why are some people entitled to a council house but others are not?

imonlyhuman

One of the social landlords in my area have taken to advertising properties to rent via gumtree. These are usually in the streets of the area nobody wants. At present I have a 9 year old dd and a 1 year old ds. After 8 years on waiting list and private renting, I phoned landlord to enquire about empty property only to find out that I do not meet their criteria as my dd is under 10!! So there are 4 empty 3 bed properties and I was willing to take on one of these and as both my partner and I work - we are able to pay full rent and to be honest it's a lot cheaper for us but thanks to stupid rules they won't accept us for a 3 bedroom.
It's just madness. 12 months time I'm going to be classed as overcrowded. I am near the top of the list (no.4) for a different area but for a 2 bedroom. Doesn't make sense to offer me one in say 6 months time (assuming it takes that long and no-one queue jumps the system) for me to be knocking on the door 6 months later in need of a 3 bedroom?:mad:

ailuro2

FatVonD wrote: »

My son has just started a weekend job and they have asked him to do an extra day in the week (he's at college) because the bloke doing the same shift Monday to Friday 'wants one day off' (any day.) The cynic in me thinks the bloke reaches the number of hours needed for him to claim working tax credit in 4 days and doesn't want to work the extra day as he'll be no better off :mad:

maybe it's for childcare purposes, or to do some respite care for his mother who is caring for an elderly relative.
Why is it easier to jump to the "Daily Mail" attitude than to assume someone needs the time off for a genuine reason?

FatVonD

ailuro2 wrote: »

maybe it's for childcare purposes, or to do some respite care for his mother who is caring for an elderly relative.

Already covered in my reply to somebody else.

ailuro2 wrote: »

Why is it easier to jump to the "Daily Mail" attitude than to assume someone needs the time off for a genuine reason?

My scenario is equally as likely as yours, why do so many people on here deny that some people work the system?

aliasojo

FatVonD wrote: »

My scenario is equally as likely as yours, why do so many people on here deny that some people work the system?

I think everyone knows there are people who do this, however MSE's default position these days is always straight to the negative.

FatVonD

aliasojo wrote: »

I think everyone knows there are people who do this, however MSE's default position these days is always straight to the negative.

I disagree. Negative in general possibly but on the subject of working the system there is a far bigger pack shouting 'Daily Mail' (just because they've heard other people say it) at the merest suggestion that someone is a benefit cheat.

FBaby

What a great message that sends, do well,work hard = home removed! Sit on your backside, play the system = secure housing!

That's life though. As a single working mum, I was lucky to get tax credits towards nursery fees, however, when my youngest moved to school, despite still paying £350 a month for before and afterschool care, I lost all of my entitlement, so was worse off. Then I got a promoted (though working hard with additional responsibilities and therefore added stress) and had to pay 40% tax on the additional income.

My friend who was exactly in the same situation is due for a second promotion in 4 years, but the responsibilities coming with it are much tougher, she will need to be on call, and it will be expected she works extra hours regularly at no extra pay. If she takes it, she will hardly be better off as she will see her CB greatly reduced and with all additional income being taxed at 40%, the limited financial gains that come with the added stress seems hardly worth it.

Indeed, nowadays, working harder and longer hours doesn't come with much reward at all, and it's no surprise fewer and fewer people are willing to do it.

ciderwithrosie_2

The thing with having a mortgage though is presumably you will have paid it off by the time you retire or shortly after. In social housing I will have to continue to pay the rent until I die or go into a home. I doubt much will be available in assistance by then to anybody and as I will have my (partial) NHS pension, will probably be expected to live just on that.

I have brought up 3 kids in a 2 bed property and although we have always been classed as overcrowded we're not a priority as we have a roof over our heads.

At present I pay £400 a month for a damp, subsiding (as they won't remove the trees too close to the house, despite our pleas and claim the house is still settling, 40 years after it was built!) out-dated property (still have some of the original doors and bathroom fittings). If it was a private let you wouldn't put up with it but I have no say, I should just be grateful I have a house apparently!

