My friend is in private rented and she has 1 spare room, she says she doesn't have to pay the bedroom tax. Is it just council tenants?
Is the bedroom tax just for council? - Fibromyalgia Acti...
Is the bedroom tax just for council?
60 Replies
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Its just council tennants and housing association tennants ... People who rent from private landlords are safe.
VG x
in reply to
A customer where i work indeed is liable for bedroom tax as he is on dla and claiming full housing benefit he doesn't live in a council or housing association house he private rents,he has just appealed to get his dla and now about to appeal this!
in reply to
Hi Della, how are you hunny? hope your well. Hell fire my mate will be beside herself, she's already robbing peter to pay Paul. And she thinks shes safe from it because she in a private rented 2 bedroom house. She has no one to share the bills. She does work but on min wage.
xx
in reply to
Hi lovely I'm ok,it's only peeps who don't work and claim full benefits,i too thought it was just council tenants and housing association till this chap cams into work telling us about it! Nice to hear from you,I've commented on your blog to sat hello!xxx
in reply to
Comes not cams lol!x
in reply to
This phone has a mind of it's own........!x
in reply to
Glad your ok chic, it stinks this benefit shakeup... its crippling everyone. Nice to hear from you, ive not been on for a while, I've started a Business Admin course so ive been hard at it, and i'm starting my Assessors certificate on 18th April, so I can be an apprenticeship Assessor in college... I'm desperate to get a Job, I'm sick of been skint, council on my back... it should only take 6 to 12 weeks to complete, just hope I can keep council at bay for another 3 months. Lovely to hear from you hunny xxxx
Bargainhunter in reply to
Della it applies to any one who claims a discount from the council such as those who work on working tax credits - because wages are lower than money needed. x
esagestapo in reply to
The whole point of the bedroom tax is to force people in social / council housing to move into smaller accommodation, it does not or should not affect people in private rented accommodation. You can tell your friend from me, the council has got it wrong in his case.
in reply to esagestapo
Well I'm sure my friend knows about his own situation regarding this matter.
sadly any one who has to claim discounts from the council, the council will find a way to claim as much of it back as possible. You could say that people in their own properties took on a mortgage for the number of rooms it had and should not have to pay again for those rooms, but if you are then in a position where you have to claim a discount as you can not afford the full poll tax or whatever (through no fault of ones own) then you get to pay for those extra rooms like it or not as the council reduce the amount of discount. Some say ppl should sell the houses but often the mortgages are the same as rents. Not everyone lives in upper class accom. Many are in negative equity properties due to being mis-sold mortgages so most end up owing more than making if sold. The only ones who benefit in this world at the moment are tax evadors of the biggest kind. x
sue32 in reply to
My daughter's the same! She and her partner and baby are in a private rent house and their housing benefit and council tax benefit have been cut!! XX
Bargainhunter in reply to
it effects people with mortgages or if renting from anywhere IF you get working tax credits or other benefits as in those cases you often get discounts claimed via council such as council tax etc but as the council now expect you to rent out spare rooms IF you get discounts from them it will be effected as in reduced.
Jill45 in reply to
Sorry ,its not good news 100% guaranteed ,if you are in private rental you will automatically be taxed if a person vacates ,this could be an older Son or Daughter,the only exemption is if the room is under a certain size and considered to be a box room ,My Daughter had her money reduced .as soon a tomorrow when my Grandaughter left home ,20 months ago .When Grandaughter was at home and working ,the council charged £70 per week .that was disgusting .it has taken nearly 2 years to get a smaller property ..hope this information helps .
Oh and people who own their homes are exempt from the bedroom tax too..
VG has answered your question Eversohappy , however I thought I'd post a link for any other people concerned if Bedroom Tax will affect them or not ?
Here is a Bedroom Tax Checker that may be of help,
england.shelter.org.uk/get_...
Emma 
Thanks VG, Emma xx
It's also people who have there rent paid for them
Because they are unemployed
in reply to
Thanks Vivien xx
Private tenants who claim housing benefit are liable also!x
No way hose, read the guidelines for this rip off tax.
in reply to esagestapo
Well as i said before I'm sure the person i know of knows his own situation regarding having to pay bedroom tax in his private rented accommodation! I am simply telling what i have been told,also Vivien has commented that private renters are liable also!
You are both incorrect in that case, private tenants come under LHA rules
in reply to esagestapo
My friend is in private rented, but also gets housing benefit because she's on low income, she does work but earns min wage and has no partner. Thanks esagestapo lets see what happens, for her sake I hope she doesn't
in reply to esagestapo
You obviously know more about his situation then esagestapo.
esagestapo in reply to
I know enough to know what applies to me, seeing as I rent privately. There was a time HB covered any amount of rent landlords charged, then the rules were changed to prevent this ridiculous situation. A cap was put on HB known as the Local Housing Allowance. Which means the maximum HB you can get will be applicable no matter what type of house or flat you live in.
The rates of LHA/HB vary depending on circumstances and where you live in the UK, but you will always be entitled to the maximum LHA, whatever that is at the time you claim.
You can rent a house for £200 pw, the LHA may only allow you £130 pw, that means you have to pay the other £70 out of your own pocket. But if you find a house for say, £100 pw, you will get that amount in HB. The extra £30 stays in the councils coffers.
Can you see how it works yet?
in reply to esagestapo
I wasn't talking about you though was i!!!!!!
in reply to esagestapo
Make your mind up.
