they also don't want to move - BUT! Someone else could use that space! People have got to stop thinking because its a council house, it's theirs - it's not! It's the councils house. They have been housed there at the time they applied to suit their circumstances.
They do have their grandchildren there allot and the spare rooms do come in handy. Don't get me wrong I had a GTT the other day and I stayed in one room and Chloe stayed in the other! All double size rooms! I know as a larger home it's easier for them as they watch their grand kids. Also their school is a 2 min walk and it's nice for them, but I like many others can't get a council house - 1 - because there is nothing suitable and 2 - because I already have accommodation (we privately rent) but if everyone was move to house that suited their needs, then everyone else that needs help could have it! I'm quite happy where I am. It's taken me years! 7 houses in 7 years! We have been thought Mould, damp, leaking roofs and higher than meant to be rent! It's been a nightmare at one point were was renting a 2 bed flat, which second room was a box room with 2 kids! And yes we get housing benefit but our rent is sooooooo much higher than council! Then the house we just moved from. We were just in a 4 bed house but we didn't get 4 bed rate as our girls can share until they are 16+ then they are classed as "moving our age" ??! And our son can share up to 10yrs old now? With 1 girl before being classed as needing another room! (Used to be 7) 3 to a room allows an extra child as they say "maybe they can't share" so we got 3 bed rate. on top they take into account DH wages and we got Half of the 3 bed rate, then full council tax and HIGH rent especially compared to council. Council tenants get it pretty easy tbh (I know not everyone gets suitable accommodation) but for the majority low rent, low council tax, if their loose their job it's all paid for them, more room than they need. I understand that like my mil and FIL said they have lived their 35 years done a HUGE amount of work themselves and it shows! They have a beautiful home but they do have extra room.They want to stay where they are so they are paying the extra bedroom tax! They said

"at the end of the day if it was privately rented the rent would be through the roof! and where we live at the price we do we can hardly moan! If we want to keep that extra room we have to pay for it or go somewhere else."

My grandparents lived rented - and when they got older they couldn't afford it. So HAD to move into an elderly pensioners flat (which was actually a really nice flat) it was quiet, took some getting used to but then they didn't have the luxury of being council. My landlord could choose to turf me out and many others just like me in a few months if they wanted to. It's taken me 7 years to find a house that's suitable for even health conditions to live in. Then I would have to find myself another home! So being re housed when older doesn't sound that bad then does it? Or bedroom tax? It's not just me! Loads of people I know are the same as me - struggling to get suitable accommodation and paying through the teeth for it. And when were older and can't afford it. Our rent is already higher than any extra room tax will properly ever be to start with so were bollocked and will have to move our no matter how much we have made it our home.
I agree for some grandchildren it's convenient for people's who's homes are not nice as they get to stay somewhere nicer for a few days, but surely the focus should be on the parents then. Not the house granny has to make it all better. (That doesn't mean to come across rude so please don't take it that way but in long run going weekends isn't goin to solve things iykwim?) xxxxx

 

[Titch85]

I own my house and only have a 3 bed (v small 3rd bed) and there will be 5 of us and I think it is adequate. Two people in the two larger rooms and one in the box room. I don't see why you would 'need' more than that?
Xxx

Same, my parents own their house but it's a 3 bedroom, with 5 of us. My sister and I shared, my brother had the box room.

This doesn't apply to me, as I rent privately and don't get benefits. Even when I lost my job I wasn't entitled to anything, as they said my OH earnt too much, even though it would of only paid the rent, with nothing left over for food, petrol or bills.

I'd have been waiting years and years if I'd applied for a council house, instead I've had to move towns, away from family and friends, to be able to "afford" to rent privately. Even now, there's no money left over for treats. Neither of us smoke, I don't drink, he occasionally has a few beers at home. Yet we both work full time, and always have done.

 

[Lolly85x]

I'm kind of torn on it too... I do think people think of council houses as there's. and it's sad to think people having to move out of there family homes after having lived there for all those years.... But I wonder if they owned the property would it be different? My mum owns her property and when me and my sister moved out she downsized from a 3 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom flat. It was financially beneficial. Had it been a council house would she have stayed? Probably.

