Some sort of joined up thinking would help, how about building  a lot of one bed room places, if they are  insisting people move out of two bed ones?or better still what about a considered building strategy to house the tens of thousands that need places to live now?

Developers tend to build 2 - 3 bed places, not one beds.

It's all arse about face.

The other problem with everyone having to move into 1 bed flats or smaller places is the short fall of council flats so you would then have to look at private landlord's who charge more rent that housing benefit wouldn't cover so you would have to make up the difference, so you might as well stay in your family home and pay the extra rent there 

Thats far to much of an intelligent suggestion for councils to understand 

I shocked myself that I worked this out all by myself 

Most one bedroom flats etc that the housing  association use are reserved for pensioners,the majority are sheltered housing.

It's not been thought out very well has it  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21264773

These buggers really hate the poor don't they.Oh and cutting the top rate of tax for their rich pals.

Apparently they are cutting council tax benefit as well now

I have a work  pension(early retirement due to health reasons)Aimee so that more or less is taken into account.I get no council tax rebate apart from the single person occupancy that gives me 25% discount,(the irony of that now!)every one gets that regardless of income.Though up here in Scotland the council tax has been frozen for the last 4 years I think.

Yep that's what that BBC link states.

bedroom tax: there is no minimum size for bedroom, so that boxroom which can only take a small bed? TWO teenagers (same gender) can share!

it's not about money or freeing up space as pensioners are exempt

council tax: the govt. are giving 10% less and this is being passed on to benefit claimants, although my borough has decided that they are cutting 25%,(near local council are cutting 40%) again pensioners are exempt

so i have to pay 12% of my rent and 25% of my council tax while benefits are capped at 1%, not to mention general increases in food, heating, water and electricity, there is no light at the end of the tunnel - its the train,  and i wonder why i suffer from severe depression

My plan ...

Buy a huge house i cannot afford. Wait now ....

Use sale of my parents house (a third share with bro and sis) as deposit.

Then buy 5 bed house i can't afford BUT i'm planning to let the empty rooms to students or post grads. Their rent will be the £££ i need to afford the mortgage!!

Does this sound workable? I kinda counting on it working

Unbelievable isn't it 

Also another problem with this new system is that the claimant will get their rent money paid into their bank accounts and it will be up to them to pay their landlord's ,if they skint that week they will dip in to the rent money resulting in a lot of people getting in to arrears 

The Government dont care because they will never need benefits when they *retire* 

and housing benefit will be paid monthly in arrears,  another area the tories are looking at are service charges, (cleaning, landscape, lifts, lighting etc) these are currently paid for in housing benefit... but probably not for much longer

Oh yea,I forgot about that,some folk will be tempted to use the money for other things.

Yea but according to them  and the daily mail we are all workshy scroungers etc.I worked since leaving school at 17 up until I  took early retirement.I was paying into SERPS so qualify for a pension,good and bad because they deem you have "Excess Income" if you have more than the £72 ? they deem you can live on a week.

They will be tempted if there money will be cut to pay rent and council tax plus with the increase in the cost of gas and electricity

Are you also kinda counting on your parents popping their clogs? If I were them I'd take out one of those loans and spend, spend, spend and sign the house over to the loan company.

You sound very presumptious.

If when we die there's money and property for the kids - all well and good - they're certainly not banking on it and planning their life around it. We might sell up and go around the world.

tell the council you are using your spare bedroom as a 'second home' and apply for rent for it

if its good enough for MP's...

Well Mrs Snotty knickers .... they have a will.

Bit presumptuous of you to presume i was presuming

It just sounds incredibly mercernary. They might even outlive you. I'd just hate my kids to be planning what they're gonna spend the money on when I'm dead and gone - that's all. Apologies if I sounded terse there ....................I just have a real bee in my bonnet about that sort of attitude.

If you must know both my parents are elderly and in poor health.

I'm their carer and will continue to be until they are no longer here.

Fair enough .................I run my mouth at times.

Silly - we are all friends and if we can't 'run our mouths' sometimes then wots the use of a forum

while Dave is giving out his orders..

he lives here

got a spare room Dave?

I wonder if he Will have to move 

makes you mad though dunnit Aimee?

you'll have to live in the back of my van to save money

joking aside Aimee

it really pisses you off doesnt it?

they have NO idea of normal lives

pmsl 

 Don't forget we are all in it together 

In what....pirate's van?

You've got to sleep next to Dave 

i'll be with samcam

lol