Bedroom Tax

[janeleask99]

Would anyone (up here in Shetland) be interested in meeting at the Market Cross tomorrow at 1pm to show support for the anti bedroom tax marches? It is too late to have an organised march but gathering at the Market Cross to show our support would at least show that Shetland opposes this too. Let me know please on this forum if you would come and pass this on. Thanks

http://www.facebook.com/NO2BEDROOMTAX?ref=stream

[fionajohn]

Great Bedroom tax video on youtube !

 

"You Cannae Have A Spare Room in a Pokey Cooncil Flat"

 

 

...See More

[redrobbie]

What happens if you live in a bedsit do you get a refund.Another thing the size of bedrooms varies widely in SIC properties some have bedrooms you could fit 3 or even 4 of the smaller sandveien type bedrooms in.

[janeleask99]

No refunds under this scheme I'm afraid. This is the info that the SIC have put together. They are going to have a hard time of it too and arrears will likely get out of control.

 

From 1st April 2013, working age households claiming housing benefit will only be able to claim for the rooms they are deemed to need under new occupancy rules. This means that your household will be allowed one bedroom for each of the following:

a couple

a person over the age of 16

two children of the same sex

two children who under 10 of either sex

any other child

a carer providing overnight care

 

If you have extra rooms, your housing benefit will be reduced by 14 percent for one room extra or 25 per cent for two or more bedrooms. The loss is estimated to be between £8 and £20 / week for approximately 190 households in Shetland. The options are to:

Pay the difference in benefit and remain in tenancy

Apply to move to a smaller property

Take in a lodger

 

When the new Universal Credit is rolled out from October 2013, Housing Benefit will be abolished and replaced by a housing element within Universal Credit payable monthly in arrears to one person in the household. People making a claim to working age benefits under Universal Credit will need to budget to pay all their own bills including their rent. (Their council tax support if they qualify will still be dealt with by the council).

 

The aim is that by 2017, everyone on benefits of working age will have been transferred to Universal Credit and become responsible for paying their own rent.

 

People claiming pension credit will eventually have a housing element added to their pension credit too.

 

If you are affected or think you may be affected please contact:

(N.B. those households known to be affected have been contacted by the Council, by letter.)

SIC Housing: Housing Officer or tel: 01595 744360, email housing@shetland.gov.uk or visit 6 North Ness during normal office hours.

Hjaltland Housing Association: Housing Officer or tel: 01595 694986, email: mail@hjaltland.org

or visit 2 Harbour Street during normal office hours.

The Job Centre on Tel: 01595 732054 or visit Charlotte House during normal office hours.

You may wish to contact the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Tel: 01595 694696 or visit Market House, 14 Market Street during normal office hours, or email: sicab@shetland.org

[Ironwithin]

Firstly its not a tax and secondly why should people who are working and having to pay high rent and cannot afford a spare room no matter now much they would like one subsidise others just because they feel entitled to one, that seems unfair to me. No wonder in most polls people are for it.

[redrobbie]

Tenants will be responsible for paying their own rent out of their monthly benefit .Now what could possibly go wrong with that.I suspect some vulnerable tenants might just have other priorities .

[blueburn]

Firstly its not a tax and secondly why should people who are working and having to pay high rent and cannot afford a spare room no matter now much they would like one subsidise others just because they feel entitled to one, that seems unfair to me. No wonder in most polls people are for it.

 

 

Would you be as kind as to show me one of these polls where "most people are for it"?

[janeleask99]

The problem is that even if people are happy to downsize there are not the smaller properties for them to move to. If they cannot afford to top up their rent by up to 25% from other benefits they will get into arrears with the council or HHA. This could lead to eviction. I know people who would downsize and be happy to do so but can't get rehoused. Any solution you have to this would be appreciated.

[unlinkedstudent]

The problem is that even if people are happy to downsize there are not the smaller properties for them to move to. If they cannot afford to top up their rent by up to 25% from other benefits they will get into arrears with the council or HHA. This could lead to eviction. I know people who would downsize and be happy to do so but can't get rehoused. Any solution you have to this would be appreciated.

 

The SIC appeared rather fond of giving larger properties and indeed, the last time I had dealings with them would encourage you to go for say a 2 bed flat as a couple as opposed to a 1 bed flat, even if they had 1 bed flats available. I do feel for those who have taken on a 2 or even 3 bed place simply because that is what the SIC offered them. What was a person meant to do, turn down the offer and then have the SIC say they won't offer them another place?

 

Where there's a shortage of 1 bed accommodation and people were forced by the Councils to take on larger properties then yep, I have a degree of sympathy.

 

But then what about those who did have a 3 bed place but children moved away and now could get by with a 1 bed place (regardless of whether council/housing association/private)? Years ago, nobody battered an eyelid if you had a lodger but back then, Housing Benefit didn't exist. It was common practice to rent out a spare room and in many cities, even if in council accommodation, still is (you just get your landlord's approval).

[janeleask99]

The SIC could not have seen this benefit change happening. They did not force people to take these tenancies. Under the renting policy they had the right to a two bedroom home and therefore the council allocated according to that policy (and there were not enough one bedroom properties anyway). I know this because I was a Housing Officer at the council for a number of years. No one could have forseen this change to the benefits system and the resulting hardship some with face.

[unlinkedstudent]

The SIC could not have seen this benefit change happening. They did not force people to take these tenancies. Under the renting policy they had the right to a two bedroom home and therefore the council allocated according to that policy (and there were not enough one bedroom properties anyway). I know this because I was a Housing Officer at the council for a number of years. No one could have forseen this change to the benefits system and the resulting hardship some with face.

 

Speaking from personal experience, I was higher up the waiting list for a one bed than I was a two bed and was actively encouraged to apply for a two bed as opposed to a one bed. Whilst it might be SIC's policy to be more generous, other councils I've had dealings with don't offer couples a two bed flat but only a one bed flat. The SIC also try to allege overcrowding when none exists when two people live in a one bed and try to say either one has to move out or to apply for a two bed - where's the sense in that? Now that's only my personal experience so gawd knows what others have gone through although I know recently of a person with a baby being allocated a 3 bed property - yet there were 2 beds sitting empty up the road ready for occupation, which had been empty for some time (and I believe some still are).

[redrobbie]

The referendum on 18 September 2014 could completely change the situation .I understand the SNP say they will scrap this tax.

[fionajohn]

in 1978 i applied for a council house for in glasgow as I was getting married and was given a 2 bed as a matter of policy

it was assumed that we would be starting a family at some point so wouldn't have to move

[Ironwithin]

Firstly its not a tax and secondly why should people who are working and having to pay high rent and cannot afford a spare room no matter now much they would like one subsidise others just because they feel entitled to one, that seems unfair to me. No wonder in most polls people are for it.

 

 

Would you be as kind as to show me one of these polls where "most people are for it"?

 

Yougov who are one of the top pollsters in the UK say that it seems to be a vocal minority who are against it as 49% are for it and 38% against it, even with all the bashing its been having.

 

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archives/7132

[blueburn]

Yougov who are one of the top pollsters in the UK say that it seems to be a vocal minority who are against it as 49% are for it and 38% against it, even with all the bashing its been having.

 

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archives/7132

 

 

With all due respect that survey was done on 1525 people and the population of the UK is approximately 60,000,000 so i am not sure that is really a fair representation of the public's perception of this upcoming tax.

 

Care to show me anymore polls to back up your statement?