The government’s “affordable rent” at 80% of the private market rate is unaffordable for many. If you live in Surrey, though, it’s staggeringly unaffordable. The higher the rent the bigger the impact of the ‘bedroom tax’ on tenants if their family composition changes. Here’s what a tenant from Surrey has reported to us.
“I have a 4 bed social housing property in Surrey which I was offered on the ‘affordable’ housing scheme. Lucky me…talk about bad timing! After 7 years on the waiting list, I had to take it as we had no other options. The previous tenants paid £150 per week. We pay £257 per week. After only 1 year, and an older child soon to be moving out…we will be facing the Bedroom Tax. That will be 14% of the ‘affordable’ rent. Approx £36 per week for the spare room. We can’t afford that! Now we are forced to find an exchange to a 3 bed. We have to leave what was supposed to be our ‘forever’ home…somewhere of security and safety after many years being shunted from one grotty overpriced privately rented house to another. That’s all gone, a distant memory in the wake of ‘fixed’ social housing tenancies and ‘affordable’ rents. Plus, no one wants to exchange here no matter how much they love the house. Why would they…who would leave a rent of £33-£150 per week to pay £257? We’re devastated and don’t know which way to turn!”
Swindon Tenants Campaign Group 
the government need to look after the people who have worked most of there life both me and my husband paid into the system for over 50 years , my husband nearly 60 years , we were victims firstly of the unfair system that does not help people with mortgage payments after having serious health problems , we took out mortgage protection but that only lasted two years we were forced to sell our house then rent it back we came out of it with no money as we were forced to sell at a very low price , we had no choice it was this or become homeless , we thought at least we would have a roof over our head in a home that we had made a beautiful home over the years , then came the bedroom tax as we had two spare bedrooms we were back to square one again and were forced to move out of our beloved home , now once again we are being targeted , i have severe sleep apnea , i stop breathing 37 times an hour during the night so i have to wear a mask during the night and have degeneration of the spine due to the heavy lifting for 12 years as a charity shop manager , i had to appeal my esa decision which i won but a work related element was attached to it and i was, i feel, being bullied back in to work some days i have to go back to bed during the day because of lack of sleep and some mornings i have to crawl on my hands and knees until i take tramadol for my spine , this makes my sleep apnea worse , and they say i am fit for work, my husband has severe rheumatoid arthritis he worked 50 + years in heavy industry he has it in his feet, shoulder ,hands,knees , he also has osteoarthritis in his knees and
problems with bulging discs in his spine , he can hardly walk any more and is in pain constantly as none of the drugs work he is now being assessed for pip , why don’t they believe qualified doctors any more my husband has to take so much medication , we are scared about the outcome of this assessment reading the horror stories about people who are genuinely ill whose benefits are being stopped , why are people like us being targeted i just wish the general election was not so far away.
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