Streetlife

please comment  and say what you think as i would be intrested to know

Havering are a greedy council, I got a letter asking me to move from the house I have been in 22 years and to move into renovated care homes, told them to sod of, the rooms I have are for me and hubby and the family that come often...I am feeling that it really does not pay to work, pay your bills and taxes and we are the first on the scrap heap.

The minute you take on a lodger  the council will say you have an income coming in and stop any concessions you may have, crafty lot.

I say that if you have saved and worked and own your own house you are entitled to live in it how you choose, but if you live in rented council owned housing then the council should have the right to move you when they choose - after all the property is not yours. If you live in a council owned property that is larger than you actually need you should be downsized to a smaller property once your family has flown the nest to make room for other families that need the property more. Get a job, pay your taxes, save your money, this will set a good example to your kids and you will have some pride from this and the ability to say that you were able to live your life the way you have chosen.

I think it's an excellent idea I know someone who has a 3 bedroom House fully adapted for disabled living (wheelchair Ramp, Stair lift , walk in shower/ bath) and she is the sole occupant who is not disabled they were for her husband who passed away 3 years ago she is on housing benefit come to think of it is on every benefit known to man except DLA to which she can't get. So the new rule in her case is fair because she is stopping a family with disabled Partners/Children from having a decent standard of life so hit em where it hurts in the pocket by the way she is middle aged capable of working. Well done the government and council love the new rules.

I fully agree with CSK & Steve H - a council house should not 'be for life'.  And tax payers should not be paying housing benefit for e.g. a single person to be living in a 3 bedroom house.

I think that when a family is born and brought up in a council house that family has a right to security as they get older, after all they would have paid for the privilege, however they should be offered a choice to move somewhere smaller but not forced out. I was brought up in a house owned by my parents and my children now own their houses through mortgage so I am not biased either way.

Barry - of course they are entitled to security as they get older - and they shouldn't be forced to move to accommodation that they didn't like or suit their needs but council house users are essentially renting a property that doesn't belong to them. If the property is too big for their needs and could be used by someone that needs it more then it makes sense that they move.

I think you are allowed a lodger even if you get benefits. And yes I do think that people should downsize ( maybe it should be in your tenancy) but there is a shortage of smaller places, so where would people live?

It also says, UNDER- OCCUPANCY. This will apply to new and existing working- age claimants from April 2013 ( those over 61 are exempt) if you   or your household are under- occupying a council home by one or more bedroom, they will have their benefit reduced.

I think if you live in a council dwelling that is under-occupied, they have every right to ask you to downsize but they must offer you accommodation that is suitable.
The real cause of the problem is for sometime no council or affordable housing has been constructed in the country,and until this problem is addressed nothing will change.

My father rattles about like a pea in a four bedroomed house he bought from the council 25 years ago.Its costly to run yet when I approached the council offering a swap or a place in a good home for him.They told me to sod off.
My dilemma is that if we sold it he would have no where to live until we could get him into a care home or attended flats and they are rarer than hens teeth.He could be homeless.He cant live with me as he needs a down stairs loo and shower.

I was offered a flat in a renovated care home in Harold wood, no garden, no thanks. I should be entitled to stay in this house, I've earned the bloody right!!!

The problem lies with governments over the past 40 years letting  anyone into the country and giving them handouts. Whilst the people who have paid taxes all their lives are treated like dirt. I own my own home but if you have lived in a council house for over 20 years you have probably paid for it in rent. What about secure tenancies and the rent act.

Once they start evicting people out of council housing home owners will be next
by taxing anyone who has spare bedrooms. to make way for the immigrants.
One ageist group the Intergeneration Foundation even suggested this to the government.

The country is run by millionaire middle class twats who could not run tap without 10 advisors. Unfortunately there is no one who  will represent the ordinary person and no one worth voting for.

Angela if you think you have earned the right to stay in your large council house good on you but can you explain why you think you have the right to occupy a large council house that don't belong to you.

Good for you Angela stand your ground. You may not own your house but how many people actually do, most are owned by mortgage companies. Why should tenants get slung out when loved ones die or move out. I lived in council property when I first started out but was lucky to eventually own my own home many people are not so lucky, why should they be penalised and moved away from longstanding neighbours and friends built up over the years at a time when they are probably most needed?

what i would like to is how many council houses are empty and how many have the council built to replace the right to buy houses they have sold over the years come on lbbd lets have some facts and figures

I could not afford to buy but we took care of this house and still do, decking in the garden, it's lovely, it also enables us to decorate garden for Christmas and Halloween, we have a wonderful time and get to meet so many people in the neighbourhood, for gods sake let us carry on for as long as we can, my kids and grandchildren come to stay most weekends, what's so wrong with wanting to keep things normal for as long as we can? We have not been on benefits, we have always worked and paid our bills, time for a bit of respect now. Leave us alone. We did our bit.

Another divide and conquer issue. CSK seems to thing that people who live in "social housing" do not work hard and should have less entitlements than home owners. STEREOTYPICAL CLAP TRAP. My parents were council tenants for over 50 years. They  bought their council property three or four times over. When he left the army after WW2 he couldn't get a job that would provide enough income to get a mortgage. Instead of raising a deposit for a house he raised, with my mothers help, a family and spent every possible moment working to provide for us. In 2006 they decided that the three bed roomed house which had been the family homefor over 40 years was to big for them to manage,so in January 2007 they moved into a 1 bed roomed warden controlled flat which they hated. After six months of getting my mother settled in the flat he died. No doctor or medical professional would agree but the stress, upset and unhappiness of the move contributed to his death. He was never out of work, never lazy and put all his funds and effort into us, his family. SO DONT tell me he didn't deserve what he had achieved. Why should sanctimonious owner occupiers not be expected to move out when their house is to big for them, downsize, put the cash surplus into a bank and then get a reduced state pension and pay for all other benefits....... I DONT THINK SO ?

Ken R it sounds like your father did achieve something great (and deservedly so) - a loving family and children to be proud of.

But by your own admission he made his choice, to raise a family rather than to provide financial security for himself.  That's his right, and a lot of people do the same thing.  But it was nevertheless his choice - you can't have your cake and eat it.

Well said Ken

Perhaps the solution for Angela is for her to pay the full unsubsidised rent that her house would fetch on the open market.That would perhaps help the council build more housing and assuage the knockers.
If she then decided to Down size she would have made her choice.
I believe they are to means test those living in council houses and apportion rent according to family income that is a start.

Ditto ken, well said, we are sticking our ground end of!!! Hope those that don't like it, hope it never happens to you.

Yes Ken I make you right ,and Angela B I can understand why you dont want to move, as you have lived in the house for so long and worked on the house.

Thank you x nice to have support x