Living in Wales, where a great deal of social housing was built with three bedrooms, I’m acutely aware that this tax will cruelly affect the poor in this part of the UK. There’s a link here, to a petition against the bedroom tax and I strongly urge every reader to sign, no matter whether you personally are affected or not.
The U.K. government is about to introduce draconian legislation that will hit the poor and vulnerable; the essence of this legislation is if the government decides you are under occupying your rented home, you will lose housing benefits. This will mean some people on very low incomes or on state benefits will now have to pay towards their housing costs. It means others will have their benefits removed or reduced.
Those that can’t pay will have to move; if they can’t pay and there is no available alternative accommodation, they will be ‘helped’ with loans from their council.
Meanwhile, the rich get richer and the bankers continue to defraud and walk away with no consequences.
This is being done by rich politicians, the banker’s friends and probably the biggest under occupiers in the country.
Please sign the petition-
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Paul_Higgins/?caWNWbb
Stop the cruel and unfair ‘Bedroom Tax’
Mike Sivier's blog 
Mike, I’d bet money that most social housing countrywide is (or was- before the great sell-off of the 1980’s and 1990’s) three bedroomed. It was conceived, designed and built as housing for all, to replace the somewhat inadequate social housing of the pre-war years conceived by Lloyd George but was an inclusive policy, not just for the needy but to supply good rented council owned houses for everybody. As the working class became more affluent during the 1960’s and 1970’s and began to buy their council houses, then the Thatcherites opened the flood gates with ‘right to buy’ and massive discounts the council house began to regain its reputation as a home for the poor and the term social housing was introduced.
Almost all were built as homes for families; three and four bedrooms, gardens and flats generally had two or more bedrooms. There just isn’t, and never was enough single accommodation to displace all the ‘under occupied’ people from three and four bedroomed houses; because they were conceived as family homes for life. Which kinda blows a hole in Tory policy.
We should move away from using the term ‘social housing’ because of the connotations; the term is associated with poverty and also by association with benefits; a situation, no doubt manufactured by the Tories as a precursor to their attack on social housing and the poor- mention benefits and alienate the poor.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/antibedroomtax/ here to fight this oppressive and unjust tax ..please feel free to join us
I am 66y.y.o.Houses are containers now. As a child I lived in a tenement. Kitchen living room and tiny bed room. Now a pensioner, living room bedroom and kitchen. Houses are shrinking yet costs are astronomical. Greedy govts. are screwing us into the ground.
Once I had a dream of a future, it was not supposed to be like this. I ended up in a (supposed to be 3 bed terraced) with nothing, and it is so cramped you could not swing a cat. I would say that it is a 2 bed roomed and that is pushing it, with a box room, yet I am going to be taxed on a box room that you might if you’re lucky fit a single bed in it and that would be it. I can barely manage to survive as it is and that means wearing as much clothing as possible and keeping the heat of as long as possible and living on salad and sandwiches. I have also been trying to get out of this house for the last five years, as I have had too many accidents here, too steep are the stairs, the path outside is steep and slippery last time I fell was last week, and I still suffer from a twig going into my eye when I fell two years ago, received no treatment because of egotism, we know best crap. Something is still lodged in there and I cannot touch that eye. God I could go on.
I have osteoporosis, lost 5 inches in height with lots of problems and pain, which was diagnosed too late, not being listened to, (just when I thought my life was getting back together as I had begun new job-well below my degree level). So no life, no hope, no money. Are the ones who make these decisions trying to eliminate the overpopulation by killing us all off?
Have we got Hitler’s making all the decisions, do they live in comfort, warmth. Well I could do their job better, I could economize better, let them come and live we to have for just a month and see if they could live like they wish us to. Money is not real, we make it real, it is a symbol and we make it meaningful. Is this a war between those that have power and those that [seemingly do not]. How far are they going to push the ‘beast’ before it turns?
