Bedroom tax to hit 60,000 across West Midlands
Around 60,000 people across the West Midlands are likely to lose between £500 and £1,000 a year under controversial housing benefits reforms, a charity has said.
The so-called “bedroom tax” is set to hit 5,110 people in Sandwell, 4,094 in Walsall, 4,012 in Wolverhampton and 3,842 in Dudley according to the National Housing Federation.
In Cannock Chase it is estimated that 830 are affected, with 744 in Lichfield, 683 in Stafford, 652 in South Staffordshire and £758 in Wyre Forest.
The bedroom tax is the name given to work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith’s reforms of housing benefit which will see the government claw back payments from people in social rented or council housing if they have one or more spare rooms.
The estimated annual loss is from just over £500 for people with one extra room to £1,000 for two spare rooms.
Of the 60,000 across the West Midlands affected by the changes, 37,800 are disabled.
Elizabeth Humphreys, West Midlands lead manager for the National Housing Federation said:
“The Government’s bedroom tax is flawed and will unfairly penalise thousands of people in the West Midlands. The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach takes no account of disabled people’s adapted homes, of foster parents who need rooms to take children in, or of parents sharing custody who will lose the room for their child at weekends.”
Comments for: "Bedroom tax to hit 60,000 across West Midlands"
rob
utter disgrace. what next ? there will be a revolution in this country. the old saying goes " the rich get richer the poor get poorer". while all the politicians sit on there A**E doing nowt and giving themselves bonuses the disabled and the needy have to suffer. shambolic from this so called goverment. people need to make a stand or they will get steam rollered every time.
sports giant
Will this effect MPs tax funded second homes or even the queens tax funded homes now there's a few extra rooms
sm
The one big mistake any council has made and that was selling council house's off,
One of there biggest income's from rent, More fool them! Next we will be taxed for having a garden shed or dog kennel,
Stevepats
This is a prime example of this party's arrogance and attitude of spite and malice towards a group of people on benefits who this party continues to demonize and given a lower standing in life than child molesters and rapists.
Both Iain Duncan Smith and William Hague had their backsides well and truly kicked by the electorate of this country and David Cameron himself only scraped into power with the help of the future non-existent party and boy are they getting their own back.
Margaret Hamilton
This is one of the most revolting things I have heard. I sincerely hope it brings down this so-called Government. I wonder how Duncan Smith sleeps at night.
Marian 57
Now will someone please contact all councils and housing associations and find out how many vacant 1 bedroom properties they have for people to be able to downsize.
Then find out how many 1 bedroom properties there are to rent in the private sector that are within the housing allowance range for 1 bedroom in the area.
Then check through the home swap schemes to see how many 1 bedroom properties are on their that are able to upsize to a 2 bedroom.
And prove once and for all THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH PROPERTIES FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DOWNSIZE.
Ray
There's no houses due to the number of immigrant in the country and we have to pay for them to house them its disgusting what this government is doing hitting the British people in the teeth just to satisfie Brussels and that's not all stopping people's benefit but not the immigrant they get better kept than the people that's worked all there life. To pay into the , them from abroad straight on to benefit no question ask it stinks its time it stopped before it get out of hand it's on the cards a time bomb with a long fuse
wolfy
Too right ray.
I knew someone who worked for Wolverhampton council.
At that time immigrants were being housed in council properties that were fully furnished. He said it was like walking into an Ikea display.
Cookers,tables,chairs,beds,televisions,microwaves,cutlery,cookware,carpets in fact a ready made home.
What were Wolverhampton people offered? an empty property and a small redecoration grant.
john
The bedroom tax is the name given by commie Labourites who could not control spending, bankrupted the country then pretend it never happened, when you mention financial disaster they blame the bankers and they hope you don't know Labour also controlled the bankers.
To top it all Labour oppose anything which repairs their mess.
