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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Housing costs  →  Thread

BEDROOM TAX FOLLOWING DEATH

bigbill
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Dumfries Welfare Rights

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History: Single parent on means tested benefits with 30yr old son in 2 bed house, son died suddenly and local caring Council have written out very quickly to say bedroom tax now applies with 14% reduction?

Have I miss understood the rules about the year exemption following this death?

The son was a non-dep would that make any difference as the 14% bedroom tax cut is around the same amount he previously had before the death?

Letter attached

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  • hb_007.zip (File Size: 2728KB - Downloads: 2472)
andyrichards
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City services - Brighton and Hove City Council

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Nope, you haven’t missed anything.  The LA appears to have forgotten to apply the 52-week protection.

bigbill
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Dumfries Welfare Rights

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Thanks Andy

As I expected just an ignorant Council employee nothing unusual in that in my area, but still heartbreaking to see the parent in tears due to this letter.

bigbill
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Dumfries Welfare Rights

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A few days after this letter this single parent had another Council letter with the 14% reduction applied, this despite us highlighting the error, our response in the link below.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/bedroom-tax-demand-agony-grieving-13407081

Ruth Knox
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Vauxhall Law Centre

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It looks as if in this case it wont make a great financial difference although they have got the law wrong and very insensitive. ie she will continue to have to pay the NDD.  But i notice this bereavememt exemption is three months in UC - another mean-spirited cut. Ruth

Mairi
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Welfare rights officer - Dunedin Canmore Housing Association

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As this is a Scottish case won’t he be entitled to have the under occupancy charge mitigated by the Scottish government? 

If that’s the case it’s an even worse letter…..

(Hadn’t read the letter, just the article when I wrote the above.  Seems it should be mitigated but you’d think a better letter would be an option.)

[ Edited: 12 Nov 2018 at 02:23 pm by Mairi ]