Dear Sir,
I wish to comment on a recent item “Councillor’s Bedroom Tax Proposal Rejected.” He stated “We do not know where those 1282 displaced households have gone.”
While I was not one of the 1282 I would have made it 1283. As to no one moving directly because of the Bedroom Tax, County Durham have that wrong as well. There might be others besides myself who left just ahead because of the change. As to the £14 a week mentioned – that was a lot less than I was facing.
I was in a two bedroom house and changes meant I was about to drop to a “one bedroom in use” situation. I enquired and was told that for my house in Newton Aycliffe I would have to pay £19.75p a week for the one empty room.
At the time I had been receiving money that was also going to stop due to changes. What happened in my situation and likely others, is that if I had stayed I would have lost around £80.00 a week and then have to find £19.75p, hence a loss of about £100.00 a week which was just over half of my income.
To reduce this loss I was forced to move to a much smaller house in a nearby town, saving the £19.75p. (I still went out my way to obtain the Newton News).
When people are able to work (subject to disabilities) the more one earns the more tax they pay on their income. In this situation had I no changes I would keep more money and pay no Bedroom Tax.
But the way it worked I lost money and then had to pay it as well. Yet when such a cut comes and money is tied up in things you have and/or run, something has to give.
I was forced out due to the Bedroom Tax after about 10 years in my home, but I have become a non-statistic due to moving ahead of the change, so the figure is likely to be higher than was stated.
It appears now that Housing Associations are having problems getting rid of property because people do not want homes that will involve much larger costs. We also have to consider moving every time our family circumstances change, up or down, in numbers.
Name and address supplied