Finance
Europe,
Immigration
Housing
Employment
Labour opposes the lot and relish failure
People should thank Labour for messing it all up, a one more time lol
pete
Hey wasn't it the Tory party of the eighties that
deregulated the banks and give them a free hand
WELL DONE YOU POSH PARTY
JohnB
Pete ,Wasn't it Labour that was in power for 13 years sitting on their back sides, using the deregulated Banks by instructing them to keep funding Gordon's
"we have ended BOOM & BUST, BOOM & BUST",
Or are you going to tell me Gordon's great Lie "it started in America"
Anyone who disagreed with Gordon or Labour is a bigot
and Ed less Milliband is one of the richest families in the UK while your at it how many Labour councillor and MP's have big POSH cars and houses
Stevepats
And of course the 20 millionaires in the cabinet and all those poor Tory councillors have a really hard life.
However much money Ed Milliband is irrelevant to the argument, at least he is trying to help people less fortunate than himself unlike the Tories who revel in the Sod you Jack i'm alright attitude.
Margaret Hamilton
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7521250.stm
Here you go John, here is why the country allegedly has no money. Can't see any explanation there (or anywhere else for that matter) as to how Labour managed to cause a recession in all those other countries? How do you think they did it?
JohnB
Sorry Margaret, I'm not impressed by the publications department of the Labour party, (BBC) which has its own serious problems to sort out,
But I soon realised how you missed the explanation by looking at a your link, its from 2009, You looked in totally the wrong place and the wrong year, while you were looking there, two faced Labour have been appologising for messing up immigration, unemployment, Housing and the Economy If the Labour leaders admit they really fowled up the country, how did you miss that?? to help you try this link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/26/ed-balls-sorry-labour-failures
Labour seem to be very sorry for a lot of things just lately
and I will not forget they ruined this country and had the cheek to blame others
Mick - Whitmore Reans
What happens to my son who lives above a pub? He has to keep a bedroom available for another member of staff to stay if he goes away for a couple of nights or away on holiday. Would this count as a spare room or would it count as part of the commercial premise? More questions than answers!
nathan b
I am sure with a little adaption this is a good idea in principle as we do have plenty of people in homes that do not need the extra rooms.
kate spilsbury
ITEM WHO PAYS?
The royal family, all their relatives and
their homes (with plenty of spare bedrooms),
their food heating and lighting tax payer
Royal private Aircraft, boats and holiday homes tax payer
MPs, their second homes,
their subsidies on food, drink and tobacco
in the House of commons tax payer
WHY IS THIS RIGHT AND MORAL ACCORDING TO DAVID AND GEORGE ????
Single parent/Couple on low income,
so in receipt of housing benefit, with children
and council home, with maybe one spare bedroom,
no subsidy on food, heat a lighting, no holiday home,
no free transport tax payer
couple who have lived in their home,
raised their children and now have a spare
bedroom and are in receipt of housing
benefit (may be partial or full) tax payer
WHY IS THIS WRONG AND IMMORAL ACCORDING TO DAVID AND GEORGE?????
Angry dad
My son stays with me 5 days a week cus his mom can't be bothered, she gets all the money for him and I don't get a penny but I've still got to pay the bedroom tax,unfair it is but if the immigrants didn't flood us and have the 5 or 6 kids this country wouldn't be in a mess
Ian
Its upto the Benefit claimants to PRIORITSE their benefit spending...use it for what it is designed for paying bills, food etc...Not alcohol, ciggies or top Sky package to watch on large LED TV from Brighthouse or perfect homes which is costing them £3000 over the 3 yr plan. If claimants cant afford it then they are able to move to a smaller property suitable for their needs.
black and blue blood
are you totally deluded or what???
i dont drink,smoke,or have sky and use my money for bills and food and never buy from brighthouse..this is just another way of camron and co of clawing money back from EVERYONE to line the pockets of their rich frds to keep them in power..
with your thinking its fair for them to charge an arm and a leg for petrol,ok to shut wards and tell people if you need it that bad go private(that lines their rich frds pockets as well) why not go the whole hog and stop benifits full stop,will that lower tax NO,will that get the country up and running and create jobs NO
its people like you and your thinking thats led this country to the place it is now.
