If you don't scrap the Bedroom Tax Mr Cameron - a Labour government will

Hated: Tax protested in November by supporters of the Mirror & Unite's campaign to abolish it

Today a bill to axe the Bedroom Tax will be discussed in the House of Commons. It’s been proposed by Labour MPs who want to see this hated tax abolished.

The Tories Bedroom Tax is doing enormous damage to hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

It has taken away support from 660,000 people, two thirds of whom are disabled.

Sixty thousand households with carers have been hit. I’ve met countless victims of the Bedroom Tax whose lives have been turned upside down.

Last week I met Tony Cunning who lives in Manchester. Tony suffers from kidney disease and needs dialysis three times a week.

When I met him he told me how a second room for medical equipment would enable him to have treatment at home.

But like so many other people, Anthony has been forced to pay the Bedroom Tax, making his life harder at a time when needs help and support.

Yet despite the overwhelming evidence from across the country that the Bedroom Tax is damaging people’s lives, the Tories are so out-of-touch they think their Bedroom Tax is a great success.

Tell that to the two thirds of households affected by the bedroom tax who cannot find the money to pay their rents or the one in seven are at risk of eviction.

Do the Tories really think it’s a success that low-income households who are being forced to find, on average, an extra £720 a year – or face losing their home?

Or that thousands of hard-pressed families hit by the Bedroom Tax are being forced to rely on food banks?

Is it really a success that tens of thousands of people have been wrongly charged the Bedroom Tax because of the errors made by bungling ministers?

I’ve seen the huge pressure which the Bedroom Tax has placed on families in my own constituency in Leeds. It’s the poorest in our communities who pay the Bedroom Tax.

And because there aren’t smaller properties to go to, they are forced to choose between heating, eating or paying rent.

If David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith have any decency, they would come to the House of Commons today and apologise for the damage which their Bedroom Tax has done to the country and announce they are scrapping it .

But don’t hold your breath... The Bedroom Tax is a true blue Tory policy. It taxes poor people’s bedrooms at the same time as David Cameron is cutting taxes for millionaires.

The Tories fought tooth and nail to impose their hated tax on the country, they defend it to the hilt and they won’t allow it to be abolished without a fight.

Today we have a simple message for David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith, if you don’t scrap the Bedroom Tax, then a Labour government will.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-rachel-reeves-message-3137066#ixzz2t7O7KPhz
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Labour pass bill to scrap Bedroom Tax by 226 votes to just ONE

      

They'll cut the benefits bill another way though. They've woken up to the truth.

BigAndy9 wrote:They'll cut the benefits bill another way though.  They've woken up to the truth.

I've read that they will increase benefits for those that have paid into the system, so you are wrong there!

Yes I know of families who have to do without heating to pay the extra for the bedroom tax, the conservatives don't care about poor people they are just cruel .

Maine coon lover wrote:Yes I know of families who have to do without heating to pay the extra for the bedroom tax, the conservatives don't care about poor people they are just cruel .

lol

My dad is a sick man he has Parkinson's disease my mother is 81 cannot walk very far, they wanted a wet room fitted so it would make life easier for them to bathe as stepping over a bath is not only dangerous but they cant do it . They had a bath chair fitted but my dad is too scared of it , the Parkinson's has stolen his confidence. My mother has to help him bathe, I have offered to help but its my dads dignity and I don't blame him for that. The reason they cannot have the wet room built is because the government have stopped all help unless my dad is in a wheelchair.

My dad has worked all his life fro aged 12 up until when he had an industrial accident which left disabled , then he was diagnosed with Parkinson's , its a cruel world we live in work until your nearly dead and then you wont even get any help even if you desperately need it .

BigAndy9 wrote:

Maine coon lover wrote:Yes I know of families who have to do without heating to pay the extra for the bedroom tax, the conservatives don't care about poor people they are just cruel .

lol

what's funny about poor people having to choose between keeping warm or paying the rent ?

Maine coon lover wrote:Yes I know of families who have to do without heating to pay the extra for the bedroom tax, the conservatives don't care about poor people they are just cruel .

They only care for the rich elite, the others that vote for them are just cap doffers, selfish, greedy and uncaring types.

Catman wrote:

Maine coon lover wrote:Yes I know of families who have to do without heating to pay the extra for the bedroom tax, the conservatives don't care about poor people they are just cruel .

They only care for the rich elite, the others that vote for them are just cap doffers, selfish, greedy and uncaring types.

yep, and one day they may need to claim benefits too and then see if they are so keen to agree with it all .

