Housing Benefit Cap Forces Families To Leave Central London Or Be Homeless

[Bloo Loo]

Well that's what i'm trying to tell people on these forums, the one bed flat next door was rented by a couple landlord has put rents up, couple moved out and now i have 3 men and a girl (Latvian and Spanish) living in a one bed next door, paying the hew high rents.

This is why this country is the way it is they have destroyed social housing in this country, taxed the poor and imposed all the financial problems onto the poor.

BTW if my rent goes up i'm quitting work and signing on, i'm not willing to given up more quality of life just to spend time traveling and earning less.

The legal definition of overcrowding is very strict and hasn't been updated since 1935. Sadly, there may be little you can do about cramped conditions if they don't fall within this outdated legal definition, which is explained below.

Shelter campaigns for more family-sized homes, and for the legal definition of overcrowding to be brought into line with modern day standards.

Contents

• What counts as overcrowding?
• When is overcrowding allowed?
• Where can I find other accommodation?

What counts as overcrowding?

If your accommodation is much too small for your household you may be considered to be living in overcrowded conditions under the law. Your home may be legally overcrowded if there are not enough rooms or space for the number of people who live there:

The number of people per room

If two people of the opposite sex have to sleep in the same room the accommodation will be overcrowded unless:

• the two people are married or a cohabiting couple, or
• one person is a child under ten years old.

The number of people of the same sex (unless they are a same-sex couple) who can sleep in one room is restricted by the size of the room (see below).

The amount of space in each room

Rooms that are counted include living rooms, bedrooms and large kitchens. For the space and floor area calculations:

• children under one year old are ignored
• children between one and ten years old count as a half
• rooms under 50 square feet are ignored.

As a general rule:

• 1 room = 2 people
• 2 rooms = 3 people
• 3 rooms = 5 people
• 4 rooms = 7.5 people
• 5 or more rooms = 2 people per room.

But the floor area of a room also determines how many people can sleep in it:

• floor area 110 sq feet (10.2 sq metres approx) = 2 people
• floor area 90 - 109 sq ft (8.4 - 10.2 sq m approx) = 1.5 people
• floor area 70 - 89 sq ft (6.5 - 8.4 sq m approx) = 1 person
• floor area 50 - 69 sq ft (4.6 - 6.5 sq m approx) = 0.5 people.

[thecrashingisles]

But the floor area of a room also determines how many people can sleep in it:

• floor area 110 sq feet (10.2 sq metres approx) = 2 people
• floor area 90 - 109 sq ft (8.4 - 10.2 sq m approx) = 1.5 people
• floor area 70 - 89 sq ft (6.5 - 8.4 sq m approx) = 1 person
• floor area 50 - 69 sq ft (4.6 - 6.5 sq m approx) = 0.5 people.

How many new build bedrooms would fail on those measurements?

[Pent Up]

"Housing Benefit Cap Forces Families To Leave Central London Or Be Homeless"

or

"Turns out you can't live somewhere expensive if you don't make enough money"

Those nasty tories! I want free everything! gimme gimme gimme!

+1

If I pack up work can I move and have my £500 a week central London rent paid? I don't even earn that let alone afford to pay it in rent!

[iamnumerate]

The social housing haters on here think you get offered a palace. You don't. Quite often the places require decoration (sometime decorating vouchers are available). Its also pretty standard to rip out all carpets when the tenancy changes. Not every authority has brought up social housing to the acceptable housing standard. Luckily mine has (new kitchen, bathroom, shower and central heating) and I was fortunate to get a place in good decorative order.

Of course all private accomodation is perfect.

[RufflesTheGuineaPig]

The catch with the new housing allowance rules is now becoming clear.

If you can't afford the rent where you are, your housing allowance isn't "portable"... that is, you can't go live somewhere else as your housing allowance would need to be re-applie for there.

You can, however, stay in your current area and have your local council put you up in a B&B.

Anyone starting to realise now that these changes were designed to fail?

[eric pebble]

Add school teachers in central london to the VI in keeping the money flowing. Heaven forbid that they get jobs at schools in the outskirts of London.

What people seem to not understand is this: For years and years, people have been depending on benefits of all kinds to enable them to "afford" to live in area X, Y or Z. The problem is, especially since the days of Niew Labia and that idiot-moron G Brown, the landlords/BTL "portfolio" types have been just naming their price, multiplying it by 6, and then doubling it -- AND THEN LAUGHED THEMSELVES STUPID as the cash just poured into their coffers, courtesy of the poor tax payer & council-tax payers....

NO ONE STOPPED THIS TERRIBLE SCOURGE. NO ONE BOTHERED TO SAY - "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, THOSE RENTS YOU ARE ASKING FOR ARE TOTALLY LUDICROUS/CRIMINAL.!

