I wanted to say a few words about the Bedroom Tax and also take my leave of this forum, for reasons which may become clear below.

The Bedroom Tax seems so reasonable, let's not pay for rooms that are not occupied, etc so far so good.

My personal circumstances are as follows:

I got a housing association flat 5 years ago. I had previously had a very successful career, but serious mental illness led to me losing everything. My GP and local councillor supported me in getting this place. Hoorah. I got a 2-bed flat, altho I didn't want one. There were no 1 beds available. I was told that if I didn't take this place I would be taken off the list.

5 years later, and here is where I am. I am better healthwise, and altho still on Incapacity Benefit, I volunteered for the government's Work Programme. I am still in a vulnerable position but feel ready to step out into the world.

And along comes the Bedroom tax.

My health benefits are undergoing review. I have no problem with that. It is highly probable that I will be downgraded to Job Seekers Allowance, which I have no problem with per se. But here's what will happen with the Bedroom Tax:

£71 per week JSA
-£15 Bedroom Tax
-£6 Council Tax contibution

That is an effective 30% deduction in my benefits. £50 per week to live on, including all bills.

There are no smaller properties to move to, and after 4 years of mental health problems I have no money with which to move house.

I have a job interview on Friday and I stand a real chance of getting that job. But my mental health has taken such a hit with the thought of being homeless that I don't know whether I can cope with an interview.

It's taken quite a bit of courage for me to post this here, as it exposes my vulnerablities. It also means I want to leave here, as the last time I posted about my personal situation I got quite a lot of abuse from a regular poster.

Good luck with the job interview David, and come back soon!

Mental health happens to best of people my mother was committed has she suffered from paranoia and she wasn't on dope.

these cuts are mean spirited and aimed at those who are perceived as having little ability to fight back.

Your situation is exactly the sort of problem that will be created for people who had little control over who they came to be in these circumstances in the first place and it's far from uncommon.

Rents are fueled by government policy and it goes back 25 years when they cut back on public housing and shifted the burden to local councils and created an artificial housing boom. I have a friend who has made 2 fortunes by housing the homeless privately and lost them both in 'booms'.

Meanwhile the rest of Europe increased it's spending on public housing.

Best wishes in your job ambitions.

David, I am awfully sorry to hear about your difficulties.These cuts are devastating for so many.
Is there someone you can contact for support? It is probably a good idea to take all help available, so that you have the best chance of staying well.
I hope everything turns out nicely for you.x

Don't let a single idiot ruin your enjoyment.
As for the room tax,it's now swung back to how it was years ago,and will no doubt cause many more problems than it solves.
You can also go on a list to swap your place,looking for a smaller one,ask your association about it,many with families will be happy to trade up.

Good luck with the job interview (I told you there were jobs out there !)

Regarding the housing issue ... I'm glad that you agree that it is simply wrong to under occupy housing when there are five million people waiting for social housing - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12198429

Waiting lists rocketed under loony Labour - "Waiting lists rose 72% over the last 13 years, from just over one million in the late 1990s to almost 1.8m by 2008" -www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12198429 - as they handed out free housing to any young lady who could not / would not say "No" !

As I've said many times before ... money given to one claimant is money deprived from a (more genuine) claimant.

Where's ITK ?

as usual makes no sense at all:

"As I've said many times before ... money given to one claimant is money deprived from a (more genuine) claimant."

hedda wrote:
as usual makes no sense at all

Only in loony la-la-Labour land can you spend money TWICE !

hedda wrote:
as usual makes no sense at all:

"As I've said many times before ... money given to one claimant is money deprived from a (more genuine) claimant."


It would make perfect sense if the money saved from people who shouldn't claim was given to those who need it more, but i haven't noticed any redistribution of the funds yet and i wont be holding my breath.

In The Know wrote:
hedda wrote:
as usual makes no sense at all

Only in loony la-la-Labour land can you spend money TWICE !

ever heard of the stock market? They create it out of thin air.

honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
It would make perfect sense if the money saved from people who shouldn't claim was given to those who need it more, but i haven't noticed any redistribution of the funds yet and i wont be holding my breath.