I think they are onto something. There's a man on my street in his 40's in a 4 bedroom house, on his own. His 3 kids have moved on. And the house is becoming a bit run down it's sad to see the house becoming unkept. When a young couple could make more use of the house, start there memories and make it there family home?

 

[mirime]

It's difficult. My cousin, her partner and their two children were stuck in a one bedroom flat for years, so I definitely see that something needs doing. On the other hand making pensioners exempt seriously reduces the number of family homes that could be made available, but forcing the elderly to move can shorten their lives, so one of the more effective ways of freeing up houses has it's own ethical dilemma.

And other exemptions need to be looked at properly - ie for those who are disabled, or who have children who are disabled sharing a bedroom may be completely inappropriate/un-doable, those who need carers to stay with them or who have had houses adapted to their needs and so on.

 

[Linny1989]

Apparently there is a benefit u can get sp u don't have to pay the extra tax x

 

[babyem]

I agree with it.

Theres a family on our street in a council house, its just a middle aged couple whose children dont live with them. So a 3 bed house for 2 people!! And the woman claims disability as she cant walk far, yet I passed her in the car a fair walk from the house- I get tired walking that far. Makes me sick x

tapatalking x

 

[babyem]

Apparently there is a benefit u can get sp u don't have to pay the extra tax x

That just defeats the whole point in having tgis tax then doesnt it? X

tapatalking x

 

[Linny1989]

I no thats what I thought! I haven't seen it but someone told me x

 

[redbear]

I agree with it, tbh the fact that the ladies grandkids get a room each shocks me- my bil was put in a one bedroom flat when he has his two kids friday- sunday so they shared a single room and he had to sleep on the couch, not a nice thing to see your dad having to do.
Because his kids where not included when working out his bedroom allowance. He would have killed for a two bed house never mind a three bed or whatever just because there of a pention age it doesnt seem fair really.

 

[l_maclean]

I def agree with the principal of it.

I'm sure there are some flaws in it, like a total exception of over 65s is silly - there's a huge difference between asking a 65yr old who still works to move, compared to a frail 80something.

I also believe there are going to be problems with those with disabilities who may genuinely require their own room.

But I guess these are the kinds of things that need to be worked out over time. Something has to be done in these times, and at least it's a start.

It's never going to be perfect for everyone, but nothing the government suggests will. X


On my iPhone - so cant see tickers

 

[Lanesje77]

I don't believe I said I needed more room did I? I merely suggested the extra room the council thinks we have is certainly not surplus to requirement, and I wouldn't want to put my youngest in with my eldest at the moment, it wouldn't be fair on him and he'd get constant broken sleep.
As I said previously I think in some circumstances it probably is a good thing, people who are bleeding the system dry. However I moved in to this house after loosing my own home as my ex refused to pay towards the mortgage so I had to let it go. I've been very thankful to the housing authority I rent from for putting us in this lovely house, but they put me in a 3 bed, a 2 bed would have been fine, but there weren't any, so now I'm penalised, I don't think that's fair.

 

[evie_smith]

Who is penalising you? NO ONE!!
We're talking about people that have used their houses - had their children and are STILL living there! Growing families are so different!!!!! It saves allot of money and paper work than to keep moving people around but having people in houses that they are never going to use properly is silly! It's not utilising the space properly not even in the long run x

 

[Lanesje77]

These threads are opened for people to air their views and opinions, I don't like feeling backed in to a corner and people can be a little scathing at times. I replied to a previous comment that mrs n made,

 

[Lanesje77]

Whoops, premature sending! I simply come here and occasionally reply to a thread, but I don't like to feel victimised, everyone is entitled to an opinion and I respect anyone's views, but every situation is different.

 

[babyem]

Lanesje meant that she was being penalised by the government, not anyone on here...

X

tapatalking x

 

[evie_smith]

Ahh I see! Yes I don't understand greatly the government taxing people that are still growing their family?! And understand that completely x

 

[Lanesje77]

Thanks guys xx

 

[CeeCee]

Apparently there is a benefit u can get sp u don't have to pay the extra tax x

That just defeats the whole point in having tgis tax then doesnt it? X

tapatalking x

Just seen this. Don't know if anyone's replied to this haven't scrolled down it's called discretionary housing payments I think. It's not permanent just temporary. X