AND SO --- the ridiculously high rents - paid out with no questions asked by local authorities - HAD A MASSIVE INFLATIONARY EFFECT ON ALL THE LOCAL RENTS AND ON THE PRICES OF LOCAL PROPERTY.

It completely amazes me how this was allowed to happen -- and no one dared challenge it.

The landlords just RAKED IN MASSIVE, MASSIVE amounts -- and died laughing taking it to the bank.

AND -- Local hard-working people have SUBSIDISED this whole system --- It has gone on for FAR TOO LONG -- AND IT HAS TO STOP. In fact -- it should be capped at £400 PER MONTH -- not just per week.

[@contradevian]

What people seem to not understand is this: For years and years, people have been depending on benefits of all kinds to enable them to "afford" to live in area X, Y or Z. The problem is, especially since the days of Niew Labia and that idiot-moron G Brown, the landlords/BTL "portfolio" types have been just naming their price, multiplying it by 6, and then doubling it -- AND THEN LAUGHED THEMSELVES STUPID as the cash just poured into their coffers, courtesy of the poor tax payer & council-tax payers....

Of course not, because in a lot of cases the landlords in London at any rate, were and are, rich foreigners.

[crash2006]

What people seem to not understand is this: For years and years, people have been depending on benefits of all kinds to enable them to "afford" to live in area X, Y or Z. The problem is, especially since the days of Niew Labia and that idiot-moron G Brown, the landlords/BTL "portfolio" types have been just naming their price, multiplying it by 6, and then doubling it -- AND THEN LAUGHED THEMSELVES STUPID as the cash just poured into their coffers, courtesy of the poor tax payer & council-tax payers....

NO ONE STOPPED THIS TERRIBLE SCOURGE. NO ONE BOTHERED TO SAY - "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, THOSE RENTS YOU ARE ASKING FOR ARE TOTALLY LUDICROUS/CRIMINAL.!

AND SO --- the ridiculously high rents - paid out with no questions asked by local authorities - HAD A MASSIVE INFLATIONARY EFFECT ON ALL THE LOCAL RENTS AND ON THE PRICES OF LOCAL PROPERTY.

It completely amazes me how this was allowed to happen -- and no one dared challenge it.

The landlords just RAKED IN MASSIVE, MASSIVE amounts -- and died laughing taking it to the bank.

AND -- Local hard-working people have SUBSIDISED this whole system --- It has gone on for FAR TOO LONG -- AND IT HAS TO STOP. In fact -- it should be capped at £400 PER MONTH -- not just per week.

You cap hb rents you'll have the biggest disaster since ww2, the HB isnt the problem the problem is the lack of social homes in this country. Privatising social homes into the private sector was what drove high house prices along with immigration.

You lower rents more people will be homeless as others take up the slack in the housing market. If they want to kick start the economy then they really need more social homes allocated to British Born, so far what i see the majority go to non British, that have been granted citizenship which then arent counted as immigrants.

[winkie]

What people seem to not understand is this: For years and years, people have been depending on benefits of all kinds to enable them to "afford" to live in area X, Y or Z. The problem is, especially since the days of Niew Labia and that idiot-moron G Brown, the landlords/BTL "portfolio" types have been just naming their price, multiplying it by 6, and then doubling it -- AND THEN LAUGHED THEMSELVES STUPID as the cash just poured into their coffers, courtesy of the poor tax payer & council-tax payers....

Yes Eric....also, they not only multiplied and then doubled the rents, they divided the living space into as many bedrooms and living units as they could get away with......money for nothing.

[@contradevian]

Of course all private accomodation is perfect.

Of course not, but social housing isn't generally marketed. Then again the bottom end of the private sector isn't either (ie: shed or HMO accomodation). Its a kind of take it or leave it attitude. Actually this can work out best as many people on a public viewing will turn their noses up at it, so there is less competition. I attended a public viewing of one social flat with ten others, which really only required carpets and redecoration and a little updating. Only me and an other guy were interested. He got it cos he was slightly further up the list, but I got offered another property. I've always said these huge LHA waiting lists are "soft." Supposedly 15,000 people on our local waiting list, yet there are load of private rentals at below the LHA rates, and I got a place in just over 3 months. There was nothing special about me (not homeless, unemployed, disabled, out of prison etc...) Also see bomberbrowns recent post about his social flat in Lambeth which had a water leak and deterred the other applicants. He negotiated a repair and moved in.

Edited February 17, 2012 by "Steed"

[Unsafe As Houses]

Moving people on housing benefit out of central london will mean more people who work in central london can live there and thus reduce the severity of the daily farce of commuter rush hour traffic around london.