You are absolutely right. Lha will only pay for the amount of bedrooms you need ie.if you live in a private accommodation and it has six bedrooms and you live on your own you will only receive the minimum amount of hb for one bedroom. As that is all you require. Hope this helps clarify.
Thank's Pinot, that is correct. Another eg, a single person could live in a 10 bedroom house in the private sector, but LHA will only pay the market rent for a 1 bedroom.
And it is for that reason, bedroom tax does not apply to people in private accommodation.
Sorry thats not factually correct, IF you claim discount from the council due to being on applicable benefits in private dwelling or other, the council will reduce the amount of discount due to extra bedrooms that could be rented out to get that money. It appears you are unaffected in private dwellings if you do not claim discounts from your council.
I have just looked at Emmas link and yes bedroom tax does indeed affect people in private rent homes it restricts them in how much housing benefit they are allowed to claim,so YES everyone who is on full benefits and not working are caught by their short and curlies ,what a wonderful government we have!
Agapi in reply to
We do have to look at the other side of the coin too. Is it fair for a young couple, for example, both working on minimum wage and not eligible for any benefits/help with their housing to have to live in a cheaper/smaller accommodation than they need/would like because they are unable to afford anything more expensive. Why should those on benefits be treated differently? Surely if they want another room/more expensive accommodation they should be prepared to pay something themselves.
Where I live, they docked money off housing benefit if they had a spare bedroom in privately rented homes a few years ago. So technically no as they had already had this taken off before the new bedroom tax. Although at the moment I don't claim HB, I should be ok as I my spare room is so small, it's classed as a box room.
Therefore if people in private rented accommodation and not subject to bedroom tax or previous, it's another show of postcode lottery.
in reply to jom277
My daughter asked me about that other day, her spare room is small. What size does it go on? x
jom277 in reply to
I cant think off hand the dimensions but I can just about get a single bed in there.
in reply to jom277
This will prob just kick start a baby boom, people filling up their spare rooms lol
in reply to
Heehee i said that the other day!!!lol!xxx
in reply to
LOL, its so true though and they will get extra family allowance xxx
in reply to jom277
The guy I know who is being targeted lives in a 3 bedroomed house of which he has been getting full housing benefit for they are now reducing his housing benefit even though he has 2 children who stay over at weekends and in the holidays so the 2 bedrooms aren't spare they are his kids rooms,so unfair,he is appealing i hope he wins xxx
esagestapo in reply to
See my reply to you above, he is not being targeted, or if he is then we are all targets. What I think has happened here is, he has exceeded his maximum LHA so he has to pay the difference or find somewhere cheaper to live.
in reply to esagestapo
Will you just go away,nit picking at everything I'm not interested in your opinions thankyou,you are so rude!!!!!
esagestapo in reply to
You don't like being proved wrong, do you Della. Here is the solution, don't reply to me and I will do likewise.
in reply to esagestapo
You are nothing but a bully!!! You replied to me!!!!! Do not address me by my name,i am not wrong you contradict yourself,leave me alone!!!!!!!
in reply to esagestapo
You are nothing but a bully!!! You replied to me!!!!! Do not address me by my name,i am not wrong you contradict yourself,leave me alone!!!!!!!
You can have a room exempted if you need a carer to stay overnight. Also if the room has to be converted for health needs such as into a walk in shower room etc. All bedrooms classed as bedrooms on the property/deeds/council will have to be re-assessed if you want them classed as other perhaps for the above reasons.
jom277 in reply to
Similar was happening to my nephew, who got told a one bedroom flat would be adequate for him, his partner and baby. He said that he has a 3 year old who stays twice during one week and one day and weekend the next. They told him my she could sleep on the sofa in the living room.
if your bedrooms were counted as bedrooms on the deeds then that is what they are however small they are unless you get a re-assessment due to other factors such as - conversion to a prayer room (worked for muslims) conversion for health reasons eg a shower room or other x
Oh my god, only been in bath and come back to find full scale debate about private tenants lol
Thanks for all your advice. I will come back and update on the situation, !!!!
The clue is in the photos, sometimes cats and dogs do not get along, that's life.
in reply to esagestapo
Many dogs and cats can get along, if they respect each other lol, although my dog is very intrigued by cats... :))
jom277 in reply to
Totally agree, I know many people with both. It's true in our house, my cat gets on fine with the hamster and are definitely intrigued by each other. Although it's funny when the hamster is in his ball and freaks the cat out.
Mutual respect all the way, especially with feelings and emotions.
This appears to be a highly emotive debate you had there x
Nite nite all, my bed is calling, play nice ppls xxxx
in reply to
Nite nite xxx
Anyone else reading this please don't think that i assume to be right,i was merely sharing what I'd been told by my friend,sleep well all xxx
I am sure everyone reading this thread will read the debate with interest
VG x
in reply to
Glad to be of service VG!x
Hi All
Just thought I would add some info. Esagestapo is 100% correct in her explanation regarding private renters and LHA. This is not new and was introduced in 2010. The current "Bedroom Tax" for social tenants is to bring things in line with private renters.
Thank you for that information shazzap ... If you don't mind I will add that to my information section....
VG x
Hi peeps thanks for clarifying that I told my OH that our daughter would have to pay aswell, but he said no, she is in a private rented 2 bedroom house with a 21 month old son, and as the council work he is to young to need a room of his own he is still young enough to sleep in her room or that's how ours works, but hubby won't have it he's adamant that she doesn't need to pay 1 because she's in private and 2 because her son needs his own room , but you might aswell takl to a wall with him, as far as he's concerned he's right even when he's wrong. Sithy
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