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Council tenants who do not work should seek employment or face losing their homes, the new housing minister Caroline Flint has proposed.
What do we think ?
As someone who has been on the waiting list for 22 years, and still waiting i think it’s a good idea. If someone is lucky enough to get a council home i don’t think it’s to much to ask for them to pay rent for it.
I was watching this on ‘the wright stuff’ this morning, its a tricky topic. Yes, people should get off benefits and seek employment, but if they dont they will loose their home, a little harsh isn’t it especially where children are concerned.
And what about those who are unable to work maybe they are ill or are looking after a young child with special needs or just young children in general. Then I would think if council tentants were to be forced to work and stop claiming housing benefit the same should (even though it will not) apply to private tenants as they are claiming ‘housing benefit’ too even if they are not living in council houses.
If every adult living in council accomadation found a job tomorrow and stuck to it, would it make a difference to the people waiting on the council housing list? Unlikely, I really can not see how somebody getting a job can make a council house available to somebody else. They would still be living in it wouldn’t they?
Council houses were designed for those on low incomes and those who needed them for various reasons whether it be single mothers to families who can not afford private housing even when working because of whatever reason. They were not designed just because somebody wants one and has been on the list 20 years or whatever, to be on the list that long means you are not priority and not because somebody will not/can not work to pay the rent.
I am all for making people get off benefits (the ones who do not deserve them) but at the expense of loosing their homes its a bit much to say the least.
Someone pointed out that 66% of council houses have been sold off under ‘right-to-buy’.
So most of those who could afford to buy their council home have done so.So it would be reasonable to assume that of the remaining tenants, may are too old or are in the ‘difficult to employ’ category. Also there is the benefit trap, whereby those who do want to work lose their housing benefit etc., so that they are barely, if at all, better off if they get a job.
There needs to be a more graduated shift between benefits and paid income so that it’s never a good finacial option not to work if you are capable and there are jobs available.
Then I would think if council tenants were to be forced to work and stop claiming housing benefit the same should (even though it will not) apply to private tenants as they are claiming ‘housing benefit’ too even if they are not living in council houses.
I think that’s a good point. I know someone who was on the housing list and because the local council didn’t have anywhere for her they told her to find a private flat and they would pay for it,£180 per week.
Do you also know that to be classed as homeless you have to be released from prison, left the armed forces or seeking asylum. they are the only reasons you can be classed as homeless. Having nowhere to live is not enough on it’s own, how mad is that !
I also think what Caroline Flint said would be a good tool to get rid of problem families.
Just one last thing, you say being on the list for 22 years shouldn’t entitle someone to a home. surely it cant be right that someone who was not even born when I first went on the list can beat me to a home ? Maybe the hard working people of this country should be put first for a change ?
@chickenman wrote:
….Maybe the hard working people of this country should be put first for a change ?
Without wishing to be unduly contentious ….. but if they are ”hard working” then they already have an income and therefore should not need State Benefits.
You’re right they don’t need benefits but I’m based in London and the house prices are sky high (£200,000 for a 1 bed flat)so not everyone can afford to buy. I’m just sick of paying for everyone else :)
Maybe if there were more people paying rent for council accommodation then they could use that money to build more housing.well move somewhere you can afford, or rent. You should’nt really be on the council list if you work, its for low incomes isnt it?
The liberalism we voted into power have got us deep into “european human rights”, so quite laughable that they say if you dont work you lose your council flat, because its AGAINST someone’s human right to be
A, forced to work.
B, kicked onto the street.This is just a VISUAL stunt by fascist labour because their behind in the polls and public thinking, and guess what
The pathetic voting public will think they care
YET AGAIN!!!!!!!
@chickenman wrote:
Then I would think if council tenants were to be forced to work and stop claiming housing benefit the same should (even though it will not) apply to private tenants as they are claiming ‘housing benefit’ too even if they are not living in council houses.
I think that’s a good point. I know someone who was on the housing list and because the local council didn’t have anywhere for her they told her to find a private flat and they would pay for it,£180 per week.
Do you also know that to be classed as homeless you have to be released from prison, left the armed forces or seeking asylum. they are the only reasons you can be classed as homeless. Having nowhere to live is not enough on it’s own, how mad is that !
I also think what Caroline Flint said would be a good tool to get rid of problem families.
Just one last thing, you say being on the list for 22 years shouldn’t entitle someone to a home. surely it cant be right that someone who was not even born when I first went on the list can beat me to a home ? Maybe the hard working people of this country should be put first for a change ?
What I meant was even though you quite rightly deserve one, you will probably never get one due to the fact that the council but applicants housing needs in order of priority, these can be any of the following;-
1. If your made homeless
2. If you are a single mother or pregnant
3. if you have health problems
4. if you are over-crowded in you present house
5. If your a victim of domestic violence and have seperated from your partner because of it.
6. If you are having problems with anti-social behaviour in your area
7. If you are an old person/couple that needs a council flat/house due to medical needs etc…If you do not fall into any of the above catergories, or similar to that listed then you may find you will be awaiting a while longer. This isn’t right, but the council obviously think that you are not high priority.
I am waiting for a council house myself, only been waiting for 5 years and where I was living with my mother was over crowded and I had a 5 month old baby at the time (He is now almost 5) and I ended up renting privately because I got tired of waiting.
I think we all take the wrong view on council housing.
When I think back to when I was a child, everyone we knew lived in a council house; I didn’t know anyone at school who parents own there own home.
It was only in the mid 80’s when people started buying their houses.
The old housing estate where I grew up was bulldozed about 10 years ago, the houses where bang up just after the war and where only design to last for 10 years but were still in use until 1996.
I don’t think the shortage of council homes is down to people buying them, its more a case of badly built housing costing too much to repair, being knocked down and not replaced.
There is a case for looking at some of the long term tenants, most would never get a council house theses days, people who moved in back in the 1980’s to be close to family and never moved out or worked again.
I think that is what the new law is for, the long term tenants who moved in with kids and now are living alone in a 3-bedroom house.
There has to be a point where people move out of larger houses to move into flats or houses that meet there needs and not just forgotten about.
Social housing should be there to meet short-term needs, not long term low cost housing.
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