disabled will NOT be exempt from 'bedroom tax'

There by the grace of god go you Frank,lets hope nothing ever happens to distroy your little fantasy world.

im disabled and in housing association house. i cannot get a stair lift even tho i use a wheel chair and i am partially sighted because i have a down stairs toilet. i have fallen down and up the stairs so many times i have lost count. i had to supply my own wheel chair including a power chair after i had a stroke and lost some strength and movement in my left side . still get no help of any kind even if i am on benefits now. i do not know how some people can get help but others cannot and as for bedroom tax, what next ,! window tax? or may be breathing tax?!!!

Or Less Than Frank

Or perhaps "Epping Eric"?

Frank have you ever considered changing your name to "Dagenham Dave" ?

UNBELIEVABLE !!!!!!!!!

phoenix

If there are no flats available then people on their own asking for social housing should be made to share a larger property.

Frank

Frank you haven't answered my question of 11.13.54

gillybob

To give these people what they want will cost money.
Why should I pay yet more tax?.

Frank

Not sure what you mean Frank ?

What a twisted view you have about people in need of social housing. "only provide minimum standards". What the hell on earth do you think they provide luxury mansions? By "mimimum standards" do you mean a room with a toilet and a fire to cook and keep warm? Do you have one single ounce of humanity? Do you ever stop to think that some people are just not as fortunate as you?

Oh I give up.

I'm beginning to agree with Greatnan .....

A sort of Oldies commune...

Or did you mean 'older people' Frank?

Frank that is ridiculous, but please can I just check that you actually mean that complete strangers be moved in to someone's home to share it with them?

Another way they could deal with the situation is move other people in to a socially funded house when the children leave home.
This would save building new flats.
I know the tenants might not like it but as I have said before the taxpayer should only provide minimum standards.
I do object to a situation where a son / daughter are told they have got to sell a jointly owned property unlawfully to fund their parents care or be told they must pay top up.

Frank

I noticed the state of the house given to the grandad and his 2 grandaughters too vegasmags . Sadly I think this is often the case. My parents were given local authority adapted bungalow a couple of years back which was in "one hell of a state". It was filthy dirty, smelly and there was only a sink and a base unit in, what they referred to as "the kitchen". My mum is disabled and had been unable to go upstairs for a long time in their previous house and so we felt they had no choice but to accept the bungalow. I have since decorated it right through, my son fitted new laminate floors and he and my husband fitted a new kitchen too. I bet the council were clapping their hands! I pity anyone who would have to accept a property in such a state of disrepair who did not have anyone to help them tidy it up.

I also watched How to Get a Council House, or perhaps it should have been called How Not to Get a Council House. I noted that at the end of the programme there was a rider to say that Tower Hamlets have now introduced a system whereby applicants who have refused 3 properties go to the end of the queue. I'm amazed they didn't do this years ago, as have other councils. The programme really brought home to me the desperate plight of people in real housing difficulties - what a heartache. I was glad that the granddad with his 2 young GDs got a house at last, but what a mess it was in, and I found myself wondering how much it would cost to make it decent. It was obvious that the Council felt they had no responsibility there. We just don't have enough decent, affordable flats and houses to rent. I don't know what the answer is, but we are now at crisis point.

Totally agree with you glammanana The lady from Birmingham City Council was the perfect person for the job. She was very fair and firm but showed masses of sympathy/empathy with the tenants and their various problems. In particular the alcoholic gent who was living in squalor and the young couple with the baby, who she had no choice but to report to social services.

I too was left speechless when seeing people being offered a brand new 3 bedroomed apartment and saying they didnt want it because it didnt have a parking space ! I noticed she changed her mind at the end though. I also felt sorry for the young girl and her son living in her mums lounge. She was in a hopeless situation as she had all the cards stacked against her. I know what she wanted to say as I wanted to say it for her ! What a shame.