People matter, they think, feel, hurt, cry and suffer. Being rich and powerful is not a privilege it is supposed to be a responsibility. All those that have been given this gift are supposed to use it wisely to help others, not generate it for themselves. Jesus I am so angry at their blindness. Swap places with me for a while I will swop with you and I bet I could do a better job.
There are enough resources in the world for the whole world, it is those who are in a privileged position who play life games with people’s lives and seemingly don’t give a fig. Well what goes around comes around and it may not be in this life but it will definitely be in the next. I am so angry and this bungling (or is it deliberate) attitude?
I am sorry but this bedroom tax is the most ridiculous, thought out idea that has not been deeply thought about long term (or have they), how this will worsen people’s already pitiful, painful, struggling lives. Definitely on par with Hitler. There has got to be an explosion somewhere along the way if this carries on. Any mistakes in grammar or spelling, I really don’t care, don’t care to check what I have written, just need to get it off my chest. I also do not mean harm to anyone, but I really do get angry at elitist’s in their ignorance, who probably pay for lunch with what I have to live on for a week.
Lastly there should be more Home work available for people, there are lots of good possibilities in this area and easing of cost of lots of business. There are many people who have brains, who are being wasted because they cannot get about, who suffer because their lives depend on incompetent egotistical individuals with a god complex. Gosh please forgive me, I had better stop, there are too many gaps here anyway and I cannot say what I really wish, there is too much inside of me.
Best wishes to all
It seems, like the rest of us, you have worked, paid your dues, raised a family, then fallen ill through no fault of your own.
Your family have grown, left the home to start their lives and you are left in a house where you have fond memories of the past and where your grandchildren come to stay on holidays and weekends, just like us.
I have illnesses – lung proplems, damaged back due to accidents at work and getting OLD weakening my body; my partner, poor lass, is in a worse state than I.
We have asked for a bungalow/ground floor flat – one-bedroomed, so no stairs to climb. Guess what? There are none – not enough to go around.
The Government know this, but they are intoducing a LAW TO TAX US KNOWING THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOUSES.
This brings to mind COMMUNISM – everyone gets what what no one wants, to create a classless, moneyless, and stateless society, unless you’re rich and in a position of power to make those under you subordinate, grind them down into the ground.
People are going to have no money to live on, no heat, food, housing; the crime wave will start as people need to survive. Many shoplifters are now stealing food, not clothing etc. You will have law-abiding people poised in desperation. This is when the bubble will burst – SURVIVAL, it is called.
I never in my days thought I would be posting comments like this; this is a disgrace, an insult to the PEOPLE who have made this country, then have POLITICIANS take us to war, empty the coffers, then use us as an excuse to raise capital back by cutting our benefits, for which we have worked hard all our lives.
I comment on the war abroad – I have a son who has been over there and is going back. I want him home safe. He has bought a house, good on him, but – guess what – it is an ex-council house, three-bedroomed. Ironic, is it not – it is one of the houses the Government sold off to make money many years ago. Get my point?
Well enough talk for now more to come on this subject.
Like you all I am in the same boat and will play my part in voicing my opinion and lobbying my elected officials.
Best wishes to you all.
I am on ESA due to being made redundant due to work capabilities. I and my partner receive £108pw, have a three-bedroomed house. I have been informed that when the bedroom tax comes in, I will have to pay on top of my £15 per week rent, 25% for two rooms (three bedroomed house) and contribute about £10pw poll tax – about £45pw. This will leave me with about £63 per week to live on, take my gas/electric now down to £30pw. The saying goes “eat or heat”, so true.
I have asked for a one bedroomed bungalow or flat, guess what not enough properties.
I have also been informed, when this new universal credit comes into play, “your benefits will be monthly”. BUT the fortnightly monies we receive will have to last us six weeks till the monthly benefit is paid.
