Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

It's certainly part of the intention but you can't force people to move if they are up to date with rent

---------- Post added at 12:31 ---------- Previous post was at 12:29 ----------

getting some on here to accept that is proving very hard

---------- Post added at 12:37 ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 ----------

Exactly , this policy may actually focus some LA's and HA's in managing the stock a bit more efficiently

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

Housing associations are also financed through borrowing. Borrowing is their main source of funding for building new properties.

Of course they're forced to sell properties off at substantial discounts with, contrary to government claims, a replacement rate on right to buy of about 1 to 7 rather than 1 to 1 but that's a different story.

Here's hoping it doesn't go the same way the private sector has, with family homes in tremendously short supply because developers went crazy building small flats. Due to high cost of land that was the way to get the most profit.

I'm not convinced, in any event, that we should use the private rented sector as any measure of what is fair. Our PRS is a disaster by any sensible measure.

---------- Post added at 14:36 ---------- Previous post was at 14:31 ----------


Perhaps another good way of assisting with management of stock would be to stop forcing social housing providers to sell stock into the private sector on substantial discounts.

Over 1/3rd of all right to buy has found its way into the private rented sector.

I entirely agree the social housing providers could do better with their stock, I'm merely of the opinion that enabling them to build more would be a far better way to both improve the availability of social housing and reduce the housing benefit bill.

EDIT: All this said, as we're talking about fairness perhaps you guys could enlighten me on why this only affