Housing Benefits...
Of course most of the UK is struggling and we all try to cut our cloth accordingly...but some things are very difficult to especially essentials like food, heating, electric and rent/council tax and now this.
You can say at least "they are trying to do something about it" but the problem lies with a lack of suitable properties available for renting...they used to say "there are not enough decent properties for families to rent at affordable prices" and a lot of private housing is even more expensive than what is called social housing run by councils or housing associations.
Now the opposite is true, there are fewer small properties so you often have to stay put and struggle or you will when this comes in approx two months time. Another option may be to take a two bedroom property but you'd still have to find money for the room that is still unused.
Even more crazy is that if you do find a property to downsize to, you do not have to pay the tax but the rent might be more expensive for the state that has to pay it. Which supposedly defeats the reason this measure was brought in if their intended reasons can be trusted.
I came across the following which I think is a reasonably fair blog post on this topic.
Jerry Hayes
Update:Many are worried about how they are going to pay/absorb the cost of their rents due to reduced help, due to new rules on how Council Tax is collected/raised and how much, many who received help will also have to find a percentage of that depending on the plan their local council decides to enforce so they may have to find even more money from income earned or the help given via welfare which has been reduced, taken away, frozen. And if they can manage, it will probably mean cutting back on food and/or heating still further. There have been some very heartbreaking stories in the media in the last few days of how it will affect quite a number of people.
You can say at least "they are trying to do something about it" but the problem lies with a lack of suitable properties available for renting...they used to say "there are not enough decent properties for families to rent at affordable prices" and a lot of private housing is even more expensive than what is called social housing run by councils or housing associations.
Now the opposite is true, there are fewer small properties so you often have to stay put and struggle or you will when this comes in approx two months time. Another option may be to take a two bedroom property but you'd still have to find money for the room that is still unused.
Even more crazy is that if you do find a property to downsize to, you do not have to pay the tax but the rent might be more expensive for the state that has to pay it. Which supposedly defeats the reason this measure was brought in if their intended reasons can be trusted.
I came across the following which I think is a reasonably fair blog post on this topic.
Jerry Hayes
Update:Many are worried about how they are going to pay/absorb the cost of their rents due to reduced help, due to new rules on how Council Tax is collected/raised and how much, many who received help will also have to find a percentage of that depending on the plan their local council decides to enforce so they may have to find even more money from income earned or the help given via welfare which has been reduced, taken away, frozen. And if they can manage, it will probably mean cutting back on food and/or heating still further. There have been some very heartbreaking stories in the media in the last few days of how it will affect quite a number of people.
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 3:40 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home