time wake up and climb off that self-righteous cloud you are on in your cookoo land
Stevepats
Also clever dick see if you can spot the spelling mistake that i hope you can pick up on and try to be superior to the rest of us. ( It's claimant by the way).
ray
Only this Government could come up with something like this.As already said,the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.Hey Ian,I know people who have two toilets,do you want to tax those as well?This is why I no longer live in England,and why England is falling behind other countries in looking after their own.Stop handing out money and aid to foreigners and start handing it out to your own,needy people.
brendan
Just not right and definitely not fair.
I've spent 7yrs trying to get my 2bed flat right and now
Ime nearly there. They say I should move
I only asked for a 1bed but got given a two.
I've saved and spent alot doing this.Ime on the sick so money is tight already.
Don't know how ime going to cope .but ime I will struggle on.
Cameron your a arse.
pete
Life is so unfair, why do the Tories always attack the poor.
just like Thacher and the poll tax. we should stand up to
these bullies.
gemma
ive already had my letter to say in april i gotta pay 13% of my rent because im living in a 2bedroom flat and am only using 1 bedroom and im trying my hardest to move before april if they didnt keep letting these polish and immigrants into our country there would be no need for people being charged for 1 spare bedroom as there would be enough properties for us ENGLISH people to live in
jim
this goverment is a disgrace, ian duncan smith and david cameron really wind me up every problem in this country is the fault of people on benefits,they dont live in the real world
Sandwell Lad
They wouldn't need to do this if the stop giving houses to the jobless and shameless... give homes to the working class that want/will pay full rates this way it can freeze or reduce the rates as money is coming in and no need for councils to ask for money from the stupid Governement!!!
This Government has no idea as they are all rich and don't care! Let the shy/jobless/shamless people live near them along with the new intake on the 1st 2014... they will start to see what were on about and change their tune!!!!
Dave
About time this was sorted out, we have far too many people living in council housing that don't need the extra rooms (single people or the elderly), I live in a 1 bed flat and have been on the waiting list for a house for over 12 months, my wife and I have 2 children. the sooner they sort this out the quicker I have a house with bedrooms that are going to be used. good on the government that I say, the only people complaining are the ones that are going to loose out!!!
s3s
Me Me Me 12 months is nothing
Dave
s3s yes me me me and thousands of other people who are in my situation, your the one proberbly single and living in a 3 bed house!!!
JayJay
I live in a 3 bedroomed house owned by Wolverhampton council which i have done for the past 32years, brought my family up very happily here, now the kids have grown and left the nest, i am on my own and still in the same 3 bed house.
As i work full time i pay full rent ergo i'm ok and can stay in my home without any increase, i would love to down size and give a family my house, unfortunatly i have to bid for a property which for the past 2 years is what i've been doing, my problem with this is that on numerous occasions the council have been giving the properties to people who have been on the scheme sometimes only weeks.
I will give my property up willingly to a family that needs it, if the council can provide me with a property in the area i want to be, i refuse to give the home that i have happily been living in for over 30 years to be put in an area i don't want to live.
I'm not getting any younger and really would like to move to be close to my family.
Dave
jayjay, wish more people like you would have common sence and look to move on, I'm very supprised Wolves council cannot find you a smaller property to downsize too. what about contacting the exchanges, I'm sure plenty of people are looking to move into a bigger house from a smaller one.
