Housing benefit discussion

[Allwood]

I do not understand why these tenants are getting so much housing benefit and others are getting so little or nothing at all why such disparity.

 

Former asylum seeker on benefits given £2 million house - Telegraph

[speedfreek]

It's simple all the councils housing stock was sold off in the 80s.

 

Now the council also has a legal obligation to house homeless and vulnerable people. If children are involved then they get priority over others who might be in need. The more children the bigger the house.

 

Now if we take those 2 statements and then throw in the massive housing bubble which has inflated house prices and rents in desirable areas this is why cases like this occur.

 

The council is really stuck between a rock and a hard place and has no option but to put them up in whatever is available no matter what the cost. Plus once in a tenant will fight tooth and nail to stay and there's not much the council can do about it.

 

Very likely to happen (although still very rare) in most if not all the "fashionable" areas of London and another couple of cities round UK where housing is at a premium.

 

The only real solution to this problem would be for councils to either build new or by back the housing they sold neither of which is going to happen soon.

[Consumer dude]

Heard that housing benefit will be limited to four hundred pounds as from next year. If that is true, that should make a difference..

[speedfreek]

Heard that housing benefit will be limited to four hundred pounds as from next year. If that is true, that should make a difference..

 

There is already a set limit on housing benefit.

 

It's a misconception that it will stop situations like this. As I've said it is the councils legal obligation to house the family which is overriding the current limit. Decreasing the limit will in no way stop this!

 

All a limit has shown to do is give landlords a target rent for anybody on benefits. Basically once a limit is set all rents move to it.

 

One of the real issues that the proposed changes being introduced may cause is the conversion of less profitable large houses into single occupancy flats/bedsits i.e. landlords will decrease the number of 3+ room family homes available to rent due to the lower returns on them and capitalise on the better rates paid for multiple single occupancy conversions.

 

So if the stock of 3+ room houses diminishes the likely hood of situations arising where homeless families will have to put into these very expensive rents will grow.

[Allwood]

It's simple all the councils housing stock was sold off in the 80s.

 

Now the council also has a legal obligation to house homeless and vulnerable people. If children are involved then they get priority over others who might be in need. The more children the bigger the house.

 

Now if we take those 2 statements and then throw in the massive housing bubble which has inflated house prices and rents in desirable areas this is why cases like this occur.

 

The council is really stuck between a rock and a hard place and has no option but to put them up in whatever is available no matter what the cost. Plus once in a tenant will fight tooth and nail to stay and there's not much the council can do about it.

 

Very likely to happen (although still very rare) in most if not all the "fashionable" areas of London and another couple of cities round UK where housing is at a premium.

 

The only real solution to this problem would be for councils to either build new or by back the housing they sold neither of which is going to happen soon.

 

In some blocks of flats there are tenants in a small flats with 3 or more children and cannot get any upgrands becaues no housing why is it different for some tenants.

 

Why not the council buy flats and houses that are left empty around the country. Also under labour there were lots of buy to let mortgages why not take some of them over for the people. I certainly do not want to this amout of my money to pay for some tenants that wants to live in a better areas.

[loopylil]

Rents are set by a rent officer seperate to the council. They decide what the average house rent will be for the areas covered.Councils the use this to work out the housing benifit.Mine went down by 85p this year which surprised me, i thought it was cos we had a rise in pension credit and they were taking it back off me because of that.

[Allwood]

Rents are set by a rent officer seperate to the council. They decide what the average house rent will be for the areas covered.Councils the use this to work out the housing benifit.Mine went down by 85p this year which surprised me, i thought it was cos we had a rise in pension credit and they were taking it back off me because of that.

 

I am sure there must be large house in other parts of the Greater London that does not cost this amount to rent, apart from having 7 children, wonder what the other criteria is for getting so much rent paid on HB. I can only assume that the person that’s responsible for setting these rents up must tune a blind eye to certain members of the public. It seems that all is need for people to have more than 7 children and they can get accommodation in the most salubrious part of Greater London at the tax payer expense.

[hilaryfrances]

hmmmm HF looks around for 7 children and a nice pad in the smoke.

 

Is kidnapping still illegal?

[locutus]

Well, I've got 3 you can have HF...

[babybear39]

I've got one HF

[hilaryfrances]

well thats four just need three more

[locutus]

(I don't think HF has worked out that school holidays are just around the corner BB)

[hilaryfrances]

ooops

 

HF disapears under a mountain of childerbeasts

 

 

HELP

[babybear39]

Roflmfao!!!