'I’m constantly worried about being evicted'

[Warlord]

"If my landlord asks me to leave, I'll have to go into emergency accommodation", said Sue, who's 61 and owes around £2000 in unpaid rent.

She's one of thousands of renters who fell into arrears during the pandemic, according to the debt charity StepChange.

A poll they carried out with YouGov suggests 10% of private renters are now behind on rent.

The charity estimates they owe on average just under £800 each.

StepChange is calling for emergency support from the government as things like the furlough scheme and the uplift to Universal Credit payments are phased out.

A spokesperson for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said that unprecedented action was taken to keep people in their homes during the pandemic - and that it was right, as the economy reopened, for measures to be lifted.

"Extremely stressful"

Sue had recently left her job and was looking for a new one when the pandemic hit. With no furlough pay, she enrolled on Universal Credit while she looked for work. The benefits weren't enough to cover her rent, and as a result she underpaid for months.

"My landlord was initially understanding" she explained, "but when restrictions relaxed I was asked for full rent as well as payments towards my arrears, even though my situation hadn't changed."

Help from her local council means Sue is now back to paying full rent - but with no chance of paying off the debt she's accrued until she finds a job.

"I'm constantly worrying about the prospect of being evicted."

"I've also fallen behind on things like credit card payments so my credit rating is low - it could stop me getting something else."

For Sue, the impact has been significant: "I try not to let it get to me, but there are often nights when I can't sleep. My blood pressure's been up - it's extremely stressful."

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58589759

[erat_forte]

Universal Credit covers rent doesn't it?

The system is punitive with lots of hoops to jump through but if you are genuinely looking for work then you should be able to jump?

"fallen behind on things like credit card payments" - this gives the game away doesn't it? I presume this is not current spending otherwise she could just have stopped spending as soon as the job vanished?

[Dorkins]

1 hour ago, erat_forte said:

Universal Credit covers rent doesn't it?

The housing element of UC is the LHA rate which I believe pays the 30th percentile rent for a property in your area with the number of bedrooms your household qualifies for e.g. if your household is assessed as needing 2 bedrooms the UC housing element will pay you enough to rent the cheapest 30% of 2 bedroom properties in your area. If your actual rent is lower than the LHA rate you will receive the lower amount, if your actual rent is higher you will have to make up the shortfall.

[markyh]

1 hour ago, erat_forte said:

Universal Credit covers rent doesn't it?

The system is punitive with lots of hoops to jump through but if you are genuinely looking for work then you should be able to jump?

"fallen behind on things like credit card payments" - this gives the game away doesn't it? I presume this is not current spending otherwise she could just have stopped spending as soon as the job vanished?

She broke the golden rules of life , 1. Shelter  2. Food 3. everything else.  People should always pay in that order, she took advantage of her LL as he couldn't evict her by law, and no doubt kept pay towards credit cards and spending. 

No sympathy from me , i got absolutely zero payouts from UC during covid, no furlough and no help as i was recently self employed and my 2018/2019 and 2019/20 books were deliberately at a small loss to get tax rebates. 

[MARTINX9]

Sad for this poor woman at age 61 stuck in a private rental with no hope of paying for it. What is she going to do when she is in her 70s or 80s and can’t work at all - will she be on the streets and left to die?

How have we come to this - well we all know!

[msi]

2 minutes ago, MARTINX9 said:

Sad for this poor woman at age 61 stuck in a private rental with no hope of paying for it. What is she going to do when she is in her 70s or 80s and can’t work at all - will she be on the streets and left to die?

How have we come to this - well we all know!

Come on, where are all the Right Wing Thatcherites saying she gOt WhAt ShE eArnEd ? 

Where are all the 'We DoNt HeLp ImMiGrAnTs - We OnLy HeLp OuR oWn' lot - come on dig deep!

 

Don't give me any of the 'What would Corbyn and Labour do'....The Tories have had over 10 years, you own this all

 

[Pop321]

7 hours ago, Warlord said:

"If my landlord asks me to leave, I'll have to go into emergency accommodation", said Sue, who's 61 and owes around £2000 in unpaid rent.

She's one of thousands of renters who fell into arrears during the pandemic, according to the debt charity StepChange.

A poll they carried out with YouGov suggests 10% of private renters are now behind on rent.