A neighbour moved out recently to a larger property as she has two daughters and a grandchild trying to live in a 2 bed, she was having to sleep on the sofa and then go to work everyday. Before leaving the property she had to paint all rooms back to neutral magnolia, replace doors, take up carpets and laminate flooring etc - all within a few days notice, plus the cost of moving and carpeting the new property.

Now this must be a recent ruling as when we moved into ours, it just had to be left in a clean and habitable state. You wouldn't demand a homeowner you were buying from do all these modifications, you'd buy as seen.

claire16c

lori64 wrote: »

How very true!! What is so great about "owning" a house?? You don't own it anyway, its on loan till you pay the bank the full whack!

I'm a council house tenant and have been for 24yrs. I don't want a mortgage..why the hell would I?? Stuck in a !!!! job for life to pay for it? No thanks!! I'm happy to pay my £260 a month cheers. Granted, I'm in Scotland, rent is cheaper. Many will say rent money is dead money, but it isn't enough to make me want a mortgage!
I'm not about to sell my soul for a magnolia painted lego land box!!!

But what happens if you only rent, then when you retire how will you pay for housing? Whereas if you have a mortgage you are likely to be mortgage free by then, perhaps even in a position to downsize and free up some cash to have fun in retirement.

And why does the job have to be '!!!' ? Lots of people enjoy their jobs.

Are you saying you never worked just because you live in council housing? I'm sure lots of people in social housing have jobs they hate.

sacha28

This was always going to be a bit of a touchy subject!!

Personally, I have never even thought of putting myself on the waiting list. Even when I was kicked out of the care system with nowhere to go at 18 I didn't think of it. Don't know why, never crossed my mind.

I have 2 scenarios, both completely different. Both are happening currently.......my closest friend had her house repossessed 6 years ago after being left with her 8 year old dd by her ex. He disappeared off the face of the planet, unfortunately resurfaced a couple of years ago tho, and left her in a state. On eviction day she took her dd and 1 suitcase of their clothes (she didn't drive a car and it was a long bus ride) to the council office and begged for help (this is what she was told to do by a council worker). Both her and her dd were immediately put into double room at a B&B with just a double bed. They shared that double bed for nearly a year until being placed in the 2 bed house she's in now. She now has another dd who has just turned 2. Her other daughter is now 15 but they are unable to find a 3 bed house for them so she is looking into private. Her 2 year old is still in a cot in her and her OH's bedroom but there is just too much of a shortage of 3 bed housing.

The other scenario is this.......I don't know this person personally but he is a patient of my OH's. He lives in a 3 bed council house on an estate in the town where we live. He is mainly immobile and lives in his front room (it's an old house where the bathroom is downstairs). He has been begging the council to rehome him into a 1 bedroom'd flat as his house is massive and the upstairs hasn't been graced by his footsteps for over 5 years, since his wife died. His children now live in other towns. The council have flatly refused to move him. He says they have not given him any reason but he feels like he is wasting this huge house.

alinwales

I'm interested in the statistics of who was:
brought up in a council home and then went on to get a council home of their own,
brought up in a council home and then went on to get a private home of their own (owned or rented make a difference?),
brought up in a family home and then went to social housing.

my thought is that I was brought up in a decent (not huge) private family owned home... and have never considered social housing. I got myself eductaed and went into a job, rented for a couple of years then put a deposit on a house to own.
If something happened and I was in need of social housing (i lost my job, wife lost hers etc), then I doubt I'd get anything, but if I did then this is the safety net that the benfit system is supposed to provide. If I get a new job, then we'd consider getting a new house again. Social security has gone too far if people are demanding that they stay in social housing 'just in case they lose their job in the future'... if this was the case then surely I'm entitled to a cheap house all of my own, and so is 80% of the country?

Unfortunately the people floundering in their council homes doing the minimum and getting the maximum in benefits etc put a bad name on anyone who has genuine need. And its because of them that I'll always look down on council house owners, and will think myself as having failed if I ever have to live in one or stay in one for any length of time.

Oh, and I primarily blame the right-to-buy scemes that are completely counter to anything that the system should provide.