Bedroom Tax.

[Jim Brady]

This topic could be quite controversial as I realise we have quite a few hangem and floggem brigade on here and anybody that is in reciept of benefits are scroungers and dont deserve anything.I can understand the goverment trying to free up housing stock and one person living in a three bedroom house is taking up the space of a family whilst that single person could be in a one bedroom flat or whatever.From April next year such single people living on housing benefit in a home with 2 rooms will have housing benefit reduced by 14% whilst those in a 3 room house will have their benefit reduced by 25%..So these single people should move into single bedroom accommodation,I could'nt agree more.The problem is the amount of single bedroom accommodation is next to nil.Take Chester-Le-Street there are 600 people under occupying whilst ther are only 41 one bedroom properties in the borough.This situation is not just peculiar to Chester-Le-Street but all over the country.So what it amounts to the people who are over occupying cannot be rehoused to single bedroom homes but their housing benefit will be reduced pro rata thus leaving them with less money to live on as they will have to make up the rent shortfall from their weekly benefit.Take my situation although this does not involve me because I own my own home.Had I have been housed by the council when i got married but did not take up Maggies offer on the right to buy so i brought up three kids and paid my rent and rates for 50 years,retired and just in reciept of the OAP so was in reciept of housing benefit.My grandchildren have their own room here and stay every weekend two of my lads live out of town and spend holidays here with us which is great.Now I would be told get out of there and go and live in a one room flat,what would that do to me and my family.As i have said many pensioners on their own would love a one bedroom flat but there are none available so we will just take the money off you instead from your OAP.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[John Pruden]

Jim we have to make room for all the immigrants coming in with big families we are the British we will make way for anything this government throw at us we are strangers in our own land.jp

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, Hi Jim, Why should any one paying rent to any land lord council or private have a benifit cut due to the fact that the social housing is not enough to meet the demands of people flooding in from the E.U { eastern europe} with children . Many councils across the U.K. have sold off old houseing stock years ago , The were order too by the conservative government at that time { Remember the right to buy campaign} A tory vote winner ? which turn out to be a damp squib in many places , The cost of the work that was needed on many houses' they sold off at a cheap price? to tennants did not make it a good deal, for many so called lucky buyers' Wall ties and damp were the main probelms in Wales ....dont know about else-where? But The people who will be put out of they home due to the new savage cuts wont be familys with childen illegals or not But single locals after paying rent to the council for many years !!! But not one person who lives in any luxury Mansions or palaces in any part of the U.K. with dozens of empty bedrooms many unused for years will have to move anywhere ?????? but only on Big council estates, and inner city council houses' whos children have growed up and moved seeking work or a better life in a nice counrty The Con/libdem government is sowing evil discord into our country, and we will have major social convulsion in the future .

[John Pruden]

how long dos it take to make a good peaceful community many years. now the government want to change all that so OK now will will spend some of the millions we are throwing into the cash cow we should take the government to the courts of human rights and see if the British born peaceful members of the community have got any rights i am sure if a known terrorist can live were they like we can. this law will cost billions not only to build but in legal fees. play the government at their own game everyone has human rights even the honest hard working tax payer of this land or are the voters second class citizens.jp

[happy daze john in oz]

A clasic example of how not ot run a country. Public housing is something that has only come about in the last century or so. Brought in by govs around the world in an effort to win votes. But again we come back to the idea of a gov running a business, something they should not do. Now they are in a bind, in need of accomodation for illegals and others with no where to put them. I agree singles should be able to access single accomodation, but at the same time should not be evicted or penalised just because the gov cannot make ends meet.

[Captain Kong]

I agree with that John.
Why should a war widow who has paid rent to a Councill for 50 or 60 years, brought up a family and because the children have married and moved, the Council come along and throw out the Widow to make room for a buch of Rag Heads who will be on free housing and Councill tax,
Because they have a war widows Pension on top of the State Pension maybe with a small occupational pension, it stops any kind of benefits, so the widow pays rent and rates out of the Pension. She owes no one.
She has probably paid for the cost of building the house with all the Rent she has paid.
All that lady`s memories are in that house, she knows her friends and neighbours she can rely on. but some stupid pig ignorant Social worker says ,"You have to go to somewhere strange with strangers." One way of killing off old people and reducing the Pensions bill.
I despair of this once great country that these old people built and is being taken off them,
Brian.

[John Pruden]

BRIAN are we actually going to be better off who is going to build the houses we have hardly ant building apprenticeships for our young. so all the dross out of Europe will come and build them and they will most probably live in them!!!! every house should have a large garage one space for the car another for you lifeboat OH and wait till the national parks come into play and some donkeys year old law of the rights of passage you know the type ordinance survey map in one hand and a PC in the other you will get crowds walking through you parlour and out the back door. we had the same in Germany years ago builders went out there to work the Germans were glad we were there because they knew we were going home but they were left with a load of foreign nationals on there door step not much thought has gone into this new brainwave that's been spewed out is this law going to apply to the like of all the palaces and manor houses in the country. i can see in my minds eye an exodus of buses parked outside stately homes with lines of squatters demanding a room now would that be a nice thing to see.jp

[Jim Brady]

Brian,I think the case that you describe the lady would be allowed to stay in that house because she is paying the rent and the rent is not being paid by the DWP.At the moment many people are unaware of the full rules.This is why I dont think it's a matter of getting people living on their own in a three bedroom house to downsize to one bedroom to free up housing stock for families.I think its a money making exercise by the government.What would happen if a pensioner presented himself to his social housing executive and said I wish to downsize from this 3 bedroom to a 1 bedroom,he is told we do not have any 1 bedroom property and are not likely to have any in the foreseable future,because of this we are going to take £25 pw from your pension.This does not only concern pensioners so what about our MP'S.As their rent is being paid by the government but it's called expenses will they be told to downsize to 1 bedroom or be hit by a 25% bedroom tax,I doubt it.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[alf corbyn]

colleges and university's etc.
in plymouth we have various colleges and universities as do all large cities.
the reason there are no spare houses//flats/ or even jobs is because the city is flooded out with students.
i think these places of learning should be compelled to provide housing for these students, and they should not be allowed to take up jobs whilst local people are running around looking for jobs and accommadation. in lots of cases these students are paid minimum wage and are p**ing it up against the wall.if you find a pub full of people you can bet they are students

[Tony Morcom]

Hi Alf. I can relate to what you are saying and remember the situation well. We lived in Plymouth for 5 years and you are 100% right in what you say. We were down there when Eurobell started out with the Digital TV etc. I worked for them as a sales rep until they changed to Telewest. Dare say I must have knocked on your door once or twice and maybe I even sold to you Some streets in Plymouth are just beautiful old houses that have been converted into student flats and the landlords make a fortune out of them. By the way how are you feeling now ~ have you fully recovered from your stint in Derriford?