The government's decision to cut housing benefit could put 200,000 people at risk of homelessness, according to a campaign group

There are currently about 140,000 homeless people in the UK.

I'm sorry, but I think they've got it bang on with the housing benefit restrictions.

Am I right in thinking that all they have done is introduce an upper limit? From what I remember it was high too - something like £400 a week for a four bed?????

That's a lot of money, and you can get some perfectly good houses in good areas (close to schools etc) for a lot less than that around here.

Obviously an exception but one family has recently been in the news receiving 1600 housing benefit per week for a seven bed house in the North West of London. Seven bedrooms for the parents and seven kids!

Haven't they or the council heard of bunk beds?

Second home owners don't help of course. I think taxes should be higher on anything other than a PPR to discourage rampant property investment.

It's illegal for children to share a bedroom once they are over a certain age.

I'm sorry, but I think they've got it bang on with the housing benefit restrictions.

Am I right in thinking that all they have done is introduce an upper limit? From what I remember it was high too - something like £400 a week for a four bed?????

That's a lot of money, and you can get some perfectly good houses in good areas (close to schools etc) for a lot less than that around here.

It's illegal for children to share a bedroom once they are over a certain age.

Only for children over 10 and of different sexes. So if they are both below 10 they will be expected to share, even if they are of different sexes, and only once someone of a different sex hits 10 do they get another room funded. If they are all boys or all girls you would be expected to share, though 10 kids in a room would breach overcrowding regulations.

Only for children over 10 and of different sexes. So if they are both below 10 they will be expected to share, even if they are of different sexes, and only once someone of a different sex hits 10 do they get another room funded. If they are all boys or all girls you would be expected to share, though 10 kids in a room would breach overcrowding regulations.

I think this cap is a good idea. It still provides people with a roof over their heads, but no the huge mansions that some scroungers seems to thing they are entitled to at our expense. The people complaining lodest are the people who choose to live off the state as a lifestyle choice. And that's not what the wellfare state was designed for.

So all you need is a three bed house. If you need even more room then sofa beds FTW.

This doesn't stop the problem of local authorities trying to house people properly if housing benefit is cut/capped.

No it makes worse because they have to compete with everyone else for those few places that qualify.

That may well be true in most cases. But £400 per week might not get you a large enough house in London/the South East, or areas like the South West where second home owners push prices artificially high.

Yes but it also includes the disabled. Is that a lifestyle choice?

Yeah sure, house prices vary around the country.

If you genuinely can't get a 4 bed for £400 a week, then there should be an allowance made, but I would be quite surprised.

The 4 bed house I live in costs £260 per month, so even £400 per month is a lot of money here in Pompey. I don't know what house/rent prices are like relative to the rest of the country, but it's a very very densely populated city so I'd imagine they would be above average.