Posted 03.01.14
People hit by the bedroom tax in different parts of England have wildly varying chances of receiving Government help, with nearly a third of disabled people refused support, a new survey shows.
Freedom of information requests from the National Housing Federation sent to every council in England show that, while demand for Discretionary Housing Payments - which the Government claims will protect the most vulnerable from the bedroom tax - has nearly tripled this year, people in some areas have a very low likelihood of receiving help.
Nationally, seven in ten people affected by the bedroom tax who applied for a Discretionary Housing Payment in the first six months of the policy received one. In parts of North Yorkshire, however, this fell to just two in ten, while in Wandsworth, Wokingham and Sunderland, only three in ten were successful.
Disabled people hit by the tax are facing even greater uncertainty, despite the fact that two thirds of people affected by the bedroom tax are disabled - approximately 420,000 people, according to Government estimates - and despite the Government earmarking part of the fund specifically for disabled people.
Across England, nearly a third (29%) of disabled people affected by the bedroom tax who applied for support were turned down - more than 3,800 people from the 98 local authorities who provided this information. Their likelihood of getting help was even lower in some areas, with just one in ten disabled people successful in parts of Kent and less than three in ten successful in North East Derbyshire, Basildon, Rotherham and parts of Lancashire.
These new findings come after evidence has shown that more than half of those hit by the bedroom tax are in rent arrears.
Posted 02.01.14
Five Years Ago - Reports in the January 2009 edition of our Housing Monthly Diary included:
The findings in new research from Shelter show that Local Housing Allowance (LHA), which is replacing Housing Benefit in the private rented sector, is leaving many tenants with significant shortfalls in rent - which they either have to find themselves or move into poorer areas because their benefit doesn't cover the rent.
The research warns that many areas in towns and cities could become too expensive for LHA claimants. Instead, people may have to move to rural outskirts, where there could be far fewer employment and training opportunities.
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The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) has been asked by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to consider proposals for the Housing Benefit Amendment Regulations (2009).
The main change that these proposals would introduce is for the Regulations to provide for levels of Housing Benefit (HB) to be capped at a maximum level of the five bedroom Local Housing Allowance (LHA) from April 2009.
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One hundred years ago (1st January) the first pensioners went to the Post Office to collect a State Pension of 5 shillings a week.
In 1909, half a million people over the age of 70 years received a pension. Now they number over 12 million, with more than 700,000 people reaching State Pension age in 2009 alone.
What was introduced on the 1st January 1909, that benefited half a million people with 5 shillings a week?
1 point.
On the 1st January 1909, the first pensioners went to the Post Office to collect a State Pension of 5 shillings a week. Then, half a million people over the age of 70 years received a pension. Now they number over 12 million.
That's it - how well did you do?