The charity estimates they owe on average just under £800 each.

StepChange is calling for emergency support from the government as things like the furlough scheme and the uplift to Universal Credit payments are phased out.

A spokesperson for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said that unprecedented action was taken to keep people in their homes during the pandemic - and that it was right, as the economy reopened, for measures to be lifted.

"Extremely stressful"

Sue had recently left her job and was looking for a new one when the pandemic hit. With no furlough pay, she enrolled on Universal Credit while she looked for work. The benefits weren't enough to cover her rent, and as a result she underpaid for months.

"My landlord was initially understanding" she explained, "but when restrictions relaxed I was asked for full rent as well as payments towards my arrears, even though my situation hadn't changed."

Help from her local council means Sue is now back to paying full rent - but with no chance of paying off the debt she's accrued until she finds a job.

"I'm constantly worrying about the prospect of being evicted."

"I've also fallen behind on things like credit card payments so my credit rating is low - it could stop me getting something else."

For Sue, the impact has been significant: "I try not to let it get to me, but there are often nights when I can't sleep. My blood pressure's been up - it's extremely stressful."

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58589759

We don’t know her circumstances, why she didn’t buy a home of her own in the early 80’s, why she hasn’t any savings, what have the credit cards been used for. 

If it’s news then tell us all……if it’s not news then it shouldn’t be printed. Half a story is no story, just a media spin to fill a few pages  

This is either the saddest story ever, or some numpty who spent her money on holidays, DFS three piece suites every year and weekly perms. I guess we will never know. 

Media….good for nothing. 

[MARTINX9]

2 hours ago, msi said:

Come on, where are all the Right Wing Thatcherites saying she gOt WhAt ShE eArnEd ? 

Where are all the 'We DoNt HeLp ImMiGrAnTs - We OnLy HeLp OuR oWn' lot - come on dig deep!

 

Don't give me any of the 'What would Corbyn and Labour do'....The Tories have had over 10 years, you own this all

 

I didn't vote Conservative at the last election - did you?

I know of course we are supposed to pretend that the 13 year Labour government from 1997 to 2010 never happened. You know the Government that presided over a four fold rise in house prices and a ten fold rise in the number of buy to lets - and built less council houses in 13 years than Mrs Thatcher did in just one - and she wasn't even trying! The average house price in London in 1996 was about £70k - someone on an average wage could afford a house no bother.

If you seriously think Starmer in his £2m house in Camden and his north London champagne socialist chums will do much so reduce house prices you really are deluded. As for Corbyn - well we were never going to elect a Marxist in the UK.

I certainly have no time for this current government's housing policies - but the idea the Labour will solve the problem isn't really credible either based on its record.

Of course perhaps the solution is just to import another 5 million+ generally low skilled net non contributors so Sir Keir and his neighbours have more cheap labour to clean their homes and cars and make their pumpkin spiced lattes in the morning. That surely will solve the housing problem! Vote Labour - for more cheap Labour!

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by MARTINX9

[winkie]

1 hour ago, Pop321 said:

We don’t know her circumstances,

Media….good for nothing. 

Exactly...... someone got the chance to buy their three bed council house in London for £30k in the time of MT.....at the time was bringing up the young children alone and was unable to get a mortgage.......years go by, children grow up, gets an unskilled job even with the new discount new price £200k could not get a mortgage on one full-time low paid wage......still renting, must have paid that £30k off many times over in rent the years have lived there......but one consolation is very secure and happy living in her lifetime home.

[zugzwang]

7 hours ago, MARTINX9 said:

As for Corbyn - well we were never going to elect a Marxist in the UK.

We very nearly did in 2017.

One can only imagine how much better our lives would be now had that happened.

 

[iamnumerate]

8 hours ago, Pop321 said:

We don’t know her circumstances, why she didn’t buy a home of her own in the early 80’s, why she hasn’t any savings, what have the credit cards been used for. 

If it’s news then tell us all……if it’s not news then it shouldn’t be printed. Half a story is no story, just a media spin to fill a few pages  

This is either the saddest story ever, or some numpty who spent her money on holidays, DFS three piece suites every year and weekly perms. I guess we will never know. 

Media….good for nothing. 

Very true

[jans123]

8 hours ago, MARTINX9 said:

I didn't vote Conservative at the last election - did you?