No this is one law I like.

WHY should people be sitting in houses with more bedrooms than they need when there is a severe shortage of houses with extra bedrooms for families???

Piss off! If you are sitting in a three bedroomed house and there are only two of you, a married couple, move out to somewhere smaller and free up your house for those who need it!!!

What you're saying is people can sit and be GREEDY even whilst you call the government greedy!! PFFFFT!

Maine coon lover wrote:

Catman wrote:

They only care for the rich elite, the others that vote for them are just cap doffers, selfish, greedy and uncaring types.

yep, and one day they may need to claim benefits too and then see if they are so keen to agree with it all .

That would be a delicious dose of karma!

The rich elite will get their comeuppance when Labour return to office after the next election.
  

eddie wrote:No this is one law I like.

WHY should people be sitting in houses with more bedrooms than they need when there is a severe shortage of houses with extra bedrooms for families???

Piss off! If you are sitting on benefits, in a three bedroomed house and there are only two of you, a married couple, move out to somewhere smaller and free up your house for those who need it!!!

There is a shortage of smaller accommodation to downsize to actually.

eddie wrote:No this is one law I like.

WHY should people be sitting in houses with more bedrooms than they need when there is a severe shortage of houses with extra bedrooms for families???

Piss off! If you are sitting  in a three bedroomed house and there are only two of you, a married couple, move out to somewhere smaller and free up your house for those who need it!!!

What you're saying is people can sit and be GREEDY even whilst you call the government greedy!! PFFFFT!

BUMP!

eddie wrote:

eddie wrote:No this is one law I like.

WHY should people be sitting in houses with more bedrooms than they need when there is a severe shortage of houses with extra bedrooms for families???

Piss off! If you are sitting  in a three bedroomed house and there are only two of you, a married couple, move out to somewhere smaller and free up your house for those who need it!!!

What you're saying is people can sit and be GREEDY even whilst you call the government greedy!! PFFFFT!

BUMP!

Yea!

This law will be bumped off after the next election!
  

eddie wrote:No this is one law I like.

WHY should people be sitting in houses with more bedrooms than they need when there is a severe shortage of houses with extra bedrooms for families???

Piss off! If you are sitting  in a three bedroomed house and there are only two of you, a married couple, move out to somewhere smaller and free up your house for those who need it!!!

What you're saying is people can sit and be GREEDY even whilst you call the government greedy!! PFFFFT!

If you lived in a council house you and your partner and say two kids, you live there for 20 years , you have made it your home decorated it done the garden, you then get to say 40/50 and the kids both leave home , would you willingly just pack up all your belongings and move out to a one bedroomed flat ?

Catman wrote:

Maine coon lover wrote:

yep, and one day they may need to claim benefits too and then see if they are so keen to agree with it all .

That would be a delicious dose of karma!

The rich elite will get their comeuppance when Labour return to office after the next election.
  

wouldn't it just . They sit there in their huge mansions claiming for heating expenses and then they want to make poor people suffer even more by making them pay for the extra bedrooms, sick and twisted is the only way to describe it . I doubt many would want to pack up all their belongings and move to a smaller place (if there are smaller places ) just to free up the homes for other families .

Maine coon lover wrote:

Catman wrote:

That would be a delicious dose of karma!

The rich elite will get their comeuppance when Labour return to office after the next election.
  

wouldn't it just . They sit there in their huge mansions claiming for heating expenses and then they want to make poor people suffer even more by making them pay for the extra bedrooms, sick and twisted is the only way to describe it . I doubt many would want to pack up all their belongings and move to a smaller place (if there are smaller places ) just to free up the homes for other families .

That's the problem, there is a shortage of smaller places to move to anyway.

People are running up arrears and we haven't seen the true impact yet, we will though when the evictions start and people are thrown out onto the streets.       

Ever wondered why Boris wants the water cannons for this summer?

main coon lover,just like to point out it's not the Government that wont help out, it's your local council,they decide who gets help or not

nicko wrote:main coon lover,just like to point out it's not the Government that wont help out, it's your local council,they decide who gets help or not

is it , I don't know who it comes from but don't local councils get money from the government to pay for stuff like this for the disabled .

Catman wrote:

Maine coon lover wrote:

wouldn't it just . They sit there in their huge mansions claiming for heating expenses and then they want to make poor people suffer even more by making them pay for the extra bedrooms, sick and twisted is the only way to describe it . I doubt many would want to pack up all their belongings and move to a smaller place (if there are smaller places ) just to free up the homes for other families .

