Offer of £5,000 to swap council flat

maryjane01

greendollar wrote: »

Whats your problem ? That they want to swap or the money ?

Social housing LL's allow tenants to mutually exchange their properties as long as they meet a certain criteria , mainly that they do not have more bedrooms than they require .
In our area cash incentives are not allowed but of course it happens , if people are desperate to move ( for many reasons ) why not ?

My issue is with the money. To answer your question 'why not?', if they are desperate to move somewhere bigger and have £5000 in the bank, they can go private rather than having the tax payer pick up the bill while thy have money sitting in their bank account. Somebody quite needy without £5000 might be happy to live in their flat.

Wee_Willy_Harris

maryjane01 wrote: »

My issue is with the money. To answer your question 'why not?', if they are desperate to move somewhere bigger and have £5000 in the bank, they can go private rather than having the tax payer pick up the bill while thy have money sitting in their bank account. Somebody quite needy without £5000 might be happy to live in their flat.

Why do you think the taxpayer is picking up a bill because s/he lives in social housing?

BitterAndTwisted

What makes you think there is any "tax-payer picking up the bill"? What bill might that be?

I think under the circumstances that you should mind your own business. How is an ad in a shop-window impacting on you, exactly?

FOURCANDLES_2

henpecked1 wrote: »

trying to jump the queue. call up and ask what the address is and call the council, tho i suspect anyone with 5k should be privately renting and leaving council housing for those without two pennies.

God are you for real ? most association and council tenants around the uk work full time and most have savings and most go abroad and most have 2 cars behave yourself.What are you trying to do create an underclass to make you feel better at your lot.

maryjane01

It is interesting to come on here and see different view points, I guess that is why I posted to see if what I thought was reaonable or not. It seems a decent proportion on here think it is ok.

My feeling is with so many people seeing heavily subsidised housing as an entitlement the UK will never get out of the financial blackhole it is currently in. Don't get me wrong, there are people I think should be entitled in a caring society to appropriate housing, disabled, elderly etc. But it doesn't seem right to me that through the lor=ttery of life families where 2 people work can have heavily subsidised housing and therfor can afford 2 cars, holidays abroad and have savings, where as those that work hard and pay private rent on the same income have to forgo such luxuries.

If the tax payer is not indirectly subsidising council tenants rent by way of maintaining properties etc then who is? If the government or housing associations are making profit from this system why isn't everybody in a council house? I am genuinely interested to know.

Wee_Willy_Harris

maryjane01 wrote: »

It is interesting to come on here and see different view points, I guess that is why I posted to see if what I thought was reaonable or not. It seems a decent proportion on here think it is ok.

My feeling is with so many people seeing heavily subsidised housing as an entitlement the UK will never get out of the financial blackhole it is currently in. Don't get me wrong, there are people I think should be entitled in a caring society to appropriate housing, disabled, elderly etc. But it doesn't seem right to me that through the lor=ttery of life families where 2 people work can have heavily subsidised housing and therfor can afford 2 cars, holidays abroad and have savings, where as those that work hard and pay private rent on the same income have to forgo such luxuries.

If the tax payer is not indirectly subsidising council tenants rent by way of maintaining properties etc then who is? If the government or housing associations are making profit from this system why isn't everybody in a council house? I am genuinely interested to know.

Making less (or even none at all) "profit" isn't the same as a subsidy. A rolls royce costs more than a mini. That doesn't make the mini subsidised. And it certainly doesn't mean that the mini should only be allowed to be driven on certain roads at certain times and be spat on by all it passes.

BitterAndTwisted

How do you feel about working families in privately rented accommodation receiving an LHA contribution towards their rents which in effect are subsidising private landlords?

FOURCANDLES_2

maryjane01 wrote: »

It is interesting to come on here and see different view points, I guess that is why I posted to see if what I thought was reaonable or not. It seems a decent proportion on here think it is ok.

My feeling is with so many people seeing heavily subsidised housing as an entitlement the UK will never get out of the financial blackhole it is currently in. Don't get me wrong, there are people I think should be entitled in a caring society to appropriate housing, disabled, elderly etc. But it doesn't seem right to me that through the lor=ttery of life families where 2 people work can have heavily subsidised housing and therfor can afford 2 cars, holidays abroad and have savings, where as those that work hard and pay private rent on the same income have to forgo such luxuries.

If the tax payer is not indirectly subsidising council tenants rent by way of maintaining properties etc then who is? If the government or housing associations are making profit from this system why isn't everybody in a council house? I am genuinely interested to know.

So you want people to better themselves and then move in to private rent and spend all the hard earned money on rent because that is what others are doing? this is unless you live in a poor county where you can still buy a 3 bed house for around £130k?.And you want people who live in association/council house to have NO money No holidays, No cars , seems like some one who just wants to create an underclass or a little envy comes to the front of the que .

FOURCANDLES_2

We have the hidden poor in the uk folks the guys with mortgages the private tenant on the outside they look ok but get inside they are claiming benefits hand over fist and and bashing the association tenant for adhering to their contract which is secure tenure , when I signed the contract I was asked if I had savings answer yes how much 10k I was told at the time I did not have to answer the question. I have been allowed to make improvements but they put the rent up to reflect that granted not a lot.As I have said association tenants pay taxes also and i am no longer permitted to claim child tax credits under the new rule so in the view of some on here I now say ban tax credits if they can afford lou roll.

maryjane01

Obviously there is a difference of opinion here but in no way would I ever suggest or condone spitting on anyone or anything.

If somebody is in private rental and receiving housing benefit, my understanding is that is means tested and if their circumstances changed they may no longer receive this financial aid. If somebody is in need I don't have a problem with it at all. It is probably not as likely that somebody in this situation could afford to run 2 cars and take multiple holidays abroad every year.

I started this thread becuase I thought it was a bit cheeky for somebody to offer £5000 to move to a bigger council house than they are already in.

Obviously there are people that are proud to live in council housing and also be able to afford many luxuries. I personally feel proud paying may own way, even though that means my family only runs 1 ten year old car and we have holidays abroad once every 2 years.

Yes I would prefer my taxes went on improving schools and hospitals than on maintaining properties where the inhabitants can afford so many luxuries. In utopia we would all live in lovely affordable homes, take a few nice holidays every year, have fantastic local schools to send our kids to, and clean hospitals with no waitng lists. It is a wonderful ideal.

I do like to hear differing view points to my own that is why forums like this are so great