I know of course we are supposed to pretend that the 13 year Labour government from 1997 to 2010 never happened. You know the Government that presided over a four fold rise in house prices and a ten fold rise in the number of buy to lets - and built less council houses in 13 years than Mrs Thatcher did in just one - and she wasn't even trying! The average house price in London in 1996 was about £70k - someone on an average wage could afford a house no bother.

If you seriously think Starmer in his £2m house in Camden and his north London champagne socialist chums will do much so reduce house prices you really are deluded. As for Corbyn - well we were never going to elect a Marxist in the UK.

I certainly have no time for this current government's housing policies - but the idea the Labour will solve the problem isn't really credible either based on its record.

Of course perhaps the solution is just to import another 5 million+ generally low skilled net non contributors so Sir Keir and his neighbours have more cheap labour to clean their homes and cars and make their pumpkin spiced lattes in the morning. That surely will solve the housing problem! Vote Labour - for more cheap Labour!

 

Agree on each and every point

[Pop321]

7 hours ago, winkie said:

Exactly...... someone got the chance to buy their three bed council house in London for £30k in the time of MT.....at the time was bringing up the young children alone and was unable to get a mortgage.......years go by, children grow up, gets an unskilled job even with the new discount new price £200k could not get a mortgage on one full-time low paid wage......still renting, must have paid that £30k off many times over in rent the years have lived there......but one consolation is very secure and happy living in her lifetime home.

Or she did buy in 1984 for £30k. Sold up in 2016 for £400k and spent the money on crack, beer and wasted the rest.

Who knows…we can fill in the blanks as per our political bias. That’s why I tend not to read ‘consumer issue stories’ because it’s like talking to only one party in a divorce….makes a better story if you don’t get both sides.

Ps…my grievance isn’t with the lady (well, not sure if that of course) it the hundreds of half stories we get from the media. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Pop321

[winkie]

My point is as you say everyone has their own story..... sometimes we are in the position we find ourselves in through our own fault or the wrong actions we choose to take because of greed, laziness, stupidity, recklessness etc.....sometimes it is because of the unfortunate cards life happens to throw at us......can happen to anyone at any time, often when we least expect it........sometimes we can find ourselves in a favourable position due to pure luck, not because we are cleverer than the next person.

[msi]

10 hours ago, MARTINX9 said:

I didn't vote Conservative at the last election - did you?

I know of course we are supposed to pretend that the 13 year Labour government from 1997 to 2010 never happened. You know the Government that presided over a four fold rise in house prices and a ten fold rise in the number of buy to lets - and built less council houses in 13 years than Mrs Thatcher did in just one - and she wasn't even trying! The average house price in London in 1996 was about £70k - someone on an average wage could afford a house no bother.

If you seriously think Starmer in his £2m house in Camden and his north London champagne socialist chums will do much so reduce house prices you really are deluded. As for Corbyn - well we were never going to elect a Marxist in the UK.

I certainly have no time for this current government's housing policies - but the idea the Labour will solve the problem isn't really credible either based on its record.

 

Should I be grateful you aren't drooling about the 70s and 'ReDs UnDeR tHe BeD'?  NuLabour shifted to HPI to break the strnaglehold of 'old' money.  I don't forget their mess but using that to absolve the indolence of pig-botherer Cameron, chicken Dance May, or BoJo is simply stupid.  They had ample opportunity to burst the bubble, lay the pain at Labours feet, and get the economy balanced again.  Instead we get the 'Free Market' Tories throw market intervention they can - making Micheal Foot seem a moderate FFS.

 

I don't think Labour can solve this in their current state, but he lack of an alternative doesn't justify the current status-quo

Quote

Of course perhaps the solution is just to import another 5 million+ generally low skilled net non contributors so Sir Keir and his neighbours have more cheap labour to clean their homes and cars and make their pumpkin spiced lattes in the morning. That surely will solve the housing problem! Vote Labour - for more cheap Labour!

Oh really?  Didn't you know we got Br*xit and we sent them all home in their lorries.  Again you spout Labour bashing instead of holding those in power to account.

Keep licking the boot as it stamps on your face...

[Warlord]

10 hours ago, MARTINX9 said:

I didn't vote Conservative at the last election - did you?