That's the problem, there is a shortage of smaller places to move to anyway.

People are running up arrears and we haven't seen the true impact yet, we will though when the evictions start and people are thrown out onto the streets.       

It isn't just council house tenants who are being targeted either, my sister in law works at the CAB and there are lots of unemployed who are losing their homes who have a mortgage because the help from support for mortgage interest isn't enough to help them stay in their homes, most are couples who were made redundant and cant find work, they are having to find 40-50 pounds a week out of their jsa to put towards the mortgage interest.

I know when people buy houses they take the risk of losing their homes if they do not keep up repayments but the government haven't helped by lowering the interest rate to 3.36% as most people have high interest rates on their mortgages. Lots are losing their homes because of this, taking 30-40 pounds a week out of jsa is almost impossible when you consider other bills such as water gas electric tv licence home insurance food. So they cant make the payment up and the mortgage providers are repossessing .

Even if they do manage to pay the mortgage if after 2 years they cant find work and some places are worse than others to find work , then they will lose their homes as support for mortgage interest stops after 2 years.

For the poor the bedroom tax is a scumbag tax picking on the poorest, no better than money lenders lending to the poor knowing they can't afford the repayments , then sending in scumbag debt collectors.

What about people on housing benefit who are in private accommodation? I doubt they'd be allowed to claim for a spare bedroom. I can see that some disabled people might need extra room, but the others don't.

Raggamuffin wrote:What about people on housing benefit who are in private accommodation? I doubt they'd be allowed to claim for a spare bedroom. I can see that some disabled people might need extra room, but the others don't.

Private rented accommodation has long been subject to LHA (local housing allowance) you get housing benefit according to your housing need.

NemsAgain wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:What about people on housing benefit who are in private accommodation? I doubt they'd be allowed to claim for a spare bedroom. I can see that some disabled people might need extra room, but the others don't.

Private rented accommodation has long been subject to LHA (local housing allowance) you get housing benefit according to your housing need.

Exactly, so why should people in council accommodation be treated with favouritism?

Maine coon lover wrote:

eddie wrote:No this is one law I like.

WHY should people be sitting in houses with more bedrooms than they need when there is a severe shortage of houses with extra bedrooms for families???

Piss off! If you are sitting  in a three bedroomed house and there are only two of you, a married couple, move out to somewhere smaller and free up your house for those who need it!!!

What you're saying is people can sit and be GREEDY even whilst you call the government greedy!! PFFFFT!

If you lived in a council house you and your partner and say two kids, you live there for 20 years , you have made it your home decorated it done the garden, you then get to say 40/50 and the kids both leave home , would you willingly just pack up all your belongings and move out to a one bedroomed flat ?

Well technically it's not their house, so it was their decision to decorate a house which didn't belong to them. They don't have to move out anyway, they just don't get paid public money to have a spare room.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Maine coon lover wrote:

If you lived in a council house you and your partner and say two kids, you live there for 20 years , you have made it your home decorated it done the garden, you then get to say 40/50 and the kids both leave home , would you willingly just pack up all your belongings and move out to a one bedroomed flat ?

Well technically it's not their house, so it was their decision to decorate a house which didn't belong to them. They don't have to move out anyway, they just don't get paid public money to have a spare room.

You're right, technically it isn't their house, but it is their home. A home they might have lived in for donkeys years, a home with all their memories of their kids growing up attached to it.

No, they don't have to move, but don't you just suppose that this was put in place to 'encourage' people to do just that? Shame they didn't build more smaller homes for these people to downsize into though.

Spindleshanks wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well technically it's not their house, so it was their decision to decorate a house which didn't belong to them. They don't have to move out anyway, they just don't get paid public money to have a spare room.

You're right, technically it isn't their house, but it is their home.  A home they might have lived in for donkeys years, a home with all their memories of their kids growing up attached to it.

No, they don't have to move, but don't you just suppose that this was put in place to 'encourage' people to do just that?  Shame they didn't build more smaller homes for these people to downsize into though.

I think perhaps the problem is that council houses are given for life rather than being a temporary thing for people who really need them.

I just get fed up of hearing about the woes of council tenants. Those in private houses wouldn't be allowed to claim for more room than they need, and lots of people work and pay their own rent - I expect they'd love to have a spare room but probably can't afford it. If they scrap the bedroom tax, they'll have to allow private tenants to claim HB for spare rooms too, otherwise it's discrimination.

