Changes to Housing benefit how much will rents fall?

heno

drc wrote: »

I thought the caps weren't coming in until January 2012 now?

That is the 500wk total benefit cap.

With standard of living going down, come 2012 times are going to be hard.

Inflation going up but not wages or benefits.

Morglin

silvercar wrote: »

Source????

Approx one third of LHA claimants in London are working.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2010/sep/29/housing-benefit-london-hits-working-poor-and-pensioners

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2010/oct/06/london-housing-crisis-blaming-the-victims

Lin

ILW

So two thirds are not, and that is in london where work is relatively easy to find.

Jowo_2

ILW wrote: »

So two thirds are not, and that is in london where work is relatively easy to find.

Well it is in particular for single young migrants who are prepared to live in crowded crummy digs, who are concentrated in low paid employment, are seen as reliable and enthusiastic employees by employers. It is migrants that are securing the majority of new vacancies.

Being on benefits for the UK born natives isn't a luxury standard of living but I bet its not much lower than working in a NMW job, paying travel costs, losing 40 hours of free time and having to pay towards their rent and council tax.

I know the govt is trying to prise the benefit dependent into employment by cutting their LHA but I'm not sure its going to make them any more attractive to employers...

ukcarper

ILW wrote: »

So two thirds are not, and that is in london where work is relatively easy to find.

I’m not sure it’s that easy to get work if you are young and have no qualifications I know 3 young men who can only get is 20hrs a week at minimum wage (they do get extra hours but they are contracted to 20). These are not ignorant and illiterate kids they perhaps lack a little drive. One of them completed a 2 year carpentry course but couldn’t get a work placement at the end of it along with most of the class

drc

Jowo wrote: »

Well it is in particular for single young migrants who are prepared to live in crowded crummy digs, who are concentrated in low paid employment, are seen as reliable and enthusiastic employees by employers. It is migrants that are securing the majority of new vacancies.

Being on benefits for the UK born natives isn't a luxury standard of living but I bet its not much lower than working in a NMW job, paying travel costs, losing 40 hours of free time and having to pay towards their rent and council tax.

I know the govt is trying to prise the benefit dependent into employment by cutting their LHA but I'm not sure its going to make them any more attractive to employers...

What else do you suggest? Keep LHA going until there is no money to pay for any other benefits. Look at how much it has increased in just 10 years. Also, it doesn't exactly seem fair to those in work. I would love to live in Central London, in a huge flat but because we are a working family we live where we can afford to. We are just about to move for the 4th time in 5 years because our landlord is selling up. It's stressful with kids but that's life. I don't see why those that have no intention of working should be mollycoddled. And the onus should be placed on employers paying a decent wage so that currently lower paid employees can live in London rather than expecting the state and the taxpayer to subsidise them with LHA.

Shakethedisease

drc wrote: »

What else do you suggest? Keep LHA going until there is no money to pay for any other benefits. Look at how much it has increased in just 10 years. Also, it doesn't exactly seem fair to those in work. I would love to live in Central London, in a huge flat but because we are a working family we live where we can afford to. We are just about to move for the 4th time in 5 years because our landlord is selling up. It's stressful with kids but that's life. I don't see why those that have no intention of working should be mollycoddled. And the onus should be placed on employers paying a decent wage so that currently lower paid employees can live in London rather than expecting the state and the taxpayer to subsidise them with LHA.

Much lower rents all round would solve all of the above in a single stroke ( apart from landlords selling up of course). Wouldn't that be a simpler solution ? Lower LHA payments reducing the benefits bill, lower rental rates for those in work ? At the end of the day unemployed or working AND on benefits is smoke and mirrors.. it's not their fault the rents keep going up is it ? It's beyond their control. So why blame them for that ?

It's all pie in the sky of course as long as the government and posters on boards like these continue pointing fingers at entirely the wrong people...

Keep LHA going until there is no money to pay for any other benefits. Look at how much it has increased in just 10 years

It aint you or any other tenant that's trousering the LHA cash paid out or raising the rents ? Right ?

Housebear51

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Much lower rents all round would solve all of the above in a single stroke ( apart from landlords selling up of course).

That seems to be the plan.

drc

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Much lower rents all round would solve all of the above in a single stroke ( apart from landlords selling up of course). Wouldn't that be a simpler solution ? Lower LHA payments reducing the benefits bill, lower rental rates for those in work ? At the end of the day unemployed or working AND on benefits is smoke and mirrors.. it's not their fault the rents keep going up is it ? It's beyond their control. So why blame them for that ?

It's all pie in the sky of course as long as the government and posters on boards like these continue pointing fingers at entirely the wrong people...

It aint you or any other tenant that's trousering the LHA cash paid out or raising the rents ? Right ?

Agreed that there should be a rent cap. It seems ridiculous that the government (Labour/Tory whoever) don't realise that if people have more money to spend on things other than rent, then the money will go into the economy rather than landlords pockets.

As for pointing the finger at the wrong people, I agree that it is LL's that are obviously pocketing LHA money but at the same time there are plenty of tenants benefitting in kind from the money they are getting. Sure, they don't get the money in their pocket but they are not having to pay their own rent, worry about finding the money to pay their rent, find an area that is suitable to their income and don't have most of the responsibilities or costs that private renters do. I think the system that allows this creates a lot of resentment from the working person and obviously rewards the wrong people. Lets just hope there are going to be some fundamental changes in rent/tenancy law in the near future although I won't hold my breath.

SilverStandard

What will happen in a few weeks when the cuts come in? How many in London will be forced to move and will anyone move into those houses they moved out of? Will they be reduced rent? By how much?