I have a son with Asperger’s Syndrome, and I love him deeply. I am very involved with his care.  Earlier this week I was reading the magazine of the National Autistic Society. I came across an article by Fiona Ritchie about mouth care. My own dental care has been sporadic. I have delayed going to the dentist after local anaesthetic failures made me anxious. I delayed contacting the hospital to arrange a surgery for removal of neglected teeth. Every time you mentioned teeth to me, I argued.

• I hate toothbrushes
• I hate toothpaste, especially mint. I hate mint so much that I would buy special children’s mouthwash or toothpaste instead
• Sodium Lauryl Sulphate in most toothpastes cause painful mouth ulcers. I discovered Squigle paste.
• I love eating, nibbling, licking. I eat too much sugar.

Suddenly, instead of reading the magazine article in order to help my son, I was identifying. 

“a child may not like strong flavours, such as mint, so could find it difficult to use a standard mint-flavoured toothepaste.  The person with autism may react badly to mouth care being delivered because of a previous bad experience. Perhaps they don’t like bright lights or they are distracted by a smell or nearby sounds … even a scraping of SLS free (non foaming) toothpaste onto a dry brush .. rinse with flouride but no alcohol …”

I had not heard of anyone caring about SLS free toothpaste before! My own dentist considered me weird and non-compliant for not using regular toothpaste.

I resolved to do more research.

• I tried the Aspie Quiz and scored 149/200 Aspergers Syndrome “very likely an aspie.”
• I tried the AQ Autism Spectrum Quotient test and tried the AAA Adult Aspergers Assessment and scored as Aspergers for AQ (35/50.  80% of ASD is over 32)and EQ tests.  (16/80. 80% of ASD is under 30)
• The I tried the systemising test SQ and scored 114. “You have a very high ability for analysing and exploring a system. Three times as many people with Asperger Syndrome score in this range, compared to typical men, and almost no women score this high.”

And then I printed all the tests out neatly, stapled them individually, and stacked them in the right order in a pile for my G.P.

Now what?

Now I have hit a wall.  Am I simply over-empathising with my dear son, becoming so aware of his aspergers that I have projected it onto myself?  Do I actually have aspergers and have projected it onto my child in a harmful way?  How can I go to my GP when I have previously been misdiagnosed with other problems, and do not trust her? Am I just mental?  Am I just a geek?

This is something I will be worrying about this week.

Find out more about the bedroom tax, the part of welfare reform that will cut the amount of benefit that people can get if they are considered to have a spare bedroom.

Welfare reforms will cut the amount of benefit that people can get if they are deemed to have a spare bedroom in their council or housing association home. This measure will apply from April 2013 to tenants of working age.

The power to do this is contained in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and is commonly referred to as the bedroom tax, size criteria or under-occupation penalty.  (http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/bedroom_tax.aspx)

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Are Disabled exempt from the Bedroom Tax?

No.

Two thirds of those affected by the Bedroom Tax are Disabled and their Carers.

The Bedroom Tax is a breech of human rights. In a ruling in May 2012, the Court of Appeal held that disabled and carers were discriminated against by the maintenance of the single bedroom rule.  It also held there was no justification to the discrimination as it was not a fair or proportionate response.

Alison Garnham, the Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, which represented Richard Gorry (one of three cases considered together), said:

“We welcome the fact that the court has recognised the unfairness of the housing benefit rules. This is a tremendous victory for the rights of disabled people and their children.

“In this case it was clearly not possible for two children, one with Spina Bifida and another with Down Syndrome, to share a bedroom 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.

“Disabled people and their families and carers are being assaulted by a series of unjust and arbitrary cuts. This ruling goes some way to mitigating the effects of the cuts, but children and adults are still being made the unfair target of the Coalition’s austerity agenda.”

(http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/government-loses-disability-benefit-case-appeal-court)

Despite losing the appeal, the government have ignored the law and pressed ahead with the bedroom tax, in the hopes of winning a future appeal.

Bedroom Tax undermines Disabled People’s Human Rights 

http://wearespartacus.org.uk/bedroom-tax-undermines-disabled-peoples-human-rights/

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Are elderly are exempt from the Bedroom Tax?

Yes, this applies only to those of “working age”.  Further, Pensioners who live in large 2-5 bedroom houses and wish to downsize to a smaller house, will no longer be able to do so, due to housing shortages created by cramming those of working age into smaller properties.

