Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

[Salmon Man]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

God Almighty,,I hope you have saved enough to see you through your dotage SalmonMan,,so you don't have to receive any 'handouts'.

You're completely missing the point.

[MissFM]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

You need to explain the point more clearly, SM, because we are all missing it, sorry

[Salmon Man]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

You need to explain the point more clearly, SM, because we are all missing it, sorry

I've stated the undeniable facts, and quite clearly defined my point.

Shelter Scotland (given as an example earlier) claim it will cost more to downsize people into appropriate sized council homes but I seriously doubt they take into account what it costs to house young families in temporary/private accommodation due to overcrowding and a lack of social/council housing. So it's not about what it WILL or MIGHT cost, as Shelter Scotland would have us believe, but in reality it's about what it's costing NOW.

Strip away the hysteria and what you're left with is a problem and a solution. Families are overcrowded, pensioners, the unemployed and disabled persons have too many bedrooms. Others don't have enough.

You do the maths.

[MissFM]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

I think that one of the problems is that there simply aren't enough really tiny homes although I do see what you're getting at and I'm sure it's not (your point) intended to come across as disagreeably as it does. It's a messy, human world though. And when it comes to turfing people out of their homes, or pricing them out of their homes, it's not so trivial or so easily rationalised

[Kafka]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

I think Salmon Man has raised some interesting points in a clear way. Its a pity that this subject has been largely hijacked nationally as another thing to attack the Govt over, so most people believe the hype they read rather than understanding the facts, which are getting misrepresented in the media and by political activists. The use of the term 'tax' is quite deliberate when its actually to do with levels of benefit people receive- a completely different concept and process.

Most people are unaware - for example - of the special support fund accessible in cases of need, because there is a great deal of emotive scaremongering going on, just as there is with the false claims being made about the NHS changes.. I have yet to see how a disabled person needing the spare room for medical reasons will suffer here, although the media attention is suggesting that they will all be made homeless.

I was surprised at the first case study in the papers where the woman wanted 2 spare rooms for her sons who were in the army and didn't see why they should contribute, even though they regard it as their home and both earn salaries. I didn't have my own room as a kid and neither did my kids, so I'm not clear why someone requiring welfare really expects this as if it is a matter of right. Having said that, there are certainly important issues of the availability of suitable alternatives, and I expect that like the Work Programme, the policy makers in London have little idea of the situation in different areas.

Despite all of this, I respect SM for raising difficult issues that are the subject of so much emotion and misinformation. He is exactly right that there are problems here and that solutions need to be found.

[MissFM]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

Can you explain, please Kafka or Salmon Man, in very simple terms for the simple like myself, what the practical implications of this new law are if they are not as widely perceived? The wider perception is that people in social housing will have to pay possibly unaffordable extra rent (or not get HB) to stay in their HOMES but there is no smaller accomodation for them to move to in the event that they cannot afford the extra payment.

[labman]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

This explains the facts quite well:

http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/wel...9_penalty.aspx

It also needs to be given its correct title. It is not a bedroom tax, it is a Housing Benefit reduction. There are discretionary payments going to councils, Leclerc is right, BUT the funding is only guaranteed for two years and (not 100% sure on this) I am told you will only be able to claim a DHP for a period of 12 months.

One thing is sure - something has to be done about the Welfare State. Whether or not this is the right thing is an entirely different debate - I don't think it is.

[MissFM]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

Thanks Labman (and my button is back!). I really don't want to live in a country like this anymore - in a world like this. It's SO wrong that the people who have the least are screwed into the ground.

[Inca]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

Our council reps are doing home visits with my HA officer and discussing the changes with the tenants. Those who want to move are being helped to find another place,those who don't are being left alone.It's all about CHOICE not DEMAND.
There are clearly 'benefit haters',,people who think anyone, who claims benefits just to survive , are the scum of the earth.

[Sapphire]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

I've stated the undeniable facts, and quite clearly defined my point.

Shelter Scotland (given as an example earlier) claim it will cost more to downsize people into appropriate sized council homes but I seriously doubt they take into account what it costs to house young families in temporary/private accommodation due to overcrowding and a lack of social/council housing. So it's not about what it WILL or MIGHT cost, as Shelter Scotland would have us believe, but in reality it's about what it's costing NOW.

Strip away the hysteria and what you're left with is a problem and a solution. Families are overcrowded, pensioners, the unemployed and disabled persons have too many bedrooms. Others don't have enough.

You do the maths.

There's a very simple solution to this part, stop having so many kids, in fact work on this, if you can't afford to house them or feed them then don't breed them, harsh I know and a lot of you will hate me for saying it, but this country is overcrowded enough and bringing more kids in whether by birth or immigration needs to stop.

Leave the pensioners and disabled alone, the majority of pensioners have paid tax all their lives and the truly disabled (we all know that there are just a few that are swinging the lead) alone, they deserve their homes and all the help they can get.
Re the unemployed, well put it another way, if their just sitting there on their bums doing sod all, signing on once a week/fortnight and showing no attempts to find work, well I'll leave that for you all to decide on.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

[Sapphire]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

msl:

[Eloise01]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

While we are on the subject, did you read Zwitterelf's post (Virgin Media Harassment), and did you mean to imply that you shouldn't ever let the Men in Black in?

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

yeh I read the post hun, and to my mind you shouldnt let anyone in without an appointment, especially not ones trying to kick your door down

[Inca]

Re: Are you affected by the 'Bedroom Tax?' If so, read this!

Zwitterelfs post,,,have you READ it?? he's a bloody martian fgs,,there's a troll if ever one existed !!