Thousands of tenants across Gloucestershire braced for 'bedroom tax' hit

“To say pensioners are exempt isn't strictly true, a couple with one over the age of 65 and one under 65 will have to pay up or move. Foster carers and parents who have adult children serving in the armed forces will now be exempt.
There may be a discretionary fund but it's only £30m and people will only be allowed to apply 3 times I think and what if they're refused first time, especially those with severe disabilities unable to work, how are they supposed to pay the extra if no suitable accommodation can be found for them? How much will it cost to have properties adapted for those disabled who need specially adapted homes? Private rents are higher than social housing so there will be cases of say one person moving from a 2 bed social house to a 1 bed private property with higher rent. An ill thought out policy which will probably increase the housing bill, as well as debt and homelessness.”

“Ok Roses/Wombat...before you jump on you whiter than white, holier than thou, I've never set a foot wrong in my life, "I pay my taxes" rant...bare in mind that these changes do not only affect those who choose the "benefits lifestyle" but also those who have little choice in their situation. People with a disability have not had a choice in their condition, being disabled is not a "lifestyle choice". My mother is disabled and could be affected by this tax. She worked in the Police for a number of years and then for the local Council for years after that before being laid off because of her illness. She has paid her taxes and is entitled to homing and space to kept the equipment she needs without being charged extra for the privilage. I can guarantee you that she (and, I suspect, a fair number of others in her situation) would much rather be out earning money and paying taxes than being stuck in a wheelchair slowly losing control of her body. So before you throw out your rash generalisations about council tenants - think it through!!”

“In a point made earlier, it was mentioned how the elderly might be very disturbed at having to move after living there for so many years.

If we have a look at children today, the early years of a child are the formative years of their lives. For too long we have heard the ignorant statments of "oh, they;ll be alright" "kids are tougher than we think" the disregarding attitude of "kids are adaptable".

Are they? We only have to look at children to see how troubled many of them are. They need their security, to have a home to call a home and to have familiarity.

For a child to change schools for example can be one of the toughest times of a childs life. It is bad enough when they go up a year into the next class, and we all have to go through that and it is one of lifes lessons but to start a whole new school where no-one at all knows you and everybody else seems to know each other can be awful.

It is not just the elderly who are affected should they have to move.”

“Bigmo is partly right. According to the Housing Act 1985 [http://tinyurl.com/cq4ec7s], a room which is 50 sq ft or more, but less than 70 sq ft, is classed as suitable for a child between the ages of 1 and 10. [Para's 2a and 3b, table ii.”

“Well with "social Housing" I can see the reasoning to match people up with appropriate sized properties.
But I don't think it is fair to take money before being offered suitable accommodation?”

“Being a pensioner does not mean being on the breadline.

Just like being disabled does not mean being on the breadline.

Many pensioners can afford to pay.”

“Although a lot of elderly people are living in properties with more bedrooms than they need, can you imagine the stress this would put a lot of them through if say, you have an 80 year old who has lived in the same house 50 years suddenly being asked to up and move to a different property possibly away from all they know? It would probably do more harm than good for the sake of an extra bedroom.

It is however a good idea for general working age people over-occupying properties when so many cant find suitable accommodation. I see they make no mention of the £500 incentive they were offering tenants to move to smaller accommodation though, and just scaremongering about the extra rent? Its a tenants choice to stay or go, so if they chose to stay, they pay an extra £16/week. Not exactly much for an extra room.”

“Pity the boxroom thing doesn't apply with private tennants. There are "bedrooms" that fit a wardrobe, a single bed and a small chest of draws, nothing else aside maybe a bin - if you put that bin on top of the chest of draws! Yet they charge rents because they consider it a bedroom.

What is the difference? It is still a room. If a private landlord thinks its a room and charges for it then why shouldn't social housing?”

“OK PEOPLE LISTEN UP ( BEDROOM TAX ) IF YOUR SMALL BEDROOM IS 70 SQ FT OR UNDER IT IS CLASSED AS A BOXROOM THEREFOR CANNOT BE CHARGED BEDROOM TAX , THIS IS LISTED UNDER THE HOUSING ACT 1985 SECTION 326 , PLEASE USE THIS DO NOT TAKE ANY EXCUSES FROM THE COUNCIL AS THE HOUSING ACT 1985 CAN NOT BE CHANGED BY LAW .
PLEASE MEASURE YOUR ROOM AND PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN AS THEY HAVEN'T A LEG TO STAND ON , I PUT THIS TO THEM TODAY AND I AM RIGHT , ( 63sq ft is 9ft x 7ft )

http://tinyurl.com/a8y9yvb”

“What I find sickening is not only the fact that pensioners are not affected (no doubt this is because the tories don't want to lose the grey vote, so they get to keep their 3 bed house for 1 person) but also the fact that I work very hard and trying to save for a deposit. I am in my forties with a private landlord and it seems like I will never get there.

So I am paying a higher rent as I am paying my landlords mortgage, I am also subsidising others including pensioners to stay in these houses and also funding THEIR right to buy, when I will never have such protection. I could get turfed out with a months notice! What about our security and right to call a house a home?

Private tennants are at the bottom rung of the ladder, subsidising others while trying to get on the moving step.”