council house questionairre

pukkamum

I'm not sure if this in the right place but my husband and i live in a council house, my husband works and we pay our rent.

A few weeks ago i recieved a questionaire about who was living in the house ethnicticity, ages, etc.

I have no problem with providing this info but there was a part all about how much my husband earns, whether we recieve any benefits etc.

Now i have nothing to hide we only recieve tax credits and child benefits but i really feel this is an invasion of our privacy.

I didn't fill in the form but have now been sent another one saying that unless i fill it in a housing officer will come round to 'interview' me.

Am i right to object to revealing our income etc, we were asked this question when we first moved in and when the housing officer heard how much my husband earned she was visibly shocked and said "but that means you earn more than me!" not that he earns a huge amount!!!

Am i being a bit pathetic or would you object to this?

frugallass

you could give them a call and ask them 1. why they require this information and 2. what they are going to do with it once / if they get this information

Personally I would object but I don't know the criteria for council housing and don't know if the information they require is relevant to this

iolanthe07

It is an invasion of privacy, but no more so than filling out an income tax form. If you've nothing to hide, what's the problem?

pukkamum

One of my biggest worries in this is that once they know what we earn we will be then further down the list for any improvements they are making to the houses, this already goes on to a certain extent, we were all due to have new bathrooms and kitchens in october but due to them doing up all the houses of the people who have let their homes go to rack and ruin we now wont get them til 2010.

poppysarah

Who has sent the questionaire?

I'd be wary of filling it in.

pukkamum

poppysarah wrote: »

Who has sent the questionaire?

I'd be wary of filling it in.

It has come from the housing department. It's definately official but surely i am not legally required to give them this info.

Why exactly do they need this info?
Surely it doesn't make any difference what we earn?

poppysarah

I don't see why they need to know.

Ring and ask why they are asking.


Or just rip it up. If it's important they'll ask again. And again and again.

sdooley

iolanthe07 wrote: »

It is an invasion of privacy, but no more so than filling out an income tax form. If you've nothing to hide, what's the problem?

This attitude is why every busybody asks you for a list of information as long as your sleeve. An income tax return is a legal obligation (and doesn't require you to disclose ethnicity, etc). This just sounds like some mini-mandarin's meddling.

skylight

I get these and refuse to fill them out. A private landlord could not ask me these questions so why should the council? Its their legal property only, so I understand why they want to know who is living here, but they claim the questionnaires they send is to ensure they are being fair to all groups of people. I do not understand how they can measure this? Surely everyone is equal anyway, so they should already be fair to all.

My opinion anyway. And unless the questionnaire came with a letter explaining why they want the information, then I would ignore it. And tell any "interviewer" to bog off (if they turn up). I pay rent on time, am not a nusience (sp) neighbour so they are not able to get rid of me because I will not complete a form.

fiodyl

We usually get one of these every year, but IIRC they don't ask amounts you just tick the boxes for the benefits you do or don't recieve.

Our ones are also annonymous, so they don't know who has or hasn't filled one in.

seven-day-weekend

When my son was applying for a State Benefit, they wanted to know where his housemates worked and how much they earned! (it had already been established that he received no money from them).

This information was never provided and they never asked again. My son got the Benefit.

To the OP, I would not tell them how much your husband earns. I might tell them I received tax credits (but not how much) - but then again I might not. I don't see why they need to know this if you are paying your rent and being a good tenant.