Just received 'Housing Benefit changes' letter, not sure of the implications.

seven-day-weekend

Dunroamin wrote: »

I'd think that many people taking a lodger would be more than happy to rent to someone who lived very quietly, stayed in their own room most of the time and didn't have friends round!

I have had lodgers like that. Bliss!!

Dunroamin

Sandwich wrote: »

What's the percentage success rate for tenants who ask their existing landlord for a 50% reduction in their rent?

A more relevant question would be to ask what's the percentage success rate for tenants moving to cheaper accommodation?

Dunroamin

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I have had lodgers like that. Bliss!!

The ones that go away at the weekend are pretty good as well.

seven-day-weekend

Dunroamin wrote: »

The ones that go away at the weekend are pretty good as well.

Yes, I had one that usually ONLY came for the weekends (she was job-hunting round the country for the rest of the time and lodged with us because being in the Midlands it was relatively easy to get everywhere else!).

BigAunty

Sandwich wrote: »

I see what you mean. Does seem a bit mad for such a large percentage of the population to be eligible for that particular benefit. I think the thinking behind it was you make it so that everyone (even more wealthy people) benefit from the welfare system and then there will be more support for it. But yeah, still a bit mad.

A Labour politician was in favour of universal (i.e. non means tested benefits) and campaigned in favour of the retention of child benefit for the affluent. He made a good point about it - that in order for the welfare system to work, people had to feel that they got something out of it and this would stop them from resenting paying into system in which they took nothing out.

Beveridge, the founder of the benefits system, was against the type of means testing that is in place now. His emphasis was on contributions - if you contribute in, you should get out. That reciprocity has gone. A pram faced teenager gets money from the state from day one. A working person who has paid into the system for 30 years gets as much JSA as someone who has never worked.

In Germany, (and other countries) there are two tiers of benefits. One that is paid as a percentage of a person's previous wage who has paid taxes for a few years and a subsistence benefit for those with no or little contributions. Also, I don't know if this is a myth or true but I heard that lone parents in Germany don't get benefits if they don't have a registered father paying towards the kid - their family is expected to support them. They don't get HB for their own place like here - it's seen as a family, not state matter.

This kind of emphasis on contributions and reciprocity in Germany I imagine helps to stop the kind of resentment here where there is a perception that our benefits system doesn't live people out of poverty but creates an underclass.

MissMoneypenny

LouLou wrote: »

I'm not interested in arguing with you, Dunroamin. Good luck to you and hope you're in a better mood in another thread! I've read enough...

Have you got any idea why nobody wants to employ you? Employment would let you make your own choices in life and welfare changes then wouldn't affect you.

CKhalvashi

Anubis wrote: »

You owe a million or more on BTL properties? :eek:

Yes, about £1.4m :eek:

Anubis_2

CKhalvashi wrote: »

Yes, about £1.4m :eek:

....Crikey

LouLou

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Have you got any idea why nobody wants to employ you? Employment would let you make your own choices in life and welfare changes then wouldn't affect you.

What on earth..? Point me to the post where I said I wasn't working and nobody wanted to employ me?! Like Dunroamin did earlier, you're just pulling assumptions about me out of thin air, quite sad really.

Blimey, I'm not one of the members coming out with troll-like comments to provoke a reaction. Please grow up, dear, and as I said, I know nothing about anyone's personal lives on this thread, so don't jump to assumptions about mine.

Keyboard warriors, eh.

By the same token I could make a comment about you being a Miss, but I've got more manners than that.

LouLou

PS: I'm sure Dunroamin can stick up for herself MissMoneypenny, though it wouldn't surprise me if it was an alter-ego, your voices sound so similar you could be twins.

Good luck to you too.

PPS: BigAunty's post is the most sane and level-headed on this whole thread.