Another First Tier Tribunal bedroom tax appeal decision, this time from Aberystwyth. The Decision Notice is here (and on the FTT decisions page). No statement of reasons yet, but the decision notice gives an outline. The Claimant lived in what was classed as...
Upper Tribunal on bedrooms
There has been some excited talk about an Upper Tribunal decision on a Local Housing Allowance appeal which apparently offered a definition of 'bedroom'. Obviously, as an Upper Tribunal decision, this would be binding on First Tier Tribunals, even though...
It’s the way that you use it.
I've just received a new First Tier Tribunal bedroom tax decision from Rochdale. This one is interesting because it is the first that I have seen based solely on the tenant's use of the disputed room. The statement of reasons is here (and now on the FTT...
Incoming – bedroom tax and more.
Busy day for bits of news. On the bedroom tax, Lord Freud announced in a House of Lords debate today that amending regulations to remove the 1996 claim exemption will be produced in March, though they haven't got definite parliamentary time yet. (Not got a...
Bedroom Tax: the effect of the pre 1996 claim ‘exemption’.
As set out in the previous post, the DWP has confirmed that 4(1)(a) of Schedule 3 of the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2006 has the effect that any HB claimant who has been claiming continuously since before 1...
Bedroom Tax: Pre 1996 claims exemption.
[Update 10/01/2014 - see further post on details of who is 'exempt' and suggested actions.] Readers may well have seen material going around that suggested that a housing benefit claim that was continuous from pre 1 January 1996 was exempt from the bedroom...
Bedroom tax decisions update
There are two new First Tier Tribunal bedroom tax appeal decisions on the FTT decisions page, at the bottom. One from Liverpool and one from Edinburgh. Both are Article 14 discrimination based, with disabilities meaning a bedroom could not be shared, one...
‘Gorry’ Regulations Guidance
In other bedroom tax news, the DWP has issued a Circular to Local Authorities on The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Size Criteria) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013 - the new regulations implementing the Gorry judgment on LHA and housing...
Not home alone.
A quick note on a succesful bedroom tax First Tier Tribunal decision in Islington. Unfortunately there is no statement of reasons [Update 21/01/2014 - Statement of reasons and adviser submissions are here] and the decision notice, which I have seen, says...
Demanding Money with Menaces
We all know that the bedroom tax has created huge problems for both tenants, desperately trying and often failing to find the additional 14% or 25% of rent, and for social landlords, watching arrears spiral rapidly upwards. But I don't think there is...
Trust No-one
The DWP issued a bedroom tax related circular on 30 October 2013. HB U7/2013. The full text is below. Removal of the spare room subsidy – First tier Tribunal decisions Background 1. Generally local authorities (LAs) initiate appeals to the Upper Tribunal...
Article 14 in Hereford
A proper note to follow, but there has been a significant First Tier Tribunal appeal in a bedroom tax related case in Hereford. The decision is here (and also on the FTT decision page in the menu above). This is an LHA decision, not on the bedroom tax. While...