What is stopping council tenants from moving to a smaller place which is privately rented?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Spindleshanks wrote:

You're right, technically it isn't their house, but it is their home.  A home they might have lived in for donkeys years, a home with all their memories of their kids growing up attached to it.

No, they don't have to move, but don't you just suppose that this was put in place to 'encourage' people to do just that?  Shame they didn't build more smaller homes for these people to downsize into though.

I think perhaps the problem is that council houses are given for life rather than being a temporary thing for people who really need them.

I just get fed up of hearing about the woes of council tenants. Those in private houses wouldn't be allowed to claim for more room than they need, and lots of people work and pay their own rent - I expect they'd love to have a spare room but probably can't afford it. If they scrap the bedroom tax, they'll have to allow private tenants to claim HB for spare rooms too, otherwise it's discrimination.

What is stopping council tenants from moving to a smaller place which is privately rented?

The majority of private landlords won't accept people who are on benefits.

Catman wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I think perhaps the problem is that council houses are given for life rather than being a temporary thing for people who really need them.

I just get fed up of hearing about the woes of council tenants. Those in private houses wouldn't be allowed to claim for more room than they need, and lots of people work and pay their own rent - I expect they'd love to have a spare room but probably can't afford it. If they scrap the bedroom tax, they'll have to allow private tenants to claim HB for spare rooms too, otherwise it's discrimination.

What is stopping council tenants from moving to a smaller place which is privately rented?

The majority of private landlords won't accept people who are on benefits.

Nice excuse. Loads of people who rent are on benefits.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Catman wrote:

The majority of private landlords won't accept people who are on benefits.

Nice excuse. Loads of people who rent are on benefits.

It's not an excuse at all, it's a fact that private landlords very rarely accept people who are in receipt of benefits!

Catman wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Nice excuse. Loads of people who rent are on benefits.

It's not an excuse at all, it's a fact that private landlords very rarely accept people who are in receipt of benefits!

So where do all the people on benefits live then? They can't all have council houses.

......The whole point of social housing really.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Catman wrote:

It's not an excuse at all, it's a fact that private landlords very rarely accept people who are in receipt of benefits!

So where do all the people on benefits live then? They can't all have council houses.

Maybe they stay with friends, or still live at home.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Catman wrote:

The majority of private landlords won't accept people who are on benefits.

Nice excuse. Loads of people who rent are on benefits.

How is that an excuse? Phil is correct..many landlords do not accept people on benefits , this creates a further strain on housing shortage.

Catman wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

So where do all the people on benefits live then? They can't all have council houses.

Maybe they stay with friends, or still live at home.

All of them? Even people with jobs can get housing benefit.

Anyway, the point is that letting council tenants claim for extra rooms is favouritism.

So the people on benefits without a council house have to stay with friends, probably on the sofa, and council tenants are moaning because they want a spare bedroom for free?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Spindleshanks wrote:

You're right, technically it isn't their house, but it is their home.  A home they might have lived in for donkeys years, a home with all their memories of their kids growing up attached to it.

No, they don't have to move, but don't you just suppose that this was put in place to 'encourage' people to do just that?  Shame they didn't build more smaller homes for these people to downsize into though.

I think perhaps the problem is that council houses are given for life rather than being a temporary thing for people who really need them.

I just get fed up of hearing about the woes of council tenants. Those in private houses wouldn't be allowed to claim for more room than they need, and lots of people work and pay their own rent - I expect they'd love to have a spare room but probably can't afford it. If they scrap the bedroom tax, they'll have to allow private tenants to claim HB for spare rooms too, otherwise it's discrimination.

What is stopping council tenants from moving to a smaller place which is privately rented?

That was the point of council housing, to give people who couldn't afford to buy somewhere to live, there was never any stipulation it couldn't or shouldn't be for life, in fact assured tenancies meant it certainly could be a lifelong thing.

It was Thatcher selling them off without replacing them that increasingly led to a public housing shortage and lots of people in council housing work and pay their own rents too. They aren't having their rents increased because they have a spare room in order to try to get them to move to smaller accommodation so this is just plain discrimination against people reliant on benefits imo.

Are council tenants allowed to take lodgers?

Spindleshanks wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I think perhaps the problem is that council houses are given for life rather than being a temporary thing for people who really need them.

I just get fed up of hearing about the woes of council tenants. Those in private houses wouldn't be allowed to claim for more room than they need, and lots of people work and pay their own rent - I expect they'd love to have a spare room but probably can't afford it. If they scrap the bedroom tax, they'll have to allow private tenants to claim HB for spare rooms too, otherwise it's discrimination.

