Foster carers hit by 'bedroom tax'
 

Hayley Woods has been fostering children for seven years. She lives in a three bedroom house in Oldham, Lancashire.

She has a ten-year-old child in her care and a second spare bedroom, ready to take another.

But from April, her bedrooms will be deemed empty, even though they may have children in them under the so called 'bedroom tax' policy being introduced by the government.

Hayley told me it was a disgrace that the very families the state relies to help some of the most vulnerable children in society, those that have been abandoned, neglected and abused should be treated this way. She says they will be invisible.

She says many foster carers she's spoken to say they will stop fostering, as they feel there is no incentive to continue. Ms Woods stands to lose around £80 a month.

The Department of Work and Pension (DWP) told me, in 2013/14 councils will be receiving £155m to support households affected by reforms.

This includes £30m for foster carers and disabled people in adapted properties.

They do not want the so called 'bedroom tax' to discourage people from being foster carers.

A DWP spokesperson said:

"It's fair that we ensure social housing is used appropriately and that the state no longer pays for people to live in homes too big for their needs. However we've provided £30 million to councils to ensure that groups like foster carers and disabled people are protected."


ITV


I think it's quite disgusting how the government is treating these people who are doing a service and giving these kids a stable and loving home, but I am sure they won't be losing any sleep over it. Money talks after all.

That is disgusting. She's providing a safe environment for children, surely they can't do that to her.

This bedroom tax is in my opinion a total injustice and heartless policy, it will I hope become this Coalitions poll tax and the chaos it is likely to bring with massive rent arrears, prosecutions for rent arrears, court eviction orders and people being made homeless will I hope be held against this Govt for decades for come.

I am stunned in particular that the Lib Dems ever supported such a policy and how they sleep at night is beyond me.
It should be illegal for any Govt to say previously to people, you need this amount of money to live on and cover other bills,however in addition to that you are also entitled to full housing benefit and council tax benefit if that is your only income and to then come along and say we are taking away x amount of the housing benefits we originally said you are entitiled to and you will have to pay the difference out of the money we said you needed to live on.
If you cannot pay the extra, then you willhave to accept a smaller house/flat but if you stay and get into arrears you will be evicted and not re-housed.
That is exactly what some people are being told by this heartless Govt,if ever a policy was a truly unjust and rotten one, this one for sure is.

Joey [2]

This is horrible and is going to affect my family

Sorry to hear that, it is a total disgrace really. Good luck Germyle, I hope things work out better than expected for your Family.

Thanks Joey, we'll be okay =] We've been through a lot worse

Sorry to hear that Germyle. The whole thing is totally unjust for some people. I was reading this story too earlier. Everybody gets put in the same group, rather than looking at each case individually. You just cannot do that in a fair society.

i dont think it right to just make up new rules like this what next garden tax

Don't give them any ideas!...:hugesmile:

Disgusting, but since it'll affect so few people I can't see this going too challenged :(

I think it will actually affect a fair few. Parents with kids under 12 for instance have to make them share a bedroom now. If their kids have a bedroom each they are expected to move to a smaller place or take a cut in benefits. Many people who have lived in their homes for years will be expected to move or lose out. including the old, infirm and many families.

That's why these type of laws never work, because every family and every household is different. They need to hire qualified people to asses every case. It should be a case by case basis when it comes to this sort of thing. One size does not fit all.

Hi Lostalex and a massive welcome back to you too.

I totally agree, also though for me, this is a totally unjust policy and as I said earlier it has all the characteristics of yet another heartless policy from our Govt against people at the lowest end of the scale.
It will I believe cause chaos, not only to the people it directly affects with a large loss of income, stress and hardship to them but to wider communities too, who will likely see Neighbours they have had for decades having to move out because of this policy.

It is though for me the tone of the policy that is really the unjust and rotten part, that people will lose money if they decide to stay in the house they are in, which was given to them on a secured tenancy.
Through no fault of their own, they are going to find aid they were told was their right to claim are now being reduced by far too great a percentage and they are going to be massively worse off should they decide to try to stay in the house.
There is nowhere near the smaller housing anyway available for those who decide to move.

The case in the OP is shocking really, this Govt seems over keen on helping the people who failed the Country badly yet setting out to punish those who are trying to do something and also who are the weakest and most vulnerable.

People will, as Spring and Summer approaches, decide to try to stay in the house they are in since they will likely be able to cut back on Gas and Electricity costs in those seasons,however once Winter hits again, then I can see the struggles beginning and arrears of rents mounting higher and higher.

So much so that come early 2014,courts will be dealing with eviction orders from local authorites and overdue rent demands.
Seeing many people becoming homeless likely too as the year progresses.

A rotten policy and rotten idea from a Govt that is heartless and rotten from the core now not just to the core in my view.
They will find, I believe and hope, that this policy hangs round their necks at the next election with the same outrage nearly as the hated poll tax brought.

they will have to have cast iron safeguards for some, this is going to be catastrophic I agree joey.
The local authorities should have been pressured into bringing their current housing stock that is in disrepair into a decent standard imo.
That would free up 1000's of homes in the UK.

The idea in general could be good, to discourage people owning homes too big for those struggling to get onto the property ladder but it's a little harsh in this case.

There has always been the mutual exchange scheme, and cash incentives offered for tenants with spare rooms to downsize in some areas, I don't think enough was done to try to address the balance for vulnerable tenants prior to this being implamented.
As usual the government has steamrollered in and caused havoc with their 'reforms', where are the statements from shelter, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, mind, age concern? why are these organisations not being herard in this?...

The other thing with this very badly thought out policy is, the people who agree to move out are limited as to where they can go.
The smaller housing available is often flats or houses way out of the area the person currently resides in.

Secure tenants of council properties, often have spent fair sums, decorating the house to their preference and to a good standard,the gardens will have had a fair amount spent on them too over the years.

It is not just the building of the house the person forced out financially loses, they also lose the community around them,the memories, the cost of all they have done and put into the house internally and externally.
They then have to lose some of their possessions as smaller properties in no way can accommodate all they have.

I find the whole policy a disgrace, having talked to a good few people who will be affected by this all I could do was feel really sad for them.
It is not just a house,it is their home and this policy financially penalises them so badly,for doing nothing wrong themselves but for having a very low income, that they are in effect near blackmailed out of the house really.
I cannot think of another word to use really,it is what it amounts to.

In the UK at this time in the 21st century, that is a total disgrace and unforgivable as to any Govt.

Whats needed is a new milton keynes...
http://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/2012/12/a...tainable-homes

Dave just saved some dosh in europe, anyone any good at town planning on a shoestring?..:D