I think replying to Frank's obvious teasers just encourages him. I am sure he finds it very amusing!

gillybob I saw both and totally agree with you about the lady from BCC she went over and above what her job discription was an absolute super star,the second programme left me speachless whilst people should always be given the choice as to where they want or need to live I thought the refusal of 9/10 properties very strange,but then they go down a totally differant route with the elderly man who we could all see was desperate for ground floor and up pops a flat with stairs to the entrance,my heart went out to the young girl who lived in her mums lounge with her son when she was the invited to view with three other applicants and noted her comments which I can't put on here but you will know what they where.Such a stupid way of applying for housing but quite a lot of Councils do it this way,it is done here apparantly.

Vampire I'd expect to pay if I could afford it. For example, I've had a special shower build, grab rails placed strategically around the house and a raised toilet seat fitted downstairs, all for when my 88-year old mother-in-law and my 90-year old aunt come to stay with us a couple of times a year, both widows. The same aunt has had a stair lift and a special shower fitted in her own house all at her own expense. She was a launderess and her late husband a carpenter. Neither of them earned much but they did believe in 'saving for their old age'. My MiL never worked preferring to stay at home and look after her four children so she now gets an augmented pension and everything paid for by social services.
This argument could go on forever.
There are those who seem to think they should rely on the state for every little hand out and on the other side those who have no understanding of what it's like to be in genuine need.
Then there are those of us who are sick of people who work the system for their own lazy ends and making it harder for people with real disabilities and real needs to be helped.

Apologies for moving slighly off track here but just wondered if anyone saw 2 recent programmes on TV.

One was Neighbourhood Force (ITV 9pm Wednesday) which followed Birmingham City Council Housing Department and in particular a particular (lady) housing offcer who deals with disputes between neighbours. In my opinion thatb lady deserved a medal for the work she does.

The other was How to Get a Council House (last night Channel 4 9pm) which followed the (often ridiculous) bidding system used to allocate council properties throughout London.

And this is where, FrankH, we definitely part company. Are you saying that the UK should totally get rid of its social services to protect your tax payer's pocket? That we should go back to the work house for the poor?

Building would help kick the economy into action- and would save millions in B&B bedsits and totally unsuitable accommodation for families (+ all the associated educational, mental and health costs). I have absolutely nothing against the so-called bedroom tax (which is not a tax at all of course) - but not the way it is being done at the moment. It can be done, properly and sensitively, by building suitable bungalows/flats with the proper infrastructure, and people from a stable and long-term community given the choice to move together to the new flats, or face paying extra, or take some of the steps mentioned before (and yes, not all those measures suit all, but will suit some. Taking in the right lodger could really help with loneliness, shopping, small tasks and safety, for SOME people, who might prefer this option to moving- and should be their choice).

Again, having a disability does not automatically mean not sharing a bedroom, be it for a couple or for children - but there should be flexibility in the system so that people with special needs can be assessed and given more space. Why should a mild disability automatically lead to being exempt? But yes, needs should be assessed and taken into account.

Not sure Frank how you can go on about the State (no, tax payer) having to pay for care fees even if someone has considerable assets - and then say the State (taxpayer) should not pay to provide suitable subsidized accommodation for those who now have over-large council properties that have to be released (quite rightly imho) for families with children. Are they supposed to throw them out on the street Frank?

vampirequeen

I am retired on an occupational pension and paying £500 a month income tax.
I will claim my state pension which will come to less than the tax I am paying now, free bus pass etc on the grounds that I have paid for them.
If I become disabled I would expect to get all that I am entitled to including an NHS funded home if I become eligible.
With regard to NHS funding for certain conditions I will not be surprised if the law changes on that although I don't know if they could charge people for being in secure nursing homes if they are a danger to the public although the council have tried in several cases I have been involved in.
I know of 1 case where the council wanted the son to pay a top up for his father because there were no secure nursing homes at the council's usual rates which would have him in the area and even said to the son how would he feel if his father was let on to the streets and killed a child because his father could not be funded.
The son did stand firm knowing he could not be held responsible for the funding and the NHS had to pay.

Frank

Well put, vamp !