Bedroom tax

[geodavies]

Exodus........movement of jah people !

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Pardon?

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

Turn your spare room into a Starbucks and avoid paying tax altogether .

 

[TSB]

Turn your spare room into a Starbucks and avoid paying tax altogether .

Or Topshop.

 

[clapham_gull]

Pardon?

The only thing I can think of is a reference is to Rastafarians being the mostly the subject of bedroom tax - which is mildly racist and hopefully not what he meant.

 

[geodavies]

The only thing I can think of is a reference is to Rastafarians being the mostly the subject of bedroom tax - which is mildly racist and hopefully not what he meant.

It is meant as a pop at the coalition........as thousands of people on benefits, are now supposed to move homes as they can't now afford to stay where they are, all because they have a spare bedroom...............

If you know your history you will know where i am coming from...............not mildly racist in the least, just sympathetic.

 

[dougdeep]

The search facility works.
The New Bedroom Tax

 

[pork pie]

It is meant as a pop at the coalition........as thousands of people on benefits, are now supposed to move homes as they can't now afford to stay where they are, all because they have a spare bedroom...............

If you know your history you will know where i am coming from...............not mildly racist in the least, just sympathetic.

So how is it wrong? Why should they be given money by the state, to live in houses that are bigger than they need? Especially when there is a shortage of family sized housing stock for people who actually need them. There are millions of people who own homes that would like bigger, but simply cannot afford them.

There are far more stupid things which are part of these reforms. The Government soundbites about people being better off in work than on benefits appears to totally overlook the fact that there are so few jobs available out there anyway. The real isssue is that they are doing nothing to stimulate the economy to create more jobs. Those who would rather scrounge than work don't deserve all the hand-outs that they receive. As usual, the genuine cases also get hit, and are those used by politicians to try to score political points.

 

[Common as Mook]

It's not a tax

 

[janee]

So how is it wrong? Why should they be given money by the state, to live in houses that are bigger than they need? Especially when there is a shortage of family sized housing stock for people who actually need them. There are millions of people who own homes that would like bigger, but simply cannot afford them.

There are far more stupid things which are part of these reforms. The Government soundbites about people being better off in work than on benefits appears to totally overlook the fact that there are so few jobs available out there anyway. The real isssue is that they are doing nothing to stimulate the economy to create more jobs. Those who would rather scrounge than work don't deserve all the hand-outs that they receive. As usual, the genuine cases also get hit, and are those used by politicians to try to score political points.

he says completely missing the point that the working poor will be hit by the bedroom tax!

 

[Common as Mook]

he says completely missing the point that the working poor will be hit by the bedroom tax!

And you, and many others conveniently ignore the fact that it's a removal of benefit, not a tax. Ugly scaremongering rhetoric.

 

[Captain Sensible]

I never really understood why once you got social housing, you got to stay regardless of your situation. My mates parents still live in a 3 bed house even though all the kids have left. They are now moaning about the new system.
I think it's a decent idea and brings our social housing rules in line with most countries.
However this only works if you have enough accommodation to implement this change. Clearly they do not! If my mates parents had a nice new 1 bed or 2 bed flat to move to then fine I'm sure they'd do it. But there isn't.
I can see a huge u turn on this. It's a shame that so many of the coalitions ideas area good, but not implemented properly. The problem is I can see labour getting back in at the next election. Alas rather than taking on the current plan of defecit reduction, but improving it, with more building and investment in roads and infrastructure, they will just undo all that has been done and put us back into a course of over spending and future recessions. IMO.

 

[pork pie]

he says completely missing the point that the working poor will be hit by the bedroom tax!

If they work, they should have no need to claim housing benefit. This is not actually a tax as such you know?

With the minimum wage at such a high level, there should not be any "working poor", only people who think they can live beyond their means at everyone else's expense. Those that have more kids than they can afford to pay for should not be encouraged to keep breeding. If they cannot afford for the wife to stop work to have kids, then that is their problem. Most of us have to plan our lives and expenditure around our income, why shouldn't everyone have to?

 

[skipper734]

Lets see now.......... Sky or Spare room..........Sky or........Spare room.

 

[Captain Sensible]

If they work, they should have no need to claim housing benefit. This is not actually a tax as such you know?

