Council Tenants - House Swap Scheme

[singlemalt]

Full Article Here

Council house tenants living in properties that are bigger than they need are to be forced to move into smaller accommodation.

Ministers are preparing to launch a 'house swap' scheme which is likely to affect hundreds of thousands of people.

The move is likely to prove controversial, since 'empty nest' couples who have lived in council houses for decades and seen their children vacate rooms when they leave home are among those who will be affected.

But Welfare Reform Minister Lord Freud told the Daily Mail: 'We cannot continue with this absurd situation where some of our poorest families have to live in overcrowded conditions while others are subsidised to live in big homes with plenty of spare room.

Lord Freud said the restrictions, which will come into effect from April 2013, will only apply to people of working age, sparing pensioners from the trauma of having to move from their homes.

tbh I doubt it'll ever happen but it sounds perfectly reasonable to me. People in social housing shouldn't be getting sub'd for life especially at the expense of younger families needing more space.

[Meat Puppet]

Will be difficult to carry out. Many councils only have a vague idea of who is in their properties hence the popularity of subletting them out. And when it comes down to it I am sure the adult children will miraculously move back in to give the appearance of a full house.

The key is the change to HB that will cut what council tenants get if they have extra rooms. Don't think this comes in until 2013 or so.

[deflation]

Will be difficult to carry out. Many councils only have a vague idea of who is in their properties hence the popularity of subletting them out. And when it comes down to it I am sure the adult children will miraculously move back in to give the appearance of a full house.

The key is the change to HB that will cut what council tenants get if they have extra rooms. Don't think this comes in until 2013 or so.

The HB cap is from April 2011, max 4 bed rate also. The reduction to 30 percentile of average rents from 50% is Oct 2011.

[council dweller]

Yes well, this is a Daily Mail article.

Strange that they mention local housing allowance, I don't think this applies to council tenants as rents are well under these levels. For example LHA is 290 per week for 2 beds but my rent (2 bed bungy) is that PER MONTH! Seems to have confused a lady in the comments section 'I didn't realise council rents were so high'! They aren't!

Expect tenants to duck and dive to avoid eviction, not too much will happen.

[piece of paper]

"Lord Freud said the restrictions, which will come into effect from April 2013...."

What is wrong with April 2011?

p-o-p

[Snugglybear]

Will be difficult to carry out. Many councils only have a vague idea of who is in their properties hence the popularity of subletting them out. And when it comes down to it I am sure the adult children will miraculously move back in to give the appearance of a full house.

They could insist on the adult children being on the electoral register at that address. They might not be willing to register at their parents' address, because if I recall correctly it would mess up any applications they made for credit if their actual postal address was different.

[leicestersq]

It makes little sense to have council housing and housing benefit.

The trouble with council houses, is that once you are in to your subsidised pad, you get to keep it until you leave voluntarily, or you all pop your clogs, or you buy it at a discount and then sell it at a much higher price. You get to keep it, even if your need disappears.

Thatcher saw the problem, and tried to get the council houses sold off. I think that the fewer people that were 'chosen' to get this benefit, the better, as it just seems so unfair that some can get it and others cant.

The Tories are looking at this again now. I think that they should go the whole way, and sell of all council homes to the highest bidder. Let those on HB find the best place they can for the money, it would sort itself out, and be a lot cheaper and a lot less unfair.

[piece of paper]

This is very good news for the Daily Mail journalist. He can start on the article following the changes immediately.

--Dennis and Gladys Bradley pointed down to their former garden from their 20th floor one bedroom flat. The prize winning chysanthemums in the photograph on the melamine white shelf were nowhere to be seen. In their place was an assembly of airers covered in nappies and children's clothes.

Dennis (58), an unemployed lamplighter, and Gladys (59) had lived at 63 Becontree Way for 35 years. Their children, Frank (32), Doris (30), Ringo (28) and Ozzie (25) had all been brought up and played in the back garden of the four-bedroom semi. Last month they had to move under the new house-swap scheme introduced by the coalition government.

