Bedroom Tax Question

reply to post by skitzspiricy


Oh yes, like I'm going to leave myself and my daughter open to the potential recriminations by "shopping" the neighbour..these are dangerous people (in fact I've had a previous conversation with the OP of this thread about some of the problems with the place I live in)

But I'm in the private rented sector (even though this is an ex council flat) and have no option of transfers etc, and due to the extreme lack of social housing in the area, would be unlikely to get a council property in the next 5 years. So I'll just have to suck it up, pay the extra rent top up, even though I'm not under-occupying, try to get my health problem under control (though am on new medication now so getting better all the time) until I can work again, save up like mad for the deposit and month rent in advance and rent a better property.

But, sorry, when I see people complaining about having to pay a few extra quid a week for their spare room, and they're on the same income as me and I manage to do it, it really irks me

reply to post by destination now


For some that few extra quid could be anything from £8 - £25+ a week depending on the social housing prices in the area and how many bedrooms are unoccupied, it also depends on the circumstances of whether they are on JSA, which is a lot less than ESA, and also if they are on ESA what illness or disability they are living with. For some that extra few quid as you put it could mean no gas or electric for the week, missed meals or something else as equally important.

I'm glad you have managed to scrape through on ESA ok, and i'm sorry you are living with a difficult situation, but please don't expect everyone to be able to do as you have. We are all individuals with individual circumstances, some will be ok and manage, and some will suffer quite badly. Just because you managed ok, doesn't mean others will be able to.

reply to post by destination now


"Oh yes, like I'm going to leave myself and my daughter open to the potential recriminations by "shopping" the neighbour..these are dangerous people (in fact I've had a previous conversation with the OP of this thread about some of the problems with the place I live in)"

We have conversed in a previous thread I think pertaining to antisocial behaviour if i'm not mistaken. Your point is still valid, there are some really nasty people out there. Obviously the safety of your child has to remain your priority. Especially when the nasty people live right through the wall.

"But I'm in the private rented sector (even though this is an ex council flat) and have no option of transfers etc, and due to the extreme lack of social housing in the area, would be unlikely to get a council property in the next 5 years."

I hope things change for you in that department! All I can suggest is keep on at them in the hope that someone recognises your plight. I think we finally got them to take notice by constantly harassing them, turning up every day with pictures of our current situation, refusing to leave the building until someone in authority actually spoke with us. A letter from our health visitor also seem to have helped. Generally harassing them to do their job in the correct manner.

"So I'll just have to suck it up, pay the extra rent top up, even though I'm not under-occupying, try to get my health problem under control (though am on new medication now so getting better all the time) until I can work again, save up like mad for the deposit and month rent in advance and rent a better property."

In some circumstances DWP can be persuaded to pay your first months rent and deposit in advance. Just wondering if this might apply to you?

"But, sorry, when I see people complaining about having to pay a few extra quid a week for their spare room, and they're on the same income as me and I manage to do it, it really irks me."

Just pointing out i never complained about having to pay a few extra quid(Its more than a few quid by the way) a week for an extra bedroom in fact i would be happy to do so if It would mean that both my children had a bedroom of there own as long as its financially viable.

Hope things change for you and your little girl in the near future as I am aware how hard it can be to live next to anti social individuals.

Originally posted by andy06shake


I am happy to announce that just this morning i received an offer in the post too view a 2 bedroom property that I have been assured does indeed have adequate bedroom space for both me, my partner and kids. It even has a massive kitchen and living room measured by our current standards.

Wont be able to view the property until September(Wonders in horror what the previous tennents have done to the place) but i'm still calling this a win!

edit on 9-8-2013 by andy06shake because: (no reason given)

Congrats. I hope for you the previous inhabitants kept it livable and you 4 will have a good life there.

reply to post by Dumbass


"Congrats. I hope for you the previous inhabitants kept it livable and you 4 will have a good life there."

Thanx, I hope the "previous inhabitants" have not created too much of a mess myself. LoL

reply to post by skitzspiricy


I do understand that, but to be paying £25 a week top up on a social housing rent, then you would be likely to be a single person in a 4 bed house, which lets face it, is not fair for all of the families desperate to move to a larger house, but for most people with only one spare room the cost is only a few pounds and if you manage your money properly then you won't have the problem of being unable to make ends meet. I can't have my heating on all the time in winter, but I would put it on for an hour or so to heat the rooms up a bit, then do what I did when I was a child when I lived in a house with no central heating...put an extra jumper on! Same with food, too many people rely on convenience food that is very expensive, but there are many ways to cut costs there as well. I have multiple food allergies,(wheat, dairy eggs to name a few) and there is no way I can afford to buy the specialised food, so I do without, but I'm a dab hand at making a range of veggie based meals, and I can feed both myself and my daughter a very filling meal for about 65p a head.

I suppose I've just always been a very self-sufficient person, and I'm lucky to have the resourcefulness to find a way round problems, but I just don't think that sitting moaning about having to pay a few extra quid a week is helping...do something about it instead, look at ways to cut costs and if by paying an extra £15 a week will leave you without heating or food, then clearly your doing something wrong and you should look at where you can save a few pounds here and there..it can be done.

reply to post by andy06shake



Yes, the anti-social behaviour is a problem but I just do my best to avoid the hassle now..I used to try and ask them to modify their behaviour...got nowhere..gave up...(at least the upstairs bunch have moved out now..just waiting for the next lot to move in lol) but the guy across the hall is just as charming as he ever was..not!

