Labour to get rid of Bedroom Tax if elected

[ubermaus]

I have to say I like the idea of getting rid of this tax and surely it's a vote winner for Labour.

 

Put simply for me, it's a simple question of do I want to give a little bit of money to a lot of the poorer people, or as in the case of the Tories to give a lot of money to a very few rich people then it's a no brainer.

 

Great idea for Labour this gets my vote.

 

Its a great call. And a vote winner.

 

---------- Post added 30-04-2015 at 00:15 ----------

 

Bedroom tax and lha. Both nasty policies that will come back to haunt this govt

[Ms Macbeth]

Indeed but we mustn't forget that many housing allocations were made on the basis of just getting people into what was available at a given time, even though the people making the allocations knew it wasn't right to stick families into smaller properties or singles/couples into houses.

 

The reasons for the shortages are well known The 80s saw a rapid sell-off of stock, councils legally prevented from using the cash from sales to build more and then the whole problem compounded by Labour, Tory and coalition governmets doing almost nothing for over 20 years to put things right.

 

All valid reasons for why the speedy application was wrong. Falling demand in the north also led to demolition, further reducing the stock of social housing. in hindsight, were councils wrong in their decision making?

 

Hopefully the move towards removing age banding in some blocks of flats will help some people who want to downsize.

[ElasticMan]

How is freeing up housing stock by encouraging people with underused council houses letting people with families anything other than fair?

 

Because it doesn't do that. Remember this 'tax' is enforced even when there are no alternative properties for people to move into.

[-Boomer-]

The problem with the so called 'Bedroom Tax' is their is not enough council housing to downsize too.

 

That's precisely why it was bought in, to avoid paying money.

[Berberis]

It's a tax, end of

 

Its not a Tax Mecky.

 

Just so people know the full facts of how this works.

 

How much housing benefit do you lose?

The amount of rent you can claim housing benefit for is reduced by:

 

14% if you have

one

'spare' bedroom

25% if you have

two

or more 'spare' bedrooms

For example, if you have one 'spare' bedroom and your rent is £100 per week, only £86 counts when your housing benefit is assessed. You have to pay at least £14 yourself.

 

If you have two or more 'spare' bedrooms and your rent is £100 per week, only £75 counts when your housing benefit is assessed. You have to pay at least £25 yourself.

 

We have a chronic shortage of housing in this country, and people living in large homes that do not require them are home blocking other people who are more in need.

 

You and others like you are happy for vulnerable family's to be left out in the cold while others lounge in their large houses designed for families, that they do not need, all at the cost to the tax payer. That is not fair, not one bit.

[mossdog]

So...... Mecky is now -Boomer-.............watch out! in a previous post he alluded to having knowledge of a posters private details courtesy of his public sector job in immigration possibly.

[-Boomer-]

Its not a Tax Mecky.

 

Just so people know the full facts of how this works.

 

How much housing benefit do you lose?

The amount of rent you can claim housing benefit for is reduced by:

 

14% if you have

one

'spare' bedroom

25% if you have

two

or more 'spare' bedrooms

For example, if you have one 'spare' bedroom and your rent is £100 per week, only £86 counts when your housing benefit is assessed. You have to pay at least £14 yourself.

 

If you have two or more 'spare' bedrooms and your rent is £100 per week, only £75 counts when your housing benefit is assessed. You have to pay at least £25 yourself.

 

We have a chronic shortage of housing in this country, and people living in large homes that do not require them are home blocking other people who are more in need.

 

You and others like you are happy for vulnerable family's to be left out in the cold while others lounge in their large houses designed for families, that they do not need, all at the cost to the tax payer. That is not fair, not one bit.

 

It's a tax end of

[Legine Garaf]

It's a tax end of

 

its not a tax!! its a fee to use extra space that is surplus to the householders requirements and funded/subsidised by the tax payer.

you wouldn't go to the fruit shop and pick 4 apples and only expect to pay for 3 if you couldnt eat 4??

[Berberis]

It's a tax end of

 

Mecky, no its not.

[RonJeremy]

It isn't a tax Mecky. It never was. Just because you say it is doesn't make it so.

 

BTW - did you put so many people on your ignore list that you disappeared up your own passage?

 

Or perhaps you eventually ran out of people to ignore and accidentally put yourself on ignore and could find yourself again.