“People who have already reached state pension credit age by April 2013 will not be subject to the size criteria. A couple are not subject to the size criteria where the eldest member has attained state pension credit age, even if the younger member is still of working age”

Are Foster Parents exempt from the Bedroom Tax?

No, if you have foster children, they must sleep on the floor.

You should apply for the Discretionary Housing Payment.

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Are you separated from your ex-partner? Do you share Residence?

If you are separated and do not have full time custody/residence of your children, then you will need to pay Bedroom Tax for spare bedrooms that your children use when they visit you.  When your children and teenagers visit for the weekend they can sleep standing up in a corner.

You should apply for the Discretionary Housing Payment.

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Does this make Financial Sense?

No.

Channel 4 News spoke to a single mother in Southampton, who faces a 14 per cent reduction in housing benefit for the home she shares with her two children.

Her rent is currently £365 per month for a three bedroom house with a social landlord, but she could claim £664 per month for a smaller two bedroom property with a private landlord. (http://www.channel4.com/news/bedroom-tax-will-cost-taxpayers-more)

DWP opinion on Bedroom Tax

A DWP spokesman said: “It’s not fair for people to continue to live in homes that are too large for their needs when in England alone there are about five million people on social housing waiting lists and over a quarter of a million tenants are living in overcrowded conditions. (http://www.channel4.com/news/bedroom-tax-will-cost-taxpayers-more)

 David Cameron said

“If you are in private housing and do get housing benefit you don’t get money for an extra room.

“So there’s a basic argument of fairness. Why should we be doing more for people in social housing on housing benefit than people in private housing on housing benefit?”

Alyzande says:

People in social housing are already receiving less help than those in private housing due to the government being unable or unwilling to control rising private rents.

This Bedroom Tax is directly targeted at the most vulnerable people because the government knows we can do nothing about it.

They know we can’t get work, can’t take in lodgers, can’t move to invisible houses.

They are banking on us to simply give them our money instead, and the Conservatives will use this to fund the Millionaire Grant.

Next April, Mr Cameron will give a tax cut of £40,000 to each and every millionaire in Britain.

Not just for one year but for each and every year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check/2012/oct/02/is-david-cameron-really-going-to-give-each-millionaire-a-40-000-tax-cut

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Under Occupancy Benefit Reduction

How Many Bedrooms Can I Have Under the new Bedroom Tax Rules?

The size of bedroom, for example, single, twin or double, will not be taken into account and living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms will not be included in the assessment.

One bedroom is allowed for:

•  each adult couple
•  any other person aged 16 or over
•  two children of the same sex under the age of 16
•  two children regardless of sex under the age of 10
•  any other child
•  a carer, or one of a team of carers, who has a home elsewhere, who uses a spare bedroom on a regular basis to stay overnight because the claimant or their partner requires overnight care.

There is no distinction between larger and smaller bedrooms for housing benefit purposes. For example, a flat with one double bedroom and two single bedrooms will be a three bedroom property.

No Exceptions for Bedroom Tax

• if separated parents share childcare, the child will only be taken account of in calculating the property size for the housing benefit claim of the designated ‘main carer’ – if care is shared exactly equally the main carer will be the parent that receives child benefit
• parents whose children visit but are not part of the household are not assessed as needing an extra bedroom
• foster children, who are never included in the assessment, will not be considered when assessing whether or not a home is under-occupied
• couples using a spare bedroom when recovering from illness will still be considered to be under-occupying
• disabled people living in adapted or specially designed properties which have more bedrooms than are permitted by the size criteria will have their housing benefit reduced, unless designated as supported ‘exempt’ accommodation.

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The Bedroom Tax Impact

“In October 2010 there were approximately 3.3 million housing benefit claimants living in social housing. The DWP’s impact assessment estimated that the size criteria are likely to affect 670,000 claimants across Britain. This represents around 32 per cent of working age claimants living in social housing”

Can I help anyone with Bedroom Tax?

A couple who appeared on ITV thanked the public for offers of help and money towards their Bedroom Tax.

But giving us money won’t solve the problem long term for us, nor for the many thousands of people in similar situations to ours, so we are going to turn their generous offers down. Tens of thousands more disabled people across the country are in exactly the same situation as us and will be hit by the bedroom tax. The only real way we can change things for them and us is to urge the Government to think again about how the bedroom tax will impact on people like us.

http://www.itv.com/news/2013-02-05/bedroom-tax-couple-thank-public-for-support/

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How Much is the Bedroom Tax?

