Bedroom tax to be extended to pensioners.

[crookedspire 10]

I have a grandmother who lives in sheltered accommodation and has done for some years she will be soon be 88 and is blind . The council in my area used to have the policy that only over 55s could live their and had warden who worked their full time. Since the so - called ' Bedroom Tax' came in this policy has gone out of the window the warden retired and was not replaced now anyone can live in sheltered accommodation. Now people only want an one bedroom flat their is very few in my area leaving the only place to put them is sheltered accommodation the result been a disaster. In my grans block they have an abusive alcoholic who regularly smash up his flat ,domestic abuse victims who partners try to gain access. The residents live in fear my gran keeps her door locked all the time . She could move yes but would have to pay out more in rent as the only truly place for over 55s is private sheltered accommodation she does not have the money to move nor fit enough to move . The extra bedroom policy is a sick joke.

[Crosser 10]

Well considered post, and most of it hard to disagree with. The point being that moving house for older pensioners is arguably much more traumatic than a young person. More to the point this is a temp. situation and will disappear in time without intervention.

I agree we have a housing shortage, and something has to be done, but pensioners are already being moved as they become unable to manage in their homes.

Another thing I have noticed about housing, when I was a kid my Gran voluntarily moved into a one bed flat when her two bed home was no longer needed. It was a block of six and all were older folk. I am told those flats are now occupied exclusively by single youngsters.

Why is that?

 

Simple!

Because young people on benefits have to downsize or be penalised for not doing so, hence there was a HUGE demand for smaller homes and they had to be put somewhere.

[I1L2T3 10]

As Ron says. You can't tax something that's not earned. What it is is a reduction in benefit.

 

You can actually

[Crosser 10]

There's no such thing as a bedroom tax, it's the removal of spare room subsidy.

All other things being equal a property with more rooms will have higher council tax, rent and purchase price and most people will live in what they can afford.

So why should council properties be any different?

 

If that is the case, then why shouldn't people who buy council houses pay the going rate, no matter how long they have lived there>?

 

Otherwise all things are far from equal!

Edited October 2, 2016 by Crosser

[Ms Macbeth 76]

I have a grandmother who lives in sheltered accommodation and has done for some years she will be soon be 88 and is blind . The council in my area used to have the policy that only over 55s could live their and had warden who worked their full time. Since the so - called ' Bedroom Tax' came in this policy has gone out of the window the warden retired and was not replaced now anyone can live in sheltered accommodation. Now people only want an one bedroom flat their is very few in my area leaving the only place to put them is sheltered accommodation the result been a disaster. In my grans block they have an abusive alcoholic who regularly smash up his flat ,domestic abuse victims who partners try to gain access. The residents live in fear my gran keeps her door locked all the time . She could move yes but would have to pay out more in rent as the only truly place for over 55s is private sheltered accommodation she does not have the money to move nor fit enough to move . The extra bedroom policy is a sick joke.

 

Sheffield has lots of housing that is 'age banded', ie reserved for older people over 55 or 60. However, most of these are either one bedroomed or studio flats. In some areas there is little demand from older people, but a large number of younger people who need to downsize or who may be homeless. It would not be good financial management to leave these properties empty for long periods of time, so some blocks of flats are having the age restrictions lifted.

 

There are over 30 studio and one bedroomed flats advertised through SCC Proprty shop with no waiting time. A few are sheltered, and most still have age restrictions. https://www.sheffieldpropertyshop.org.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/43.aspx?&CurrentPage=1

 

In private housing, all age groups have to live together and no one should have to put up with abusive and anti social neighbours. There is still some council sheltered accommodation with resident wardens, and certainly some housing association sheltered schemes. It might be worth the family talking to a housing officer about your gran's situation.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Ms Macbeth

[crookedspire 10]

Sheffield has lots of housing that is 'age banded', ie reserved for older people over 55 or 60. However, most of these are either one bedroomed or studio flats. In some areas there is little demand from older people, but a large number of younger people who need to downsize or who may be homeless. It would not be good financial management to leave these properties empty for long periods of time, so some blocks of flats are having the age restrictions lifted.

 

There are over 30 studio and one bedroomed flats advertised through SCC Proprty shop with no waiting time. A few are sheltered, and most still have age restrictions. https://www.sheffieldpropertyshop.org.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/43.aspx?&CurrentPage=1

 

In private housing, all age groups have to live together and no one should have to put up with abusive and anti social neighbours. There is still some council sheltered accommodation with resident wardens, and certainly some housing association sheltered schemes. It might be worth the family talking to a housing officer about your gran's situation.

 

My Gran is in Chesterfield were its a different story much of what was built was meant for families most of which was built in the 1950s/60s very little has been built since then no one back then would have dreamed of a policy like the ' Bedroom Room tax'. My gran had to move a few times already after losing my grandad she moved into sheltered accommodation she lived their for a few years then the council decided they were going to flatten the place to replace it with part council part private sheltered accommodation so she moved to another sheltered accommodation complex . My gran could go back but its a lot more money rent wise plus she would not get the help to cover the extra though Housing Benefit. When my gran moved into her new place they had a warden plus social events the latter were first to go then the council started pushing the idea of getting residents to move to the new private/council accommodation which does not have an warden or washing facilities unlike were she lives now or social events Going back to were my gran lives now the warden retired and not replaced. Some of the residents have moved out leaving the upstairs mostly empty.

 

So the council started putting in ' problem cases' into her block which it was never designed for my gran has brought it up with the council but it would seem the council answer to that is she would have to move ! All these problems only started after the Bedroom Tax came out and its not going to get better anytime soon.

[spilldig 190]

You can actually

 

As I said. I think you understood what I meant.

[Ms Macbeth 76]

Not nice for your gran Crookedspire. Lots of resident wardens have gone in the years since I started working in housing in the mid nineties.