I know you were not complaining about the extra cost and were happy to pay a few extra quid for a larger home and I'm glad you've now been offered something that more suits your needs..I was getting annoyed at another poster who just kept banging on about it being a tax..it is NOT a tax, it's a reduction in benefit (as I'm sure you know) but the very mention of the Bedroom Tax is like a red rag to a bull for me and I can't help myself

Anyway, I am really glad you've been allocated a new house and I hope you and your family will be very happy in your new home.

reply to post by destination now


Thanx.

Hope things get better for you soon.

Have a look into getting the DWP to pay your first months rent and deposit. There are private landlords out there willing to accept DSS clients especially if you have medical issues.

That way maybe you could move to a more suitable location and finally get some peace and quiet.

Just be careful as im sure you are aware of the slum landlord situation.

reply to post by andy06shake


Cheers

I'll look into it and see if there's anything I can do...it would be nice to get the peace...I'll have to come to ATS more often and start a few arguments though, cos I'd miss the ongoing drama outside my front door

reply to post by destination now


I can appreciate that.

Where i live right now the view out the window is a cross between Coronation street and Reservoir Dogs. LoL

It can be rather entertaining especially on a Friday or Saturday evening!

reply to post by destination now


Good for you, but you need to understand that not everyone is able to be self sufficiant. You are still thinking in the realms of yourself and that everyone is in the same situation as you.

You're pretty much still saying;

"I can manage by doing this and that so everyone else should, if they can't then they are doing something wrong"

Have you considered the people on both JSA and ESA that have never been able to be self sufficiant becase of an illness or disabilty since birth or childhood. What about the people who used to be self sufficiant but are now not able to be because of an illness or disabilty?

Also not everyone lives in Scotland. Social housing up there us incredibly cheap compared to down London way. A two bedroom flat can average £130 odd a week. So 14% of that is around £18.50 not really just a few quid when you consider the benefits are the same but rents are not across the UK.

reply to post by andy06shake


Living in the town centre, right next to the main Boots store, I am treated to the daily sight of the methadone addicts swapping their diazepam for mkat, whilst waiting for their time slot in the store, not to mention the fights that break out every other week on giro day after they've had a few litres of frosty jacks..

Who needs Jeremy Kyle when you can stand on my balcony and watch it all kick off in the street below

Originally posted by skitzspiricy
reply to post by destination now

 

Good for you, but you need to understand that not everyone is able to be self sufficiant. You are still thinking in the realms of yourself and that everyone is in the same situation as you.

You're pretty much still saying;

"I can manage by doing this and that so everyone else should, if they can't then they are doing something wrong"

Have you considered the people on both JSA and ESA that have never been able to be self sufficiant becase of an illness or disabilty since birth or childhood. What about the people who used to be self sufficiant but are now not able to be because of an illness or disabilty?

Also not everyone lives in Scotland. Social housing up there us incredibly cheap compared to down London way. A two bedroom flat can average £130 odd a week. So 14% of that is around £18.50 not really just a few quid when you consider the benefits are the same but rents are not across the UK.

edit on 9-8-2013 by skitzspiricy because: (no reason given)

Yes, but in London the local council pay more in housing benefits than in Scotland, so it does equal out and of course I have considered how illness and disability can affect a person, I used to work for a charity that helped physically disabled adults get into education (before the disability discrimination act changed to include educational establishments) but I still stand by my belief that sitting moaning about the change in housing benefits isn't going to help an individuals circumstances, being pro-active about what you can do to help your situation might.

The OP for example had an issue, he posted his dilemma here on this site, some people gave him advice, some people were just totally negative, others critical and then by sheer coincidence he was offered a property more suitable to his needs. So for the poster who claims that they cannot pay their rent top up without being left with no money for food and electric, why don't they post a thread asking for suggestions as to how they can deal with the situation...it might yield them some good results (okay they'll probably get some stick as well, but that's the nature of the beast on an internet forum) But surely trying to help yourself has got to be better than just sitting moaning about it...even if the Labour party got back into power tomorrow, they've already said that they won't be changing any of the austerity measures, so it's probably best to accept it and look for an alternative way to make ends meet, you can legally earn £20 a week on top of ESA, which would cover the top up, it doesn't need to be physical work, it could be something online, the person I have already spoken to on this thread says they have two dogs, I assume they walk them, so why not put up and advert offering dog walking/sitting services or something like that..there are many ways to remain positive and try and do something about your situation..blaming the govt is not really productive.

reply to post by destination now


"Living in the town centre, right next to the main Boots store, I am treated to the daily sight of the methadone addicts swapping their diazepam for mkat, whilst waiting for their time slot in the store, not to mention the fights that break out every other week on giro day after they've had a few litres of frosty jacks."

Its not Glasgow you live per chance because your description fits a place called Victoria Rd in said city to a tee! LoL

"Who needs Jeremy Kyle when you can stand on my balcony and watch it all kick off in the street below"

I don't have a very high opinion of Mr Jeremy Kyle myself. The fact that the very people he lures on to his side show of a program under the guise of Andy Warhol esque fame. Then proceeds to critically assassinate their character and generally reduce them to animals in the viewers opinion really gets my goat when you consider that those very same scum are the Mans bread and butter!

I can see the analogy and know what you mean all the same. LoL

reply to post by andy06shake


Ayr, on the west coast, but sadly it could apply to so many town centres all over the UK, though Scotland does seem to have more than its fair share

I agree the Kyle show is a travesty and it actually promotes the type of feckless attitudes that are so prevalent in today's society, in fact the reality show "The Scheme" which was filmed in Kilmarnock, just up the road from me, made a local hero out of its "star" Starvin Marvin..he even got himself a sideline selling signed cigarettes in the town centre...all because he is a feckless junkie

It would be hilarious if, in fact, it wasn't genuine and actually very sad.