A family who moved into a three-bedroom council house after being told they couldn't have a two-bedroom property because they have too many children have since been told they will have to pay a 'bedroom tax'.
Beth Brant and partner Daryl Burns live with their two children in a council house on Osmond Place, Worsbrough Bridge. Daryl also has two other children who stay with them for three days a week.
The couple had applied for a two bedroom house at Ward Green but claim they were told they couldn't have it because Daryl's children live with them half the week and would have to be taken into account.
As a result they applied for a three-bedroom home and took the one in Worsbrough Bridge.
But since moving in last month the couple have been told they are under-occupying as Daryl's children are not taken into account when deciding the number of rooms needed and say they will have to pay an extra £12.50 a week in rent from April because they are classed as having a spare bedroom.
Beth, 20, said they will struggle to meet the cost as she is on an apprenticeship wage, but works full-time hours, and Daryl doesn't work as he suffers depression.
"I am working 37.5 hours a week doing my apprenticeship and that's for £2.65 an hour and I can't have any more hours to make up the difference in rent," she said.
"When we were signing up to the house we were told about the bedroom tax coming into place but we were also told we wouldn't be affected because my partner's children live with us for half the week.
"We didn't think any more about it and then we got a letter saying we had one bedroom spare.
"The reason we've been given is because children we do not receive child benefit for are not taken into account when deciding requests and they are not classed as living with us.
"The letter says we have to pay an extra four per cent in rent a week, take in a lodger or get more hours at work.
"But who is going to want to live here Sunday to Wednesday when Daryl's kids aren't here?
A spokeswoman from Berneslai Homes said customers are asked to sign a document to show they understand how changes will affect them, prior to signing up a new tenant.
She added: "Despite this information, Miss Brant agreed to accept the tenancy of her current home."
© 2013 Barnsley Chronicle Ltd
''a tax payer' is clearly a troll
I love a taxpayers comments although i have never understood why cowards hide behind
strange names.a taxpayer what is a taxpayer
everybody on this island ...if you got a £10 note wage per week you would still pay £2 in tax. what tax do you pay mr a taxpayer or mrs
and. how much of your tax will will you contribute to these people ..... 1 millionth of 1p...your pathetic judgement has not thought about all the useless money your tax really contributes ie war...arms to other countries to fight us back .......space travel to mars. ...planting millions of trees in canada....paying fuel allowance to people who can afford to live in warm climates......all the bedroom tax is...is poll tax with a twist in the name what i think the government should do is add this feature of tax. to homeowners im sure there are a few spare rooms in buckingham palace or any large houses in london...im sure the homeless would be gratefull
@: ''A TAX PAYER'' The lady in this article also pays her taxes and the council would not give her a 2 bed house (as she requested) because they rightly said it would be overcrowding when her partner's children stay. However, the DWP has deemed that she has a spare bedroom and therein lies the anomaly - a point you seem to have escaped what little reasoning power you may possess. Get your nose out of the gutter press for 5 minutes and go read a book or something.
So while i read a book i suggest you read the story in the correct way that it was written.
Why would anyone have to pay tax on 1. Extra room when for part of the week it is occupied
Would that person get a rebate on the 12:50
Dear marie i feel that i. have crossed purpose
with who i believed was a response from a tax payer who didnt put her name forward i appologise sincerely for mis reading certain pars of the letter still holds as to wether they woul get rebate if the bedrooms are occupied.and the fact that a taxpayer had a positive inpoliteness refering that someone is a scrounger......when rules of this column include being polite but i dont think scoungers
are allowed to claim there vat back.....
I'm not a scrounger I work hard for my family I had no choice but to do an apprentice I applied for jobs an got nowhere so had to settle for this a jobs a job when it comes to providing for my family! Daryl doesn't work for reasons that have nothing to do with you neither does he claim any benefits! I wouldn't mind paying this tax if the bedroom was spare and if I hadn't specifically been told I wouldn't be affected. I know exactly who 'a tax payer' is funny that you say all that yet none of your family have worked!
Whilst 'Tax Payer' is quite clearly trolling, it's diverting people from the crux of the issue; one rule for housing another rule for the DWP and yet another rule from whoever administers the 'bedroom tax' - why do we have (potentially) three Government departments all operating their own set of rules when they all have one common goal? It's a farce.
There will always be cases where people lose out as one size will never fit all. However I do believe that the bedroom tax is a good thing. There is such a shortage of LA housing and why should people take up more room than they need?
It's been in place for private rents for a while now and housing benefit is there to meet basic needs of people only. Anything extra you have to pay for. That's what benefits are supposed to be for isn't it?
If you're too depressed to work then why not Stop Breeding?