IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:28 am  

If you want an illustration of the type of people you are dealing with in this administration, take the case of Mr Gorry and his 3 kids, one of whom has spina bifida and another Down's Syndrome. The caring folk at the DWP decided that the Gorrys should only receive housing benefit for a three bedroom property, because these 2 could share a room, despite clear evidence that they were not always able to share because of their severe disabilities. mercifully the case was taken up by CPAG but went all the way up to the Court of Appeal, which gave a strong judgment that this interpretation was bollox, and in these circumstances it was ridiculous to penalise the Gorrys. Did that satisy IDS? Well, no. He launched an appeal to the Supreme Court, paid for of course by me and you. After another several months of no doubt worry stress and strife, IDS has finally dropped the appeal. Child Poverty Action Group was representing Richard Gorry. Alison Garnham, Chief Executive said: “This is a tremendous victory for disabled children and it’s a victory for common sense. “In the case Child Poverty Action Group represented, it was clearly not possible for a child with spina bifida and another with Down Syndrome to share a bedroom together with such different demands and needs. It’s absolutely right that the housing benefit system should respond to challenges like this, and it is clear discrimination if it does not. “Even with today’s decision on severely disabled children, disabled people will still be amongst the hardest hit by the bedroom tax, with £300 million being cut from their housing support. The bedroom tax is surely one of the cruellest cuts of all and should be scrapped altogether.” Huff report

If you want an illustration of the type of people you are dealing with in this administration, take the case of Mr Gorry and his 3 kids, one of whom has spina bifida and another Down's Syndrome. The caring folk at the DWP decided that the Gorrys should only receive housing benefit for a three bedroom property, because these 2 could share a room, despite clear evidence that they were not always able to share because of their severe disabilities. mercifully the case was taken up by CPAG but went all the way up to the Court of Appeal, which gave a strong judgment that this interpretation was bollox, and in these circumstances it was ridiculous to penalise the Gorrys. Did that satisy IDS? Well, no. He launched an appeal to the Supreme Court, paid for of course by me and you. After another several months of no doubt worry stress and strife, IDS has finally dropped the appeal. Child Poverty Action Group was representing Richard Gorry. Alison Garnham, Chief Executive said: “This is a tremendous victory for disabled children and it’s a victory for common sense. “In the case Child Poverty Action Group represented, it was clearly not possible for a child with spina bifida and another with Down Syndrome to share a bedroom together with such different demands and needs. It’s absolutely right that the housing benefit system should respond to challenges like this, and it is clear discrimination if it does not. “Even with today’s decision on severely disabled children, disabled people will still be amongst the hardest hit by the bedroom tax, with £300 million being cut from their housing support. The bedroom tax is surely one of the cruellest cuts of all and should be scrapped altogether.” Huff report

[John_D]

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:49 am  

Not rolled back far enough. Even if there were suitable properties available for people to move into, it's a mean-spirited, spiteful thing to do.
I hope IDS, who has never had a job that wasn't paid for by taxation, enjoys his two homes.

[Kosh]

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:59 am  

I'm not fond of Tories as a group, but IDS is an obnoxious, odious, sub-human scumbag. Someone I genuinely wouldn't urinate on if he were aflame.

If there is any justice in the world (something I doubt) then he is due some serious ill fortune.

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:56 am  

Kosh wrote:

I'm not fond of Tories as a group, but IDS is an obnoxious, odious, sub-human scumbag. Someone I genuinely wouldn't urinate on if he were aflame.

If there is any justice in the world (something I doubt) then he is due some serious ill fortune.

I'd happily piss on him if he wasn't on fire

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:07 pm  

He does seem to have some anger control issues in his responses to the press when criticised, which is not an endearing feature in someone who is supposed to be making level-headed, well thought out, constructive decisions.

On the other hand this particular party does seem to make a lot of u-turns in its decisions based on their initial press releases, its almost like they're making it up as they go along.

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:19 pm  

Yet he says it wasn't a climbdown on the news last night. He's full of you know what.

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:25 pm  

Nye Bevans words are as prevalent today, about the present incumbents, as they were in his.
The burning torch rage of inequality is still embedded in many of us and has to stay that way...
Some people gave their lives, for us all to hopefully work, have a decent roof over our heads, and for there to be enough food on the table to feed all our childrens bellies.
It's 2013!

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:25 pm  

Nye Bevans words are as prevalent today, about the present incumbents, as they were in his.
The burning torch rage of inequality is still embedded in many of us and has to stay that way...
Some people gave their lives, for us all to hopefully work, have a decent roof over our heads, and for there to be enough food on the table to feed all our childrens bellies.
It's 2013!

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:29 pm  

And for some of us not still to be able to use mobile phones!

Re: IDS folds on bedroom tax case : Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:49 pm  

Having just read the report linked to in the OP, one thing has struck me as rather odd about the DWP u-turn on Monday, the issue of adult children who are in the armed services.

Why would they get special exemption ?

Why would you penalise parents of two 16 year olds by telling them that they have to share a bedroom (even though they can't move), or penalise those who keep a spare bedroom for when estranged children stay at weekends, or those for whom illness means that some nights a partner can't share the same bedroom as them - and yet allow a married couple to live in (say) a two bed house keeping a spare room for a son who is serving abroad (even based in Germany for instance) just because he still declares their address as his residence and might come home for two or three weeks in the year ?

I'm not a fan of the bedroom tax at all (keep calling it a tax, it annoys the hell out of cameron), but even so there is an inequality insde the inequality which is blatently spoon-feeding the press a response to their headlines of "brave soldiers mums penalised etc etc".