Bedroom Tax

[pdq1]

Shortly to be introduced in April where spare bedrooms are heavily taxed.
Many couples sleep in separate bedrooms but because they are married they are classed as sleeping together. Gay relationships may also run into a problem.

Is this a well thought out policy or an excellent way of getting families to downsize?

[Mamyalynne]

And when are they going to build the many thousand one bedroomed boxes to put folk in, they aren't there now for sure.

Most will sacrifice something else in their budget to pay the difference.

[Ann]

//But Cameron thinks it is better to give millions of aid to African countries//

Yes giving foreign aid to other countries "to stop poverty" as he has just said on the news" really makes my blood boil. I really liked Cameron and voted for him but now I think he has totally lost the plot. Such a lot of controversial issues just lately, he is losing voters thick and fast.

[askyourgran]

I agree ann, the man's a numpty..

[bednobs]

i suppose as someone said earlier, we are coming from opposite ends on this. I didn't mean my answer to sound rude, and i'm sorry if it did.
I still don't really get why it's ok to expect young families to "sort themselves out" and be thrown to the mercy of private landlords, but not ok to expect people who have larger houses than needed to "sort themselves out" and be thrown to the mercy of private landlords. It sounds to me that it's these second group of people who have always expected the council to sort out their housing needs. To put it simply, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

[Ann]

What about housing association schemes where a tenant part-owns the house but also pays a rent - does this apply to them too? //
Does anyone know the answer to this?

[puddle-duck]

@ bednobs, well their only other alternative is to rent privately. I'm not sure how benefits work in the private sector, but many people in social housing need help with their rent through low wages. If they moved to private rentals they would still need help with their rent. It could be that it will cost more to pay these benefits in the private sector than it would in the social sector.

[bednobs]

yes, maybe, who knows? I am not particularly advocating that, just struggling to understand why families are to be criticised for expecting the social to house them, but people already in social housing can't be critiszed for expecting the social to house them

[LoftyLottie]

I don't know Anne. But I wouldn't think so, because the idea is that ultimately they will buy the whole house. They are part owners and just getting a helping hand. They will be contributing more. I might be mistaken, but I cannot see that anyone has the right to make them move into a smaller home when they part own their property.

[Ann]

//I agree ann, the man's a numpty..//

Yes definitely AYG, read this ..........
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2271961/Cameron-gets-ticking-statistics-watchdog-boasting-TV-hed-cut-national-debt-risen-289billion.html

[LoftyLottie]

Quite honestly, how many middle aged people living in the social sector these days are living in social accommodation because they are 'poor'. A lot of people who have lived in social housing for years are a lot better off than people that have struggled to buy and maintain a property. It has been easier for them to stay in social accommodation and I honestly believe that they see the social accommodation as theirs by right. It is a lifestyle they have chosen and they have to now take the consequences of being told they have to downsize or pay a fair rent.

[Ann]

Thanks Lottie - someone I know enquiring .............

[ladybirder]

My friend looked into the part rent part buy scheme for her daughter. You are not allowed to buy a property bigger than your needs, ie 1/2 people = 1 bed property, 2 adults +1 child = 2 bed property etc. The rent for the part you don't buy is subsidised to bring the rent down slightly below the market rent for private property. You have to be working to get one of these properties and to be able to afford a mortgage for at least 25% of the total price. Her daughter, who is a nurse, went ahead and bought one and loves it.

[Ann]

Is this a new phrase "social housing?" Does it mean council house tenants?

[LoftyLottie]

There are a lot of families in the middle aged bracket living in so called 'own properties', who simply can't afford mortages any more and whose properties have fallen greatly in value, giving them no equity. They simply have to go into private sector rental, no help with social housing from them and no housing benefit either.

[bednobs]

i think its council houses and housing association

[LoftyLottie]

Ann. Social housing is council housing. Council housing now is mainly administered through housing associations and rent is paid to the housing associations.

[puddle-duck]

The bedroom tax only affects tenants that are in receipt of housing benefit. Housing benefit is means tested. If anyone was that well off they wouldn't qualify for housing benefit in the first place.

[Ann]

Thanks, just wondered what it meant.

I feel so thankful that we bought our house as a new build in 1972 for £6250 and although we struggled with paying our mortgage of £39 monthly as OH was on £16 week and I was on about the same, we managed and am proud to say we have never once been in debt. We only have what we can afford - this is a good motto to live life by....

[askyourgran]

Bednobs I know we are on different points here, I don't mean to be rude either. It seems to me that if someone has been a council tenant and asked to move out because their house is needed by someone else, that tenant should be offered suitable alternative acccommodation. When I first married I rented a house privately, and later we bought our first house. We sorted out ourselves we didn't expect anyone to pick up the tab. Yes, there will always be those who need a council house, except the councils are not provinding enough now. Those not already on the council list should try alternatives.
Mamya has it when she says that most will find the extra money.
Surely it costs a fortune to live in a care home, much more than the extra bedroom tax!
Ann I don't know about housing associations, part ownership is probably different to those on social housing.

[LoftyLottie]

I agree Ann. When we bought our forst house, also in 1972, it was at that dreadful time where house prices literally doubled in a period of 6 months. Our house cost about the same as yours. We had no furniture and bought a house which was in a dreadful state. The mortgage was my whole monthly salary plus a bit of Mr LL's.

I sometimes think we would have had a better life style if we had had a council house - but in those days it was drummed into us that you should own your own home!!