Social housing after the budget

tony1976

jinxyjane wrote: »

Rewarding work and supporting aspiration, this was the purpose of the budget, BUT all it has set out to do is cause many such as myself worry.


I have just been back to college and paid £6000 to gain better qualifications so that I could move from part time work to full time, all with an aim of bettering ourselves and improving our situation.


My husband works full time and earns 27,000, and we bring our 4 children up on that and my part time wage of just under £2000....I thought that bettering myself and adding to the economy was the way to go now my children are becoming older.


I am beginning to now wonder why I bothered because the wage I earn will be swallowed up by the proposed "market" rents we "could" be charged.


Don't get me wrong I do believe that people who earn £100K plus should be paying higher rents or buying because most could afford to buy, but the people who will be most affected would be families like mine who are stuck in the middle ground, with not being able to afford a mortgage, or being forced to pay the new proposed market rents which will be high in my area of the South East.

Exactly my feelings. I am close to thirty and looking for a better paid job and my wife was looking for work. What's the point earning more now?MMost of any extra earning is swallow by tax, tax credit reduction and housing benefit reduction. Now with this 30k rent threshold we could actually be worse off by earning more! I mean !!!!!!?!!!

Bollotom

So you earn more than "allowed" according to this government and have to pay a "Market rent". So let's assume you pay an extra grand a month. Who gets the massive difference, the Housing Association or the government as it looks like it might be a secretive tax. And what about MPs who DON'T pay rent, nudge wink :cool:

tomtontom

tony1976 wrote: »

Exactly my feelings. I am close to thirty and looking for a better paid job and my wife was looking for work. What's the point earning more now?MMost of any extra earning is swallow by tax, tax credit reduction and housing benefit reduction. Now with this 30k rent threshold we could actually be worse off by earning more! I mean !!!!!!?!!!

Being self sufficient, paying your own way? Benefits are for those that cannot help themselves, not as a lifestyle choice.

Feral_Moon

jinxyjane wrote: »

Rewarding work and supporting aspiration, this was the purpose of the budget, BUT all it has set out to do is cause many such as myself worry.


I have just been back to college and paid £6000 to gain better qualifications so that I could move from part time work to full time, all with an aim of bettering ourselves and improving our situation.


My husband works full time and earns 27,000, and we bring our 4 children up on that and my part time wage of just under £2000....I thought that bettering myself and adding to the economy was the way to go now my children are becoming older.


I am beginning to now wonder why I bothered because the wage I earn will be swallowed up by the proposed "market" rents we "could" be charged.


Don't get me wrong I do believe that people who earn £100K plus should be paying higher rents or buying because most could afford to buy, but the people who will be most affected would be families like mine who are stuck in the middle ground, with not being able to afford a mortgage, or being forced to pay the new proposed market rents which will be high in my area of the South East.

Think yourself lucky you've had your rent subsidised for so long. There are families out there in exactly your situation but have been paying market rent for private rentals for many years due to the lack of social housing.

tony1976

Feral_Moon wrote: »

Think yourself lucky you've had your rent subsidised for so long. There are families out there in exactly your situation but have been paying market rent for private rentals for many years due to the lack of social housing.

I agree but instead of complaining that someone's rent is too cheap why don't you complain that you not getting a fair deal in the private market? I don't understand why people who pay more say other should pay more. Wouldn't it make more sense to push for a fairer deal for private tenants so that they pay a fair rent like social tenants?

jinxyjane

We do claim child benefit, we get it for 3 children now as oldest now has a job (albeit low paid) we live in a 3 bedroomed housing association house, 3 boys aged 24,17 and 15 sharing a bedroom, youngest girl aged 9 in own bedroom, housing told us we were adequately housed and we have always coped with that.


Husband never been out of work, he even travels right out of the town to get the wage he earns as wages in our town so bad, costs us a fortune in petrol but gives us a little extra wage.


He also pays into a private pension, and has done since he was 18 so we can plan for our old age.


I work part time in evenings and until last month paid to be at college full time in the day for the last 2 years to get better educated, all with the aim of getting a better job.


I have serious health issues also but have been determined to cope through them and better myself, we are Mr and Mrs average.


The only thing we have never been able to achieve is getting on the housing ladder, would not be accepted for a mortgage as we don't earn enough, and still wouldn't even with an extra full time wage from me.


Tax credits seem like more hassle than they are worth to be honest, especially from what I read on here so never claimed them.


I know there are many who are in worse situations, but feel like the people who are struggling along and trying to better themselves will be the worst hit, like you said governments do hit the middle.


I suppose like many I would like to know all the finer details so I can plan for my future by working out what s best to do for our family.

tony1976

tomtontom wrote: »

Being self sufficient, paying your own way? Benefits are for those that cannot help themselves, not as a lifestyle choice.

I agree but looking at it from a financial point of veiw why would anyone try to earn £200 a month if it costs the £250 a month extra? It will not make economical sense to earn more but have less money
.

bigadaj

tony1976 wrote: »

I agree but looking at it from a financial point of veiw why would anyone try to earn £200 a month if it costs the £250 a month extra? It will not make economical sense to earn more but have less money
.

Which is why the system has to be changed to stop people playing it.

This has started to happen, but there will be more to come, and we're still not far from the situation where work doesn't pay for many people with children, who aren't particularly skilled and don't live in a prosperous area.

That situation is totally unsustainable that people's choice is not to work, and if that means that they have to suffer more hardship then it is going to happen, the argument is that it got too good for too many people for too long, and we can't continue to boorrow anymore to sustain it.

jinxyjane

Feral_Moon wrote: »

Think yourself lucky you've had your rent subsidised for so long. There are families out there in exactly your situation but have been paying market rent for private rentals for many years due to the lack of social housing.

This I know, and I do feel for them also but I cant help the fact I waited on a list for over 10 years and was "lucky" enough to get the house I live in now, like has already been said why not bring private rents in line with what they should be? that way thousands of people will benefit, would make more sense in the long term and help those stuck in the middle ground.


And with the proposal to allow housing association tenants to buy their homes, social housing will soon become a thing of the past, because once the really high earners who are renting cheaply put in to buy the properties the chance of anyone getting cheaper housing will end.


A win win situation for them!


Based on the new proposals and being stuck in the middle ground we could lose our home as like many we have debts, so I have to worry about the future and what is the best way to tackle the situation.

maisie06

nSeriously thinking of buying my council propery. I have been here for 20 years and we earn just over the 30k, neither of us have very highly paid jobs but we put in the hours so we can have a decent living standard. Where we live there is a real mix of people, some working some not, the couple down the road both work in the NHS and will move back north when the change comes in as they, like us would find the full market value in south east England just too much of a stretch. We would literally have nothing left once bills paid. If I can buy my home I will get a hefty discount. The right to buy has never sat right with me as it removes much needed housing, but from a selfish point of view if I am faced with paying £900 per month rent or £300 pm morgage it's a no brainer and another social property will be lost.

I have no problem with paying my way but the south east is notorious for very very expensive living, I may decide to move north too. I would like to see rent bands so people under 30k would pay x amount 30k - 40k would be more and so on and once over 60k I think you should no longer be entitled and have to move into the private sector.

As the move is currently I can see people losing aspiration to work harder and earn more as they will be worse off than when staying on less hours/money. Beleive me if my circumstances were different I would never have moved into a council house at all and having struggled for most of my working life I am at last managing to get my debts paid off, but many will be forced to go bankrupt or become homeless as a result, I can also see some giving up work as a result.