I know of course we are supposed to pretend that the 13 year Labour government from 1997 to 2010 never happened. You know the Government that presided over a four fold rise in house prices and a ten fold rise in the number of buy to lets - and built less council houses in 13 years than Mrs Thatcher did in just one - and she wasn't even trying! The average house price in London in 1996 was about £70k - someone on an average wage could afford a house no bother.

If you seriously think Starmer in his £2m house in Camden and his north London champagne socialist chums will do much so reduce house prices you really are deluded. As for Corbyn - well we were never going to elect a Marxist in the UK.

I certainly have no time for this current government's housing policies - but the idea the Labour will solve the problem isn't really credible either based on its record.

Of course perhaps the solution is just to import another 5 million+ generally low skilled net non contributors so Sir Keir and his neighbours have more cheap labour to clean their homes and cars and make their pumpkin spiced lattes in the morning. That surely will solve the housing problem! Vote Labour - for more cheap Labour!

 

This a great post and should be pinned to the front page!

 

7 minutes ago, msi said:

NuLabour shifted to HPI

So we have a political consensus .  HPI forever from both parties and the LibDems offering nothing but NIMBY.

We're stuck.

Nothing short of revolution will change anything it seems...

 

[Warlord]

3 hours ago, zugzwang said:

We very nearly did in 2017.

One can only imagine how much better our lives would be now had that happened.

 

What was it? 50,000 votes or so 

[iamnumerate]

38 minutes ago, Warlord said:

This a great post and should be pinned to the front page!

 

So we have a political consensus .  HPI forever from both parties and the LibDems offering nothing but NIMBY.

We're stuck.

Nothing short of revolution will change anything it seems...

 

Very true - but the reason for this is because a lot of people want HPI and very few don't.

Or rather politicians think that they do - it might not be true.

[msi]

3 hours ago, jans123 said:

Agree on each and every point

Keep spouting the same drivel. Not a single thought on what can be DONE but who else to point the finger at.  

 

when will it be time for you to flounce to your next account?

[msi]

14 hours ago, msi said:

Come on, where are all the Right Wing Thatcherites saying she gOt WhAt ShE eArnEd ? 

Where are all the 'We DoNt HeLp ImMiGrAnTs - We OnLy HeLp OuR oWn' lot - come on dig deep!

 

Don't give me any of the 'What would Corbyn and Labour do'....The Tories have had over 10 years, you own this all

 

Just looking at the replies above, Need I say more ?

[Warlord]

Just now, msi said:

Just looking at the replies above, Need I say more ?

Obviously, a revolution. We're due one (its been 400 years)

[iamnumerate]

12 hours ago, Pop321 said:

We don’t know her circumstances, why she didn’t buy a home of her own in the early 80’s, why she hasn’t any savings, what have the credit cards been used for. 

If it’s news then tell us all……if it’s not news then it shouldn’t be printed. Half a story is no story, just a media spin to fill a few pages  

This is either the saddest story ever, or some numpty who spent her money on holidays, DFS three piece suites every year and weekly perms. I guess we will never know. 

Media….good for nothing. 

Very true - they get paid the same for doing a bad job sadly

[MARTINX9]

3 hours ago, msi said:

Keep spouting the same drivel. Not a single thought on what can be DONE but who else to point the finger at.  

 

 

Are you referring to yourself?

What is your solution to the housing crisis - just ‘vote Labour’? 

[msi]

7 minutes ago, MARTINX9 said:

Are you referring to yourself?

What is your solution to the housing crisis - just ‘vote Labour’? 

Very droll. 

How about holding those in actual power to account instead of limply finger pointing at Labour?

How about seeing how the Tories twist the 'market' to suit their own purposes?

How about looking at real alternative options that rebalance the economy?

How about moving away from populist drivel and moronic 3 word slogans to understanding the problem.

 

...but no far easier to spout drivel, eh?

[MARTINX9]

22 hours ago, msi said:

Very droll. 

How about holding those in actual power to account instead of limply finger pointing at Labour?

How about seeing how the Tories twist the 'market' to suit their own purposes?

How about looking at real alternative options that rebalance the economy?

How about moving away from populist drivel and moronic 3 word slogans to understanding the problem.

 

...but no far easier to spout drivel, eh?

Any specific ideas then rather than vague concepts?