[crash2006]

Moving people on housing benefit out of central london will mean more people who work in central london can live there and thus reduce the severity of the daily farce of commuter rush hour traffic around london.

you'll still keep rents high, and push up council taxes in other area, you'll have large areas were there is a no go, its better to split up the groups.

[@contradevian]

You cap hb rents you'll have the biggest disaster since ww2, the HB isnt the problem the problem is the lack of social homes in this country. Privatising social homes into the private sector was what drove high house prices along with immigration.

You lower rents more people will be homeless as others take up the slack in the housing market. If they want to kick start the economy then they really need more social homes allocated to British Born, so far what i see the majority go to non British, that have been granted citizenship which then arent counted as immigrants.

Still getting built. 466 new council homes in Kirklees.

http://www.mehboobkhan.net/community/work-begins-on-new-council-homes/#more-1386

http://www.wates.co.uk/

http://www.regenter.com/

http://www.pinnacle-psg.com/

However tend to be built via PFI arrangements now.

[awaytogo]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/16/housing-benefit-cap-families-central-london

Spin or is the economic adjustment starting to happen. Clearly lowering rents is out of the question...

It is lowering the rent the taxpayer has to pay for non financing workers.

[awaytogo]

You cap hb rents you'll have the biggest disaster since ww2, the HB isnt the problem the problem is the lack of social homes in this country. Privatising social homes into the private sector was what drove high house prices along with immigration.

You lower rents more people will be homeless as others take up the slack in the housing market. If they want to kick start the economy then they really need more social homes allocated to British Born, so far what i see the majority go to non British, that have been granted citizenship which then arent counted as immigrants.

Housing benefit has held rents artificially high. Eg in many area rents are above what working people can afford that is why HB is being capped and as the economy worsens i can see even more caps coming.

[Dorkins]

Moving people on housing benefit out of central london will mean more people who work in central london can live there and thus reduce the severity of the daily farce of commuter rush hour traffic around london.

+1

The only people who can afford to live in the part of zone 1 where I work are the long-term unemployed.

[crash2006]

Housing benefit has held rents artificially high. Eg in many area rents are above what working people can afford that is why HB is being capped and as the economy worsens i can see even more caps coming.

that just theory but in reality it does not hold.

[Trampa501]

+1

The only people who can afford to live in the part of zone 1 where I work are the long-term unemployed.

I live in zone 1 and I know quite a few people who work in sub-20k jobs eg bar workers, shop workers etc. They can afford it (just) because they live in what is known as social housing. I'm not sure that if you moved them out, that professionals would want to live in council 5th floor flats.

[the_duke_of_hazzard]

Housing benefit pushing up rents forced me to move out of Westminster when I had kids. Because I had a job. I had to move to Zone 3. I'm still getting over the shock.

I also changed schools three times due to family moves. Because my dad had a job.

What makes these people so special that they can't move home and everyone else has to? It makes me so angry.

[Trampa501]

that just theory but in reality it does not hold.

I agree (in central London at any rate). If families with children move away, there are plenty of young people from the UK and abroad prepared to share a flat or house, so they gain their desired wish of living for a while in London. Rents will remain just as high.

[winkie]

that just theory but in reality it does not hold.

There are some places where the landlord would no way get the price they are getting now in an open private market.....the block communal areas are not up to standard, the flats require major updating.....and no by chucking HB claimants out and borrowing more to refurbish, to then up the rents further will not wash...only a fool would pay the price.

[Unsafe As Houses]

you'll still keep rents high, and push up council taxes in other area, you'll have large areas were there is a no go, its better to split up the groups.

In my opinion the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I sympathise with those on housing benefit who do have to move out of London but surely those who work should take priority where living space is scarce.

[winkie]

In my opinion the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I sympathise with those on housing benefit who do have to move out of London but surely those who work should take priority where living space is scarce.

...doing a search for rented property in London there are stacks of it available.....what is wrong with what is already out there out of interest?

[Trampa501]

In my opinion the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I sympathise with those on housing benefit who do have to move out of London but surely those who work should take priority where living space is scarce.

I can see this argument; just I doubt it will make any difference to rent levels.

Incidentally, is there a time scale involved? Someone who is recently out of work and on HB may find it easier to get work if they stay where they are (where they have contacts and know the area). If they are moved out to Corby or Croydon, they may find it harder to get work?

[crash2006]

There are some places where the landlord would no way get the price they are getting now in an open private market.....the block communal areas are not up to standard, the flats require major updating.....and no by chucking HB claimants out and borrowing more to refurbish, to then up the rents further will not wash...only a fool would pay the price.

people coming here to work for a year or two would pay the price.