#gdnchat: Your experiences and stories on spare room tax
In the first of a series of weekly chats looking at the affect of the government's benefits cuts on people, we speak to Guardian followers on Twitter about their experiences of the spare room tax
- Here's our story on the spare room tax:
The spare bedroom tax: a mess of contradiction and impossibilityThe Holden family live on the end of a terraced street in the middle of Hartlepool. There are six of them: Stuart, 36, his wife Lorna, 33...- Claire Phipps from the Guardian newsdesk coordinates the discussion on Twitter on the hashtag #gdnchat - the chat runs for about an hour and is a way for some of our key community members interested in the government welfare reforms to add to the debate:
#gdnchat our research showed 42% hit by #bedroomtax already struggle financially, 72% have disability/health probs affinitysutton.com/pdf/20111010%2…- Some users began to share their stories for why the spare room was important and the tax affected them:
@Claire_Phipps #gdnchat As a disabled man living in a small 2 bedroom bungalow I need the "spare" to hold my wheelchair and other (1/2)- @Claire_Phipps (2/2) #gdnchat mobility aids. On a tight budget £12 a week extra will hammer us. I'm genuinely worried. #bedroomtax
- @Claire_Phipps I blogged on my concerns regarding #bedroomtax some time ago crazybladeuk.tumblr.com/post/410030820… Might find interesting #bedroomtax #gdnchat
- There are some interesting stories coming from tenant management organisations:
@Claire_Phipps Just this second arranged removals for a tenant we're helping to downsize to escape the bedroom tax #gdnchat
. @BushburyHillEMB How are your tenants feeling about the change and the prospect (or reality) of moving? #spareroomtax #gdnchat- @Claire_Phipps two tenants helped so far, "only" 160 still facing hardship caused by the bedroom tax #gdnchat
- @Claire_Phipps How are our tenants feeling? Scared, depressed, resigned, tearful, angry, defiant, resentful, victimised #gdnchat
- @paul_o_neill when we interviewed tenants affected by bedroom tax total wanting to downsize was 10% #gdnchat
- Many affected by the tax were simply just sharing their situations and what they need a spare room for...
@Claire_Phipps I fear for the absent parent how will they 'house' children on overnight stays? The main caret will bear the brunt #gdnchat- . @sassy_stewart This is big concern: only 1 of separated parents can claim a room for child(ren) - damaging for shared parenting? #gdnchat
- MT @ChrissieOAP My small 2nd bedroom is where I store lifetime work on my family tree. If I have to downgrade what do I do with it? #gdnchat
- MT @davidsteele67 bedroom tax & idea to give people already finding it hard the money to pay their own rent & c tax will be a mess #gdnchat
MT @Hossylass: Its pretty vital if you want some privacy from a carer too - where else can they go? Stand in the hall? #Gdnchat
@Claire_Phipps Yes, I'm a #disabled #entrepreneur use room for #careworker bedroom & study for MA. #bedroomtax £600 per year. How? #gdnchat
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- Jane RichardsAnd on top of the bedroom tax, people are facing having to pay up to £600 a year council tax as the council tax benefit is being withdrawn.2013-01-31T15:54:48.139Z
- Jane RichardsAnd on top of the bedroom tax, people are facing having to pay up to £600 a year council tax as the council tax benefit is being withdrawn.2013-01-31T15:54:48.139Z