Working age social housing tenants who are under-occupying their home will see their housing benefit reduced by:

• 14% of their housing benefit eligible rent if they are under-occupying by one bedroom
• 25% of their housing benefit eligible rent if they are under-occupying by two or more bedrooms

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How the Bedroom Tax attacks Disabled people and their Carers

From the BBC:

A man who gave up work to care for his sick wife is “disgusted” at the so-called “bedroom tax” which may see him lose £60 a month in housing benefit.

Tony Sharman, 60, of Towcester, sleeps in a second bedroom in their home as his wife Anne, 57, has in a special bed which is too small for them both.

But changes to housing benefit will penalise people with a “spare bed”.

The government claims it is unfair for people to live in council-run homes that are too big for their needs.

The new rules will affect housing benefit, which is paid to less well-off tenants to help with rent. Typically claimants receive between £50 and £100 a week.

But from April families deemed to have too much living space by their local authorities will receive a reduced payment. Under the government’s so-called “size criteria”, families will be assessed for the number of bedrooms they actually need.

Mr Sharman, who started caring for his wife after a second brain haemorrhage in 2006 left her unable to walk or speak, has been told that under the proposals he will lose about £15 a week.

“We genuinely need separate bedrooms,” he said. “But they say I’m a husband, not a carer. I look after my wife 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

He said he struggles to “make ends meet” at present and the extra loss of benefit will mean he has to cut his food bill.

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Bedroom Tax News

Chartered Institute of Housing

To assist landlords in preparing for the changes, the Chartered Institute of Housing have published a useful toolkit ‘Making it fit: a guide to preparing for the social sector size criteria’.  This toolkit sets out practical guidance and helpful case studies specifically focusing on under-occupation and the implications of the ‘bedroom tax’, and is available at: http://www.cih.org/publication-free/display/vpathDCR/templatedata/cih/publication-free/data/Making_it_fit_a_guide_to_preparing_for_the_social_size_criteria.

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Help with Bedroom Tax

The suggestion from Lord Freud is that people who are affected manage this by

For the majority of those affected, none of these are possible. Remember, 2/3 are disabled or full time carers. Further, there are housing shortages caused by not building any new properties to replace those sold off under the last Conservative government.  Private rented accommodation is more expensive, requires a deposit, and has very short rent period (12 months is typical).

Why is the Government pressing ahead with the Bedroom Tax?

Helpful Bedroom Tax Groups

Who can help me? You can get help from your local council with a Discretionary Housing Payment, if you meet the eligibility.   In the meantime, thousands of worried tenants are supporting each other in internet forums:

For disabled adults and carers of disabled children

http://www.facebook.com/groups/453691884690427/

Unfortunately the larger anti bedroom tax pages are populated with internet trolls http://www.facebok.com/groups/antibedroomtax/

What is a discretionary housing payment (DHP)?

Each housing/council tax benefit department is given a pot of money each year to help people who qualify for housing or council tax benefit, but are having trouble paying their rent or council tax. The council decides who should be given the payments. When the money for the year runs out, no more payments can be made.

Discretionary housing payments (DHP) may be paid weekly, or can be a lump sum. They may also be backdated.

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The Original DWP DHP documents

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/discretionary-housing-payments-guide-draft.pdf

Read more about DHP at Shelter homelessness charity

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/discretionary_housing_payments

But what prompted me to write this is a horrific gust of wind and pounding rain on my window. I opened the window, got a faceful of rain, and quickly shut it. I was very grateful for being able to shut that window, to have a shelter, to have gas central heating and warm radiators. To be sat in a house in a tshirt, reclined on a sofa watching a tv. Without those 6 weeks in a tent, I would not be as grateful for the shelter over my head. Thank you for the gift of non-complacency. Srs!

Screw that. I work from Starbucks.

I love relaxing with a cauldron of coffee in a comfy sofa or armchair, whipping out my notepad and pencil and writing .  Other customers bring their expensive netbooks and laptops.  I have a tablet and a netbook but bring neither with me to Starbucks – I love to be able to doodle on the paper, drawing graphs.  Then they all go in my folder and come home for typing up.