Daily Mirror Article, 3 March In Feb/March 2016, bedroom tax cases on disability discrimination, carers and a single mother fleeing domestic violence came to the Supreme Court. WinVisible called a daily vigil supported by many groups, individuals and the people in the cases.
Watch 4-minute interview on London Live here. Bradford to Wrexham 30 protests UK-wide.
First check that you do really owe the money. Mistakes are common and it is possible that your debts have been miscalculated. If you do owe it, check if you can get any discounts. Your debts can be cancelled or reduced to smaller repayments. And check you get all the help available to maximise your income. To challenge charges for homecare (by your council) send in detailed information about your disability-related expenses. People’s individual situations vary widely, and there is no limit on what is or is not a disability-related expense – only examples. Get back-up, as before. UK-wide … Read more
Sanctions to your Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) mean that your benefits are stopped or reduced as a punishment. Jobcentre staff are brutally stopping benefits for trivial reasons, saying that claimants have not kept to what they must do, whether they are jobseekers or sick and disabled people on ESA. Sanctions are a major reason for destitution, see the report Feeding Britain. Work conditions for ESA only apply to the Work-Related Activity Group. Search exemption on this blog for info on how to apply for exemption from work conditions. In the … Read more
Almost 40% of the annual £25bn housing benefit bill is paid to private landlords, who often get away with charging extortionate rents for poor quality housing. Tenants asking for repairs or furniture have been threatened with eviction or harassed, so it is important to know your rights. Groups that support tenants and also campaign, are: Renters’ Rights (London). Borough info on advice and local campaigns. Generation Rent (UK-wide) Councils are increasingly placing people in private rented accommodation. The Focus E15 mums and many others are campaigning to keep social housing, so people are not forced into … Read more
Since 2013, the government reduced Housing Benefit (HB) to people in social housing who have one or more “spare” rooms. (Social housing is council, housing association or similar. Councils administering HB make the cut.) The government gives councils extra funds called Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to help tenants in hardship due to the bedroom tax. It’s important to claim this money. Many people in need are not getting DHPs. Instead of making these funds available to tenants as they should, councils say they don’t have the money, and refuse or ration help to people. They … Read more
Discounts, reductions and exemptions from paying Council Tax You can pay less Council Tax, for various reasons. This can include: being the only adult in the property. being a young adult between 18-19 years of age. being a full-time student. being an apprentice. being temporarily away from your home — check with your Council. having a Severe Mental Impairment (SMI), that is, learning disability or mental distress. being a carer. being on a low income – Council Tax Reduction (CTR) being in financial hardship and asking for total exemption or Council Tax debt to be … Read more
- « Previous
- 1
- …
- 12
- 13
- 14