[Kizzy]

Great news for the long term disabled or carers, if housing benefit has been payable continuously since 1996 you are exempt from the 'spare room subsidy'.
Sorry can't post links but the info was released by the DWP.

[Z]

Well that's good news at least!

[arista]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Great news for the long term disabled or carers, if housing benefit has been payable continuously since 1996 you are exempt from the 'spare room subsidy'.
Sorry can't post links but the info was released by the DWP.

Thats IDS
good work.

and its called "Spare Room"

[Kizzy]

I don't think it was IDS that exposed this loophole arista, and I did put 'spare room' in the OP?

[joeysteele]

I would imagine thst IDS is furious at this, it blows another great hole in this disaster of a policy and shows how rotten it is.
More to the point it shows the amateurish and hastily wrong way it was devised in the first place.

Really good it has been exposed.
Does this Govt really want to go into the 2015 election with this nightmare of an unfair policy still in place.

[Toy Soldier]

I don't think bedroom tax was ever meant to be anything but a cheap, sharp, short kick in the teeth for the nation's poorest devised by high-level Tories for a mean-spirited giggle. It won't last beyond the current government term, and I highly doubt it's saved/generated any money at all.

[Kizzy]

'About 6% of benefit claimants affected by the bedroom tax have moved as a result of the benefit changes, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Reforms to cut housing benefit from council tenants with spare rooms have saved taxpayers £1m a day since they were imposed a year ago, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

But the figures obtained by the BBC suggest that around 30,000 social housing tenants have moved because of the changes, which are partly designed to cut under-occupancy.'

'Changes to housing benefit in the social rented sector are expected to save £490m in 2013-14 and about £1bn by the end of 2014-15 – more than £1.3m a day, the DWP said'

So basically this exposes it never was an exercise to free up social housing, and was in fact just a tax on welfare claimants.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...d-home-figures

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

'About 6% of benefit claimants affected by the bedroom tax have moved as a result of the benefit changes, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Reforms to cut housing benefit from council tenants with spare rooms have saved taxpayers £1m a day since they were imposed a year ago, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

But the figures obtained by the BBC suggest that around 30,000 social housing tenants have moved because of the changes, which are partly designed to cut under-occupancy.'

'Changes to housing benefit in the social rented sector are expected to save £490m in 2013-14 and about £1bn by the end of 2014-15 – more than £1.3m a day, the DWP said'

So basically this exposes it never was an exercise to free up social housing, and was in fact just a tax on welfare claimants.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...d-home-figures

I really am amazed that this Govt fails to grasp the problems with this charge.

Why they haven't just accepted it was badly planned and removed it themselves is totally betond all understanding.

This charge is a massive own goal for the Coalition and in the light of the report above that states only 6% have moved,for the Govt. to say that it is actually nearer 8% is also beyond belief.

A massive failure and a policy that only placed greater stress and harship on the poorest,also of course on the disabled.

I really don't think I have heard of any major organisation,charity or other spokespersons say anything really poitive as to the implementation of this charge.
Conservative councillors have moaned at it, Lib Dem councillors are against it,yet blindly and foolishly Ian Duncan Smith with the support of this cowardly PM and all else that supported this rotten policy press on regardless with it.
Just ignorantly dismissing all who raise concerns as to it.
This charge is the economics of madness.