Good luck anyway
Laura
They take money off the most vulnerable in society but fight to save the big bonuses for bankers, we all know who the prioritise!!!
malcolm
if there is a housing shortage why bring in more immigrants? a job shortage where do the immigrants work? my english setter lives in a kennel in my garden i might kick him out when i get a german shepherd dog.
dread
Bedroom tax there are good and bad to come out of this like the poll tax when Thatcher introduced that we protested refused to pay some even imprisoned but in the end its now part of society. That's what's going to happen with this...Tory gov always when in power introduce something to angry the poor. Been reading reading the comments on this some good (dave, jayjay, Pete, and angry dad) to name a few different views all right. Myself me and my family wife and 4 k kids moved from 2 bed to 3 bed recently with wolverhampton city homes so we are ok as I work full time and pay full rent no arrears, but where was the help with any reduction for being over crowded I have always worked since leaving school (44 years old) yet we moved into a non furnished house with no decorating grant to help us out. You talk about those getting benefits and hardly having to pay what about those who work we never get any breaks just high tax no help and overdrawn each month because we paying for immigrants and job shy people. A few people in my area don't work, curtains drawn at 7am when I set off to work by public transport, big tv game console iPods and holidays abroad each year. I haven't been on hols with the family in 4 years. So I say tax the immigrants, tax the job shy and tax those who don't want to down size and let an overcrowded family like me get a bigger place. But give the money back to us hard working people we deserve it more that those rich idiots....rant over
FLETCH
I'M A HOUSING PROFESSIONAL
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THIS TAX IF YOU ASK TO DOWNSIZE AND YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY CANNOT PROVIDE A PROERTY SMALLER THAT YOU ARE PRESENTLY LIVING IN
YOU ARE BEING PENALISED UNFAIRLY AND THAT IS AGAINST THE EU RULES. ONCE THE CLAIMS GO IN THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO BACK DOWN OVER THIS FIASCO.
BUILDING MORE PROPERTIES IS THE SOLUTION NOT TAKING THE HOUSEHOLDERS
I NOTICE THAT THE PENSIONERS ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS BECAUSE THEIR VOTE WOULD BRING DOWN THE CONSERVATIVES
WAKE UP PEOPLE AND STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS
worker
As a worker who has to pay my own bills, I won't be affected by this. I wonder if I can apply to the Council for an extra bedroom at taxpayer's expense like these 60,000.
Perhaps we workers should stop paying our taxes and funding the spongers.
dread
The answer to that is a flat no. I just moved into a 3 bedroom house yet because I am a hard working pay my tax every month (deducted from my pay cheque) pay my rent on time not in any debt I an not entitled to any help with moving, rent payments or even decorating that has to be paid by me....yet I'm still funding none workers who in the past had all these paid by me. So I pay twice for everyone who does get off their back side to look to downsize. Government should stop neglecting us who work and keep the country going. Here is a suggestion for every year people have been . In work they get a tax reduction or a refund then the same every year until retirement. I say let's start helping hard workers.
SUZIWONG
MY SON IS ONE OF THE MANY UNEMPLOYED.HE HAS A THREE BED FLAT TO ACCOMODATE HIS TWO TWO DAUGHTERS .THE ELDEST MOVED MOVED AWAY SHE IS 18. SO MY SON IS LEFT WITH A THREE BED FLAT AND NOW HAS A SMALL BEDROOM EMPTY.THE BENEFIT PEOPLE HAVE DEDUCTED £100 PER MONTH FROM HIS HOUSING BENEFIT AS THEY WANT HIM TO GET A SMALLER FLAT FOR HIM AND HIS 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO STAYS WITH HIM WEEKENDS ETC.THE LANDLORD WONT REDUCE THE RENT BY £100 PER MONTH SO ME AND MY HUSBAND HAVE TO "TOP UP"THE SHORTFALL (AS WE ARE TWO LUCKY PEOPLE WHO A JOB) BUT IF ME AND MY HUSBAND WERE MADE REDUNDANT WHO WOULD PAY MY SON HIS £100 A MONTH??? MY SON HAS BEEN BIDDING FOR A ONE OR TWO BED FLAT BUT THEY SAY BECAUSE MY GRANDAUGHTER DOESNT LIVE THERE HE HAS NO CHANCE.HOW STUPID CAN THEY GET.I AGREE WITH FLETCH THE PENSIONERS ARE'NT AFFECTED FOR OBVOIUS REASONS BUT WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE UNEMPLOYED WHO SUFFER AND IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S FAULT THERE ARE NO JOBS.