“Affordable” rent gives social landlords the financial incentive to evict the bedroom tax tenant
“Have you ever wondered why social landlords have not stood four square behind the social tenant in the bedroom tax? Could it be the governments ‘affordable’ (sic) rent programme gives social landlords a strong financial incentive to evict the bedroom tax tenant?” Joe Halewood explains why social landlords benefit from the bedroom tax but taxpayers don’t.
Bedroom tax for inept ‘social’ landlords is change quickly or die
“…(the) speed of the welfare reforms will see the social housing model I have known for the past 20 years, the model …will disappear because of the inept indifference of the alleged sector and their inability to respond to change and challenge.” Joe Halewood argues that social landlords need to change or die.
How to get rid of the bedroom tax overnight
The bedroom tax according to the coalition is treating the social tenant the same as the private tenant for housing benefit purposes. So let’s do precisely that and abracadabra the bedroom tax is history! To explain: social landlords simply rent their social properties through their private arms and their private companies as landlords and this […]
Increases in council tax and rents arrears, and rises in debt levels, are predictable yet avoidable
News today that council tax arrears are up 45% in a year sends shivers down my spine. 1.48 million homes were in arrears in April compared to 1.02 million a year earlier. Austerity and cuts to council tax benefit are to blame according to some, although the government has pointed out that changes to council […]
Bedroom Tax arrears – huge and why social landlords need a major rethink
The bedroom tax is in its 11th week and social housing is already in chaos. It doesn’t augur well for social housing in its entirety and that is not hyperbole or exaggeration. The scale of the non-payment and part-payments of the tenant rent shortfall the bedroom tax creates is giving shockwaves in the boardroom of every […]
Three reasons a freemium model would never work in housing
“…unless the sector actively chooses this conversation then we will ultimately find ourselves losing control of the discussion and having innovation imposed upon us.” Matthew Gardiner considers the objections to housing associations using some of their empty homes to provide a first step for people who are unable to pay.
Rent chaos
If you are lucky enough to become a tenant of a social landlord, what should determine the rent you pay? Should it be a national Government-set formula that takes account of local incomes and property values? Or the cost of providing the home? Or your landlord’s local policy? Or your income? Or what will enable […]
Bedroom Tax – council legal fictions to cover up their incompetence
“While councils believe it is up to the landlord to define a bedroom then such perversities will abound and these legal fictions continue.” Joe Halewood challenges the ‘legal fiction’ that some councils are hiding behind when it comes to the bedroom tax.
Bedroom tax and the significant ‘tenant power bloc’ that’s forming – landlords and IDS beware!
The level of anger and fight the tenant and activist has put against at the bedroom tax policy has surprised me. Tenants have been mobilised into huge numbers and quickly aided largely by social media. The first indications of non-payment and part-payment of the bedroom tax shortfalls are way above expected with Riverside stating 50% non-payment and […]
Will welfare reform address problems rather than creating greater ones?
This post is not about the pros and cons of welfare reform. I think many of the ambitions behind welfare reform are to be welcomed. Rather, this post looks at the practical implementation of these measures and some unintended consequences. Regarding the Bedroom Tax (I feel I can call it that given that on Monday […]
Welfare reform - the tenants own October Revolution
Forget the bedroom tax, the biggest impact of the welfare reforms on social housing has had very little discussion at all and this is direct payments of Housing Benefit to the social tenant. Direct payment due October 2013 is one of the welfare reform policies and it fundamentally changes the control dynamic in the social landlord:social […]
How to take 660,000 social tenants out of the bedroom tax
Dear Social Landlord, I have turned overnight into an arch capitalist and here I show you how to (a) increase your rent roll, (b) take all tenants out of the bedroom tax and (c) severely f*ck over the coalition government. The answer is very simple. I will lease all your properties with a HB claiming […]
Bedroom Tax – WHY and HOW all tenants should appeal and the impact!
“So come on people get circulating good quality sample letters of challenge and appeal and let’s get rid of this nasty pernicious drawn-up on the back of a fag packet bedroom tax policy.” Joe Halewood calls for support to challenge the Bedroom Tax.
The Bedroom Tax – what I KNOW and what WE can DO?
I KNOW the bedroom tax: Pisses me off I’m sick of writing about the bloody thing I’m determined to do all I can with whatever lawful methods to get rid of it I KNOW many share the same yet I also know there are now 60m UK experts as everyone is talking about it despite […]
If every tenant appeals the bedroom tax will go – direct action is needed!
When Thatcher introduced the Community Charge which became known as the Poll Tax it was hated, just as the Under Occupation Charge known as the Bedroom Tax is despised. What many won’t remember is the Poll Tax was introduced in Scotland a year ahead of its introduction in England & Wales. I was living in […]
Bedroom tax – downsizing is like marriage, do it in haste and repent at your leisure!
The vast majority of social tenants who may be thinking of downsizing are in fact not thinking at all as outside of downsizing to a social housing property AND in the near neighbourhood the idea is a truly stupid one, a truly, truly, truly, truly, truly stupid one – ok reader you get where this […]
Bedroom Tax – it won’t create homelessness but the OBC will – 8 times as much
Over the past month I have been writing and reading much about the bedroom tax and there is a lot of nonsense about. I have seen comments that it affects all social tenants not just those on HB and many similar nonsenses and while that it not surprising some of the comments and articles have […]