What is stopping council tenants from moving to a smaller place which is privately rented?

That was the point of council housing, to give people who couldn't afford to buy somewhere to live, there was never any stipulation it couldn't or shouldn't be for life, in fact assured tenancies meant it certainly could be a lifelong thing.

It was Thatcher selling them off without replacing them that increasingly led to a public housing shortage and lots of people in council housing work and pay their own rents too.  They aren't having their rents increased because they have a spare room in order to try to get them to move to smaller accommodation so this is just plain discrimination against people reliant on benefits imo.

Well what if their circumstances change and then they can afford to buy somewhere? They already get big discounts to buy the council house whilst everyone else has to pay the market price.

Raggamuffin wrote:Are council tenants allowed to take lodgers?

As long as they declare them to be living there.

Conservative and fib dem= scum, liars and traitors.

Catman wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Are council tenants allowed to take lodgers?

As long as they declare them to be living there.

There's the answer then - they can get a lodger. Other people have to do that to make ends meet.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Spindleshanks wrote:

That was the point of council housing, to give people who couldn't afford to buy somewhere to live, there was never any stipulation it couldn't or shouldn't be for life, in fact assured tenancies meant it certainly could be a lifelong thing.

It was Thatcher selling them off without replacing them that increasingly led to a public housing shortage and lots of people in council housing work and pay their own rents too.  They aren't having their rents increased because they have a spare room in order to try to get them to move to smaller accommodation so this is just plain discrimination against people reliant on benefits imo.

Well what if their circumstances change and then they can afford to buy somewhere? They already get big discounts to buy the council house whilst everyone else has to pay the market price.

They currently get about 60% off the market price, It's Tory policy to increase that to 75% if they win the next election.

Catman wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well what if their circumstances change and then they can afford to buy somewhere? They already get big discounts to buy the council house whilst everyone else has to pay the market price.

They currently get about 60% off the market price, It's Tory policy to increase that to 75% if they win the next election.

There you are then. They are already treated with favouritism, and they're still moaning. Can you imagine a private tenant telling their landlord they'll buy the house at a discount because they've been paying rent?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Catman wrote:

As long as they declare them to be living there.

There's the answer then - they can get a lodger. Other people have to do that to make ends meet.

They would just knock the money off the benefits that they receive.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Spindleshanks wrote:

That was the point of council housing, to give people who couldn't afford to buy somewhere to live, there was never any stipulation it couldn't or shouldn't be for life, in fact assured tenancies meant it certainly could be a lifelong thing.

It was Thatcher selling them off without replacing them that increasingly led to a public housing shortage and lots of people in council housing work and pay their own rents too.  They aren't having their rents increased because they have a spare room in order to try to get them to move to smaller accommodation so this is just plain discrimination against people reliant on benefits imo.

Well what if their circumstances change and then they can afford to buy somewhere? They already get big discounts to buy the council house whilst everyone else has to pay the market price.

She sold them off at dirt cheap prices to people who wouldn't have been able to buy otherwise, so their circumstances hadn't changed.

Do you think that was fair on the people who had to pay the market price for their homes?

Catman wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

There's the answer then - they can get a lodger. Other people have to do that to make ends meet.

They would just knock the money off the benefits that they receive.

What's wrong with that? They're not supposed to profit from a lodger are they?

Spindleshanks wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Well what if their circumstances change and then they can afford to buy somewhere? They already get big discounts to buy the council house whilst everyone else has to pay the market price.

She sold them off at dirt cheap prices to people who wouldn't have been able to buy otherwise, so their circumstances hadn't changed.

Do you think that was fair on the people who had to pay the market price for their homes?

No I don't - that's my point. I wouldn't buy a council house unless it was very cheap - I don't see why people should profit from the sale of them.

[quote="Raggamuffin"]

Catman wrote:

They currently get about 60% off the market price, It's Tory policy to increase that to 75% if they win the next election.

There you are then. They are already treated with favouritism, and they're still moaning. Can you imagine a private tenant telling their landlord they'll buy the house at a discount because they've been paying rent? [/quote

Maybe you should say the same for those who purchased their council house for peanuts under Margaret Thatcher' s right to buy scheme, many houses were snapped up for as little as £4000 .

And that's exactly what happened...many rented for years and got their council house for peanuts, not to mention the severe shortage of council housing stock Britain is seeing now...a huge knock on effect.