'bedroom Tax' - Anyone Agree With It?

[Gromit]

The so called 'Bedroom Tax' starts today. Anyone receiving Housing Benefit (HB) who has a spare room will have their HB reduced.

Will it solve the housing shortage?
or
Is it a cynical stealthy way to cut the benefits bill?

[tigerlelly]

I think everyone needs a spare bedroom in case of illness, visitors etc. This will isolate elderly people even more. I can see the logic for cutting back where there is more than one bedroom free but one-bedroomed flats are usuallly miniscule and elderly people like to have their belongings around them to keep their memories alive. It's a disgrace when single mothers who weren't even born here are given housing (often large properties) and our own are being penalised.

[tigerlelly]

As to the financial side of it - the government is obviously hoping that people will pay up because there aren't enough 1 bdr properties now, let alone for the people expected to move. So, the Govt. cuts back on the benefits budget and gets extra revenue to boot. Genius!

[factor-fiction]

Critics have been clever to call it a bedroom tax. The government should have made more use of the expression' reduction in spare bedroom subsidy'. They are of course the same thing.
The idea would be fine if it had been implemented properly, exclusions had been thought through better, more notice had been given, time had been found for alternative accommodation to be proposed by councils etc and the HB reduction was implemented only after a reasonable offer of smaller accommodation had been turned down

[emmie]

well none of that has happened, i got notification of the increase 3 days ago now, and the rent is due shortly. I feel as though no matter how hard you try, you don't get over the fact we are all lumped together, those who get any kind of benefit, how one is perceived, you only have to look at this thread, and others like it, then the media doesn't exactly help
Not only is this changing, but all benefits, no matter who gets what, brought in so quickly many have had no time to adjust.

[emmie]

i had another look at websites offering some private 1 bed flats around our borough, i couldn't find anything under 200pw. So if you want to pay less move out the borough, or city, or pay up, which is what most if they can will do.

[tonyav]

em you have my sympathy, this tax or whatever they choose to call it is WRONG.

[emmie]

tonyav, thanks for that, but honestly i don't want sympathy, i want to be left in peace. Had enough trials and tribulations to last a lifetime, and to be labelled as we seem to have been is just the boot in the face. Let them do their worse, pay up or leave, well looks like have to get the cheque book out.

[emmie]

is it too early for cake, feel like stuffing my face.

[boxtops]

It's never too early for cake, em - you have my sympathies on the tax front. It's wrong.

[tonyav]

No em it's never to early for cake, go and fill your face.

[emmie]

tony, looks like you are having a problem too, taxman eh! what would we do without them, have a life that's what...

[emmie]

IDS said he could, if he had to, live on 53 quid a week, after rent and bills are paid, that's made my day.. what an arse.

[tonyav]

Yep em, I really believe that the tax man as me confused with someone else, Richard Branson maybe lol.

[tonyav]

IDS is a bone head, I'd like to see him try living on that for say something like 6 months.

[emmie]

there is a petition which someone posted a link to for people to sign, to see if IDS could do it, put his money where his mouth is, it has over 100 thousand signatures so far.. I reckon i could do it, 53 quid a week, if all the bills are paid, but wouldn't be going far. I have cut back on everything, not there's much to cut back on, including heating, which is a bit of a bummer considering how cold it's been, still never mind eh, wait till summer comes and we can all live outside, won't that be fun.. x

[factor-fiction]

Exactly, em10- all those things I mentioned should have been done.

Tigerlelly- I'm puzzled by the comment "So, the Govt. cuts back on the benefits budget and gets extra revenue to boot.". I can see it's saving on the benefits but I can't see where the extra revenue is coming from. Are you just double counting there?

[emmie]

they admitted there won't be savings on the welfare bill. Lots of people seem blissfully unaware, and that is sarcastic i know, that the council tax changes come in as well, so not only a bedroom tax but add in council tax charges as well. I have been trying to get some info from our local council website, it's there but quite confusing...

[ummmm]

What council tax changes?

[boxtops]

some people's have gone up a bit, ummm, ours is £1 a week extra.

[factor-fiction]

Hi ummmm- as the government is to pay less to councils to cover council tax benefit to those who get their council tax for them, some councils have chosen to absorb the cost and continue paying the council tax benefit but some are passing on the costs so some households are having to pay some of their council tax. I'm not sure of the figures but it's something like 25-30% of the charge. Apologies if the figure is wrong- I'd need to look it up but someone may know