The newcomers at number 63 are Mr and Mrs Noor and their seven young children. Mr Noor (35) arrived in the United Kingdom from his native Egypt as an asylum seeker in 2007. Since being granted asylum in 2010 he claims that he has been moved on numerous times and he is relieved to have a home that he can call his own.

Mr Noor, an unemployed pyramid guide, said "It went from bad to worse. We had a six-bedroom Georgian House overlooking St James Park for a couple of years but, since then we've been living in hotels.

Neighbours, Nigel (65) and Ethel (63) are not sure about the newcomers. Ethel said, "It's not like I'm rascist or nothing but Nige and Den used to spend the mornings in our gardens chatting about the dogs, drinking Special-Brew and swapping porn mags. I offered Mrs Noor a swig from my sherry bottle and she just rushed the kids indoors. They keep looking at us from the upstairs windows. Nige has to go indoors for a pee. He never used to. I'm voting BNP next time ."--

p-o-p

Edited July 28, 2010 by piece of paper

[bobothebear]

Its an utter joke where I used to live. We rented our place privately and they re-roofed all the council houses so we could see which places were privately owned and which were not.

I'm paying the going rate for renting a 3 bed house and drive a 10 year old car.

Guy next door is paying his council rates for a near identical house and driving a nice new Audi!!

I get told I earn to much to get into the system but he must earn just as much but is given the opportunity to have more disposable income.

This says to me something is not right about the system and I'm glad the Government are trying to do something about it.

[council dweller]

It makes little sense to have council housing and housing benefit.

The trouble with council houses, is that once you are in to your subsidised pad, you get to keep it until you leave voluntarily, or you all pop your clogs, or you buy it at a discount and then sell it at a much higher price. You get to keep it, even if your need disappears.

Thatcher saw the problem, and tried to get the council houses sold off.

The obvious solution would be to give the remaining council houses to current tenants? These would instantly save millions per week in subsidys!!

[opt_out]

This is very good news for the Daily Mail journalist. He can start on the article following the changes immediately.

<snip>

p-o-p

I like it.

[bomberbrown]

This is very good news for the Daily Mail journalist. He can start on the article following the changes immediately.

--Dennis and Gladys Bradley pointed down to their former garden from their 20th floor one bedroom flat. The prize winning chysanthemums in the photograph on the melamine white shelf were nowhere to be seen. In their place was an assembly of airers covered in nappies and children's clothes.

Dennis (58), an unemployed lamplighter, and Gladys (59) had lived at 63 Becontree Way for 35 years. Their children, Frank (32), Doris (30), Ringo (28) and Ozzie (25) had all been brought up and played in the back garden of the four-bedroom semi. Last month they had to move under the new house-swap scheme introduced by the coalition government.

The newcomers at number 63 are Mr and Mrs Noor and their seven young children. Mr Noor (35) arrived in the United Kingdom from his native Egypt as an asylum seeker in 2007. Since being granted asylum in 2010 he claims that he has been moved on numerous times and he is relieved to have a home that he can call his own.

Mr Noor, an unemployed pyramid guide, said "It went from bad to worse. We had a six-bedroom Georgian House overlooking St James Park for a couple of years but, since then we've been living in hotels.

Neighbours, Nigel (65) and Ethel (63) are not sure about the newcomers. Ethel said, "It's not like I'm rascist or nothing but Nige and Den used to spend the mornings in our gardens chatting about the dogs, drinking Special-Brew and swapping porn mags. I offered Mrs Noor a swig from my sherry bottle and she just rushed the kids indoors. They keep looking at us from the upstairs windows. Nige has to go indoors for a pee. He never used to. I'm voting BNP next time ."--

p-o-p

Very good.

[council dweller]

Its an utter joke where I used to live. We rented our place privately and they re-roofed all the council houses so we could see which places were privately owned and which were not.

I'm paying the going rate for renting a 3 bed house and drive a 10 year old car.

Guy next door is paying his council rates for a near identical house and driving a nice new Audi!!

I get told I earn to much to get into the system but he must earn just as much but is given the opportunity to have more disposable income.

This says to me something is not right about the system and I'm glad the Government are trying to do something about it.

