'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?

[TWR]

Does this Bedroom Tax as it's so called, Infringe your H.R.

[sara3]

H.R?

[jackthehat]

I don't believe there are any sections in the HR Act that refer to your entitlement to have 'surplus bedrooms'.....

[sara3]

oh, human rights!!

I'd quite like a spare room.. can I have one, too?

[RATTER15]

We could actually do with a spare room for the dogs, they could have their bed in there then. I wonder if there is a special DHSS fund that will build me an extension, what do you reckon Desky?

[cazzz1975]

most of the people affected by this are disabled. I know a lot of people who are having sleepless nights about it. ironically they dont actually have "spare" rooms.

[TWR]

Do Estate Agents now have to RE-Classify a 3 Bedroom Ex-Council now to 2 Bedroom? could that effect the poll tax / water rates / Services /

[chrisgel]

China --- "Social housing is there to support people through hard times"
I'm sorry but that it is patently not true. There has been and always will be a need for "social" housing. The economy never has and never will be at a level where everybody will be able to afford to buy their own property. This has long been recognised.
My daughter and her partner both work and earn a reasonable amount of money between them but, in the current climate, there is absolutely no chance of them buying property.

[tiggerblue10]

How was it decided what size house you were placed in before the bedroom tax came into force?

I've never been in this situation before so I'm just asking out of curiosity.

[naomi24]

^^ Why would they do that?

[Baldric]

What have Estate Agents ^^^ got to do with Social Housing?

[naomi24]

Sorry, that was to TWR.

[Boto]

Yes, what have estate agents to do with social housing? It seems to me that some people have just heard the basics of the so-called bedroom tax without really finding out the details.

[sara3]

but what will you do once you're evicted?

you'll get no comfort knowing you're one of thousands..

[jackthehat]

I agree that it is the definition of quite what constitutes a 'spare' room that is at the knub of this proposal.
I am sure that most right-thinking people will have a firm idea of quite what a 'spare' room actually is.......all we need now is for the bean-counters to recognise that fact.

[cazzz1975]

if you are evicted you will evidently have to start again wherever you end up living, give ebay a miss and look at trying to sort out your bills.

[TWR]

Someone just asked me the Q. If the house was bought off the Council & the 3rd bedroom was sealed up, not my Q.

[jackthehat]

If the house has been "bought off the council", it will be in private ownership and not subject to the 'bedroom tax'.