Then where exactly do you think the £100+ BILLION paid to benefit claimants actually comes from?

hedda wrote:
ever heard of the stock market? They create it out of thin air.

Typical loony Labour - lets stick in on a scratch card and hope for the best !

In The Know wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
It would make perfect sense if the money saved from people who shouldn't claim was given to those who need it more, but i haven't noticed any redistribution of the funds yet and i wont be holding my breath.

Then where exactly do you think the £100+ BILLION paid to benefit claimants actually comes from?

It comes from our taxes,obviously, and none of us (i think) want our money to be used for things that are not needed, but you cant justify some cuts by saying that genuinely needy people will get more, if nobody else will have an increase in benefit.

I think there must be other ways to save money than penalising people with extra bedrooms that they didn't want in the first place without giving them notice or an alternative?

honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
It comes from our taxes,obviously, and none of us (i think) want our money to be used for things that are not needed, but you cant justify some cuts by saying that genuinely needy people will get more, if nobody else will have an increase in benefit.

Benefit cost has ALWAYS increased - can you point to a time when it ever decreased ?
We cannot simply allow claims to increase year-on-year forever.

I think there must be other ways to save money than penalising people with extra bedrooms that they didn't want in the first place without giving them notice or an alternative?

Everyone knew about this when it was first announced (2 years ago?)

In The Know wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
It comes from our taxes,obviously, and none of us (i think) want our money to be used for things that are not needed, but you cant justify some cuts by saying that genuinely needy people will get more, if nobody else will have an increase in benefit.

Benefit cost has ALWAYS increased - can you point to a time when it ever decreased ?
We cannot simply allow claims to increase year-on-year forever.

I think there must be other ways to save money than penalising people with extra bedrooms that they didn't want in the first place without giving them notice or an alternative?

Everyone knew about this when it was first announced (2 years ago?)

Oh i absolutely agree that the costs cant be allowed to rise, and we need cutbacks. It just seems rather a cruel way to do it.
Two years sounds enough time, assuming there is spare housing, but there is not much chance of them saving up to move if they dont have enough for necessities. (and so the property wont be made available for families)

I cant argue about the finances,and you obviously know more than i do, but it seems that some people are suffering terribly because they dont have enough benefit to live on, while others are doing very nicely on the tax credits and child benefit.
What do you think is the solution?

the solution is rent controls to reduce the inflated property booms that end in so much grief.

But the advancement of small and petty minded middle sized town Tories like ITK have created a UK that emulates the USA in it's most ghastliness without any of the benefits.

In the end we have people parroting conservative talking points that have no basis in reality or do not take into consideration the artificial constructs of today's Western economics that even while they are awash with corporate welfare , decry some poor bugger at the lowest end.

Always easier to blame those who cannot fight back and despite the recent revelations (except I saw it coming decades ago) that there are 4 million Brits now who have never worked in their life, the ITKs of the world screech "there are jobs to be had" (despite the evidence to the contrary) and are oblivious to the fact that 4 million (and more) souls roaming the country, bored and broke is a dangerous mix and will cost more in "law and order"- a pointless and expensive exercise that returns nothing.

Still , let's just blame "the loony left" even though they haven't been in power in the UK for about 45 years and despite where they are- China, Germany, Russia and most of Scandanavia, those countries are going gangbusters.

honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
Oh i absolutely agree that the costs cant be allowed to rise, and we need cutbacks. It just seems rather a cruel way to do it.

More cruel than leaving five million on housing waiting lists simply because someone wants an extra free unused bedroom?

What do you think is the solution?

I think there are clear signs that people (well, intelligent ones !) are learning. They see Spain Greece and Portugal (where no one gets any money because theyve gone bust !) and realise how well off they really are.

I see signs of people starting to take responsibility for their lives - and their children. If children cannot afford a home they will simply have to live with Mummy & Daddy wont they?

What a load of clap-trap !!!!

hedda wrote:
the ITKs of the world screech "there are jobs to be had" (despite the evidence to the contrary).

David seems to have found one !
It always amazes me how people CAN find jobs when they have to !