Are you suggesting that if Thatcher had not sold off 1 or 2 million council houses you could now be renting from the council too? Maybe so but the extra 5k (or so) you are paying now ends up where? You should give more thought to the better off.

[bomberbrown]

I'm an HA tenant, and I welcome this approach, although they can't downsize me anymore other than a bedsit I guess??

However, these swaps are nothing new and have been going on all the time. In fact, the lady in the 3 bed flat above me had lived there since 1984 got downsized by the HA last year and I now have a family moved in upstairs. It just makes bloody sense.

[Saving For a Space Ship]

I hear they are thinking of extending this into a 'recession themed' new property porn show.

Hard up tenants will lend their houses to Celebs. thinking they will decorate & splash out out on expensive interior nick nacks. Instead they will wall off half the place and add an extra front door, moving in another family.

Imagine their faces when they return to view it !

It will be called 'Short Changing Rooms'

Edited July 28, 2010 by Saving For a Space Ship

[council dweller]

I hear they are thinking of extending this into a 'recession themed' new property porn show.

Hard up tenants will lend their houses to Celebs. thinking they will decorate & splash out out on expensive interior nick nacks. Instead they will wall off half the place and add an extra front door, moving in another family.

Imagine their faces when they return to view it !

It will be called 'Short Changing Rooms'

Thanks for the warning.

To the note on my door that says 'no, charity bags or sales' I've just added 'and no TV crews with 10th rate celebs.'

[winkie]

Mate of mine bought their 3 bed council home from the LA £30k now worth £300k and they rent it back to the council 5 year contract guaranteed rent £12k pa........have no views on this.....just facts.

[council dweller]

Mate of mine bought their 3 bed council home from the LA £30k now worth £300k and they rent it back to the council 5 year contract guaranteed rent £12k pa........have no views on this.....just facts.

That's pretty good, for 12k you can live the life in Mr Parry/ Noodle land (Thailand)

Old lady up the road died a couple of years ago and left her ex council place to her son who lives in Ethiopia. Gets about 11k in rent.

I have a view; housing isn't about housing...

[miko]

Mate of mine bought their 3 bed council home from the LA £30k now worth £300k and they rent it back to the council 5 year contract guaranteed rent £12k pa........have no views on this.....just facts.

Yes worked with a guy who did the same , rent form council now pays both mortgages the ex council house and his new house. Said it himself that it was mad , but would have been mad not to take the oppotunity that came his way. Has three son's none of them can get a council house now, two in private rented paying very high rents ,one still at home.

[winkie]

Yes worked with a guy who did the same , rent form council now pays both mortgages the ex council house and his new house. Said it himself that it was mad , but would have been mad not to take the oppotunity that came his way. Has three son's none of them can get a council house now, two in private rented paying very high rents ,one still at home.

Bit like working for the council without having to work......councils are good at spending other people's money...and relying on the future generations to pay it back....our council taxes and rents are so high because they are so good at wasting money.

[miko]

Bit like working for the council without having to work......councils are good at spending other people's money...and relying on the future generations to pay it back....our council taxes and rents are so high because they are so good at wasting money.

Had a relative , who 20 + years ago bought their council house just before the last crash. They did regret it for the next few years as the mortgage was much higher than their rent would have been and they had 3 children. It was valued at £120k , they paid £60k , sold at the peak just after they had finished paying the mortgage off , £475k.

[chicker]

Mate of mine bought their 3 bed council home from the LA £30k now worth £300k and they rent it back to the council 5 year contract guaranteed rent £12k pa........have no views on this.....just facts.

My parents are in a similar situation. Inherited my nans 3 bed ex council hse and they let it back to the council via a HA. Btw my nan had been there since 1935 and bought it for a snip early 80s. Probably worth 250k and achieves 12k rent. Barmy

[council dweller]

£475k.

Jesus H. coke snorting christ!

I think we've found the answer chaps and ladies....sell them all off and put an end to all the unfairness!

[miko]

Jesus H. coke snorting christ!

I think we've found the answer chaps and ladies....sell them all off and put an end to all the unfairness!

Bit to late for most now , it was in a not very nice area of London , that became trendy.

[winkie]

Gordon sold the gold, Maggie sold the houses.