How the hell are we to survive? my friend hit the nail on the head: IS THIS NOT WHAT HITLER DID to the sick, weak and vulnerable people, forced them out of their homes?
For 40 years I have worked, paid into a system and as I get older and become unwell, and lose my job due to ill health, what do I get? Sweet nothing.
This tax goes back to the times when windows where taxed, witches burnt at the stake – what next, the air we breathe?
I have written to my MP and (I am a Union man) to the union as well, got the “we’re looking in to it will talk to the MPs”, Right OH.
Being UNEMPLOYED, DISABLED carries a stigma and the Government are the ones who stigmatise the people, so no one will support us.
What pressure has the Press put on the Government to do a U-turn? Even Labour want this, but think the Coalition are going too fast.
What a country we live in, what a Government we have when they turn on the most vulnerable people of all, the unemployed/sick/disabled who cannot defend themselves and rely on their MPs to protect them and they do not do anything to protect us.
To finish off, as I can go on all day, if I was working I would not incur any tax, I would pay full rent and poll tax, but if made unemployed, all the benefits I have paid in are not for me, but to fill the coffers for the war machine in other countries.
The Government created this mess, not us, and if they want to cut and save money, bring our troops home. This will save billions, this is what is draining our coffers.
What a Government we have.
This is the first time I have written in to anything like this. We are being crucified.
Error in my post IS THIS NOT WHAT HITLER DID I do appoligise
I’ll have fixed it in the edit, don’t worry.
We know exactly how you feel, we live in Mid Wales in a 2 bedroom bungalow which is for disabled and specially adapted, we need the extra room for when one of us is ill, my husdand has rhumatoid arthritis and high blood pressure and asthma, I have serious back problems and nerve damage through unpaid caring for family also asthmas and needing to use a nebuliser twice a day but we have been told to move or pay the tax which we just can’t do but there are not the properties for everyone to move so they have just got you where the want you – we think it’s just going to get worse, meanwhile while we can’t afford to pay the debt will mount up evetually leading to courts and bailiffs – how many more holes can they drill in the sinking good ship uk!
I have read all of your posts (though briefly) and my heart goes out to you all. I too am in the same boat, when my husb had his major stroke I still provide 24 hour care and have done for 5 years with no help. (We found we couldn’t trust anyone after neglectful hospital treatment). I had all the equipment and as I worked on him for upto 6 hours a day physio he has managed to walk but not alone and only with my help and only indoors and is now starting to talk but very little. He is very intelligent and a fighter and I’m proud to say that one by one most of the equipment has been sent back but he is severly disabled. I am so proud of us both, we are still so in love and make the most of everything. We have a small ‘spare’ bedroom which was converted with the local authority’s permission and wouldn’t be of any use to a lodger as it has a door in it now leading to a tiny plot of garden and this room also houses storage and an electric wheelchair and it is cramped. This is our exit into the garden or we would have to go out the front door, down the slope across the neighbour’s garden, down a sideway, past a neighbour’s kitchen and into the garden. It was all done with our money and decking was bought up to the correct height. My mum bought us a kitchen and I have just finished decorating it. Now I have to pay for it. If my husband had another stroke God forbid (his problem could be ongoing) he wouldn’t be able to come home as I could not fit his equipment in one bedroom. This flat was given to us for our needs and now we are being told by the government that we cannot stay or we have to pay. The shortage of housing isn’t all down to the government selling of homes, thousands and thousands have come to our country who want/need housing and there just isn’t enough. I have to stay and pay – would I tale a chance that my husband could have have an epileptic fit in a room cramped with equipment in the future?- no, would I take the chance that if he became sick he wouldn’t be able to come home – no, and what about thousands of others just as needy with different problems,- it’s an absolute disgrace that this government have the power to put lives at risk and just punish people who have done nothing wrong, move (removal expenses) – where to?, buy new carpets, pay for adaptions again!!! – where is this money coming from – and at six weeks notice, it’s madness this government have to change this law.