Council house? Not if you are on over £100k pa

vivatifosi

According to tomorrow's Telegraph, the 6,000 people on salaries over £100k pa who are living in council houses are to have their homes taken away.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8555223/Rich-to-lose-their-subsidised-council-homes.html

Ministers will target those who could afford to buy or rent a house comfortably but instead choose to live in a council house at vastly lower rents than those paid in the private sector.

For some London properties this amounts to the equivalent of someone having their rent subsidised by the taxpayer by up to £70,000 a year.

According to a Whitehall analysis prepared for ministers, there are up to 6,000 people in social housing with an income greater than £100,000.

A range of options is now being considered to free up this housing, which ministers say is being kept from those in need. These include granting new powers to councils, and the social landlords they control, to take homes away when it is clear that the income in the household is more than £100,000.

That would require changes to the law, but ministers are prepared to change the law to demonstrate their commitment to reforming the way in which council houses are allocated.



Article continues...

Graham_Devon

Well if it goes ahead, it will be one of the few things politicians get right!

mazy_m

Erm sounds about right! It will finally free some properties up for people like my friend in which 4 of them are stuck in a tiny one bedroom apartment...although there's people out there worse off than her....I couldn't even begin to imagine that...(this being in regards to the UK!!)

Kohoutek

mazy_m wrote: »

Erm sounds about right! It will finally free some properties up for people like my friend in which 4 of them are stuck in a tiny one bedroom apartment...

According to a Whitehall analysis prepared for ministers, there are up to 6,000 people in social housing with an income greater than £100,000.

This is strictly a headline grabbing policy, it won't result in a material increase in social housing availability.

mazy_m

So they're just blowing smoke up their own asses then!! I wonder if any MPs are in council housing? he he!

robin_banks

Kohoutek wrote: »

According to a Whitehall analysis prepared for ministers, there are up to 6,000 people in social housing with an income greater than £100,000.

This is strictly a headline grabbing policy, it won't result in a material increase in social housing availability.

13000 on the waiting list for the London Borough of Camden alone.

Not to say it shouldn't be done but in terms of sheer numbers it'smeaningless.

robin_banks

mazy_m wrote: »

So they're just blowing smoke up their own asses then!! I wonder if any MPs are in council housing? he he!

There are a few in London, the argument they hold is that they actually save the taxpayer money, I'm not entirely convinced.

Besides an MP's salary is 'only' £67,000 so would not be covered.....

mazy_m

Oh I never knew that I thought it was more!! ohh I guess it would depend on what their OH makes too!!

Seriously though even on £67,000... even less how could you justify having council housing when there's so many people out there that are on the verge of being homeless ( there are others who do take advantage and can play the system yes) but even when my income was so low I couldn't have imagined applying as I would have felt like I was taking it away from a child in need!

Kohoutek

mazy_m wrote: »

So they're just blowing smoke up their own asses then!! I wonder if any MPs are in council housing? he he!

I'm not sure about MPs, but Bob Crow lives in a HA house.

He earns £145,000 a year, and pays £150/week in rent. Another £150/week comes from subsidy.

mazy_m

Kohoutek wrote: »

I'm not sure about MPs, but Bob Crow lives in a HA house.

He earns £145,000 a year, and pays £150/week in rent. Another £150/week comes from subsidy.

Wow...Do you think he has an ounce of guilt about this??

It's disgusting!

robin_banks

mazy_m wrote: »

Oh I never knew that I thought it was more!! ohh I guess it would depend on what their OH makes too!!

Seriously though even on £67,000... even less how could you justify having council housing when there's so many people out there that are on the verge of being homeless ( there are others who do take advantage and can play the system yes) but even when my income was so low I couldn't have imagined applying as I would have felt like I was taking it away from a child in need!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8040164.stm

Granted it's over 2 years old, but this guy was claiming 20k a year in interest, so a London MP occupying a council flat might be saving the taxpayer money.

Still not comfortable with it...