Lorna and Stuart Holden with their four children outside their house in Hartlepool. The spare bedroom tax could lead to their housing benefit being docked by up to 25%. Photographs: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian
The content previously published here has been withdrawn. We apologise for any inconvenience.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
One way you can help is to make a much valued Donation to Black Triangle through PayPal.
If you have a story that you think would be of interest to Disability News Service please contact John Pring via
john@disabilitynewsservice.com
One way you can help is to make a much valued Donation to Black Triangle through PayPal.
e-petition - Stop Unfair Re-assessments For Disabled People
Responsible department: Department for Work and Pensions
Stop the unfair and cruel re-assessments via ATOS for disabled people currently on Incapacity Benefit. ESA is a flawed benefit, and puts terrible pressure and stress on vulnerable people, putting people who cannot work on lesser benefits and applying sanctions. Let disabled people decide for themselves if they can work, they and their carers know best.
Click HERE to Sign
For Help, Advice & Support
9 Responses
yes but will our politicians take a pay cut to help nah they wont will they pay a bedroom tax as they on benefits payed by us nah they wont so how on earth can they say we got to is beyound belief but then greed is a funny animal jeff3
An Outrage of Infamy Must be Opposed
was there a window tax, poll tax, bedroom tax,shed tax ,car tax ,death tax ,inherent tax,loo tax, daylight tax ,pavement tax,food tax, fuel tax,cloth tax,vat tax, maybe other tax dont know
Why don’t they go for breathing tax, living tax, walking tax, enjoyment tax, more than one chair tax, more than one picture tax, wallpaper tax, roof tax, door tax, use of pavment tax, carpet tax, sight tax, talking tax, listening tax, bugger it why don’t they just tax us for being human and get it over and done with………………where does our tax go, i’ll tel you it goes on them for the f###k ups they keep on making again and again. oh and to line their own pockets, and to buy duck houses and second homes……….GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
when there was a black hole in the governments pension pot, where did they get the cash to fix it, yes they fixed it with money from ‘OUR’ national insurance contributions…… not from their own pockets… thieving gits……:(:(
Taxpayers money belongs to the taxpayer we pay the government to do the right thing ? they are not doing right by the British taxpayer GET THEM OUT GET RID OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will be much worse in April when the housing benefit cuts also hit people in private rentals which will hit the South hardest, they will find they are paying a large portion of their benefit too a private landlord or facing homelessness due to being unable to find a suitable place cheap enough to suit the new housing benefit cap and even then if they do manage to overcome this obstacle, will the new private landlord accept housing benefit tenants, pets ect. The government no longer provide homes for her people! It is now in private land owners greedy hands. So are health care, security, schools, prisons and transport, roads ect will follow, many care providers for the young and old are in greedy private hands. So what pray tell do we even need a government for ? All they do, do is remove more and more rights long fought for by our forefathers and plunge us deeper and deeper into poverty.
Surely that’s not what we vote for?
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/dundee/3-300-dundee-households-to-be-hit-by-bedroom-tax-1.65284 is an article covering the fact that in one city in Scotland, 3300 households will be affected by this bedroom tax.
I read with interest the Holden’s story. Our son is autistic and lives alone in a private 2 bedroom and the property is managed by an housing association. We didn’t set out to search for a 2 bedroom property but it was so difficult to find anywhere for him to rent, that when this property came available out of the blue, we snatched it up. Initially he had sleep in care, but has made such good progress with his independence and because of the good care he receives from National Autistic Society that he only needs sleep in care when he is unwell. His second bedroom on the one hand is “just in case” of need, but also serves as a storage room for his medical supplies, a room where he stores items relating to his special interests, a drying room for his washing and a mini office for his care staff. He is a big man and needs space and he also needs to see things around him and not hidden away in cupboards. He associates rooms with specific activities and once the activities are established for that room, that is how he wants it all to remain. He is unable to share accommodation with others and becomes attached to a way of life that it is very upsetting for him to change. His parents will subsidise his rent if necessary because they are able to do so but given the other changes to benefits that are ongoing (incapacity benefit to ESA, DLA to PIP, universal credit etc.) if his income is reduced we may not be able to maintain this subsidy and he may have to give up his independence and move back home with his ageing parents thus defeating the whole point of him moving away in the first place – in preparation for when his parents are no longer around to look after him. The most vulnerable and poorest people in our society are being targetted without compassion or understanding – no we are not all in this together ….. those at the top have capacity to weather the changes to their finances and pull in their over extended belts. Even without the financial crisis, the poorest were always going to struggle with the dramtically rising costs of heat and food. Where do the politicians think this is going to take us? What does the future hold for my son and many others like him?