Council house rant....

crunchyblanket

Due to disability, my mum is once again living in a council flat, this time on disability benefit, and I absolutely cannot see how she is better off on benefits than working. She gets next to nothing. She herself would prefer to work but try finding an employer who will accomodate a chronically ill person whose work schedule very much depends on how well her medication is working that week...it would be easier to track down a flying pink llama.

crunchyblanket

All council tennants and people claiming benefits are NOT honest, hard working people, struggling to live and putting in loads of effort. Some are, some aren't

I'm sure there are dishonest people abusing the system. Hell, I knew a couple myself growing up on a council estate. I also knew quite a few people who were accused of, and rumoured to be playing the system but in truth were not. The press are very keen to distort and sometimes even lie in order to further this agenda.

abbadon3

My opinions are not based on information from the press/media. My opinions are based on living in south east london and seeing people who abuse the system constantly.

It isn't a small amount of people either. Massive amounts of people are playing the system.

crunchyblanket

My opinions are based on living in south east london and seeing people who abuse the system constantly

Grew up in Elephant and Castle myself, moved away a few years ago, interesting how our perspectives differ so dramatically

ILW

crunchyblanket wrote: »

Due to disability, my mum is once again living in a council flat, this time on disability benefit, and I absolutely cannot see how she is better off on benefits than working. She gets next to nothing. She herself would prefer to work but try finding an employer who will accomodate a chronically ill person whose work schedule very much depends on how well her medication is working that week...it would be easier to track down a flying pink llama.

That is exactly my point.
Your mum is suffering due to a lot of people who do not "deserve" the amount of benefits they receive (mainly due to a system that is skewed towards having lots of children). I believe that people with true disabilities should be much better suported, and if that is at the expense of those that CHOSE to put themselves in a position of dependency, so be it.

abbadon3

Spot on ILW.

Benefits should only be there for the people who really need them. And if we cut out all those who either choose to be on benefits or are to lazy to do anything about it, the funds would be available to properly support those that need it.

charlieismydarling

Wee Willy Harris - I take my hat off to you!
I wouldn't have the patience.
I work with a bunch of brain dead Richard Littlejohn wannabes who regale me with stories of how foreigners/immigrants/asylum seekers/single mums/pregnant teenagers whizz to the top of the housing list and stroll into palatial homes at the drop of a hat, get all their bills paid and wads of cash benefits too, and who generally live the life of Riley without having to lift a finger.
I used to try to explain the reality of it to them, but I gave up long ago.
They only hear what they want to hear, only believe what their prejudices tell them to believe and appear to be incapable of thinking things through or actually looking deeper into the half truths and cliches they're fed by their friends and the Daily Star.
Well done to you for bothering.

I agree. Well done WWH.

Some really offensive views here. Some of us single mums are not single through choice. I am a widow and find myself in these citcumstances.

What is it with the vindictive, spiteful jealousy of those less fortunate than themselves. You should hang your heads in shame.

Find out the whole circumstances of someone's plight before sticking your nose in and judging on one comment overheard.

Some single mums have also worked for many years and paid into the system for years and years before needing to draw on it themselves.

Walk a mile in my shoes and all that.

Personally I think the vitriol and hatred should be directed at the powers that be who deemed it a good idea to sell off all the council stock and some should be reserved for those people who fleeced the system, buying stock with huge discounts and thus removing it evermore.

abbadon3

I think anyone who tars all council tennants/people on benefits with the same brush is delusional as to how the world works.

That being said, there are plenty of people on benefits doing there best to give the rest a bad name.

People who are on benefits or in council houses shouldn't be offended when people get annoyed and vent there frustration at a shocking system which doesn't work. If you are someone who genuinely needs help to live and have worked and are working hard to better your life then the insults and anger are not aimed at you. And if you are oen of the benefits cheats you should just be ashamed that your bottom of the barrel scum.

And anyone who is aiming anger at ALL people on benefits is a fool.

moneysaver12

I don't understand why people have more children than they feel can fit in to their property, then they complain that they need somewhere bigger. Surely if you are in a two bedroom property, then you either don't have more children than you feel can fit in to that property or you move somewhere bigger before you have any more children.

I can understand if someone has children and their situation changes and they can only get or afford a small property.

Also to the op i think that what you said about the child been beaten with a ugly stick, is a horrible thing to say. The baby didn't ask to be born, its not the baby's fault how they look. Also what one person may class as cute may be different to someone else's. How would you feel if someone said your children looked like they had being beaten with a ugly stick?

I think that people in today's society are too judgemental. Too many people are compare themselves to other people, want what other people have.

perthperson

ILW wrote: »

So where does the subsidy for cheap rents come from?

Council house rents are not subsidised. The costs of Council Housing are more than covered by the rents.