With the minimum wage at such a high level, there should not be any "working poor", only people who think they can live beyond their means at everyone else's expense. Those that have more kids than they can afford to pay for should not be encouraged to keep breeding. If they cannot afford for the wife to stop work to have kids, then that is their problem. Most of us have to plan our lives and expenditure around our income, why shouldn't everyone have to?

Although I agree is isn't a tax. Also I agree there are those that cheat the system and just keep churning out kids. Your view is totally screwed by daily mail type rhetoric. There are many many decent hard working people on minimum wage and they are living in poverty. I would like to see you live on minimum wage and bring up a family.

However the new rules mean that those lazy sods that do churn out kids will benefit from a larger house. The rules are not implemented properly.

 

[pork pie]

I never really understood why once you got social housing, you got to stay regardless of your situation. My mates parents still live in a 3 bed house even though all the kids have left. They are now moaning about the new system.
I think it's a decent idea and brings our social housing rules in line with most countries.
However this only works if you have enough accommodation to implement this change. Clearly they do not! If my mates parents had a nice new 1 bed or 2 bed flat to move to then fine I'm sure they'd do it. But there isn't.
I can see a huge u turn on this. It's a shame that so many of the coalitions ideas area good, but not implemented properly. The problem is I can see labour getting back in at the next election. Alas rather than taking on the current plan of defecit reduction, but improving it, with more building and investment in roads and infrastructure, they will just undo all that has been done and put us back into a course of over spending and future recessions. IMO.

Well said, and I generally agree with you. The only thing you do not mention is if your friend's parents are on housing benefits? If they are, then it should motivate them to swap with a young couple who have had kids and need their three bedroom home. If they are not, and can afford to pay their rent, then what is the issue?

Thinking about it. If anyone is in social housing (which is all cheap and subsidised) their rents should maybe be increased to the full market value if they do not need the space. That would promote a fluid market as well.

 

[Common as Mook]

I never really understood why once you got social housing, you got to stay regardless of your situation. My mates parents still live in a 3 bed house even though all the kids have left. They are now moaning about the new system.
I think it's a decent idea and brings our social housing rules in line with most countries.
However this only works if you have enough accommodation to implement this change. .

Spot on. It's the lack of smaller social housing that is the issue, NOT extra rooms being taken away.

 

[janee]

If they work, they should have no need to claim housing benefit. This is not actually a tax as such you know?

With the minimum wage at such a high level, there should not be any "working poor", only people who think they can live beyond their means at everyone else's expense. Those that have more kids than they can afford to pay for should not be encouraged to keep breeding. If they cannot afford for the wife to stop work to have kids, then that is their problem. Most of us have to plan our lives and expenditure around our income, why shouldn't everyone have to?

Many people having their housing benefit cut who started off working but lost jobs only to then get jobs that paid less. one such example I am working with is a family on a low wage who will lose £14 a week of their housing benefit whilst in work because their 7 year old daughter died of cancer in January so their bedroom is now "spare". Hard to plan for eh?

 

[pork pie]

Although I agree is isn't a tax. Also I agree there are those that cheat the system and just keep churning out kids. Your view is totally screwed by daily mail type rhetoric. There are many many decent hard working people on minimum wage and they are living in poverty. I would like to see you live on minimum wage and bring up a family.

However the new rules mean that those lazy sods that do churn out kids will benefit from a larger house. The rules are not implemented properly.

If they cannot afford to have kids, why should the state subsidise them? In very general terms, their children have a greater chance of being the next generation who require support as well. Obviously, there will be some exceptions to this. IF you live in a private house, paying your mortgage, then you have to wait for a familiy if you cannot afford the rent without the wife's wages. Either that, or you have to be able to afford child-care.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Well said, and I generally agree with you. The only thing you do not mention is if your friend's parents are on housing benefits? If they are, then it should motivate them to swap with a young couple who have had kids and need their three bedroom home. If they are not, and can afford to pay their rent, then what is the issue?

Thinking about it. If anyone is in social housing (which is all cheap and subsidised) their rents should maybe be increased to the full market value if they do not need the space. That would promote a fluid market as well.

I don't know if they're on housing benefit but I'd say they probably are. Thing is, I honestly think they wouldn't have a problem downsizing but there isn't anywhere to move to. The places that might become available, are used as temporary solcial housing for immigrants etc and you wouldn't put a dog in there!
The coalition should have invested more since their election in building modern social housing and then implemented the system. It's all back to front, and as I said encourages some to have kids to keep the benefit or to move to a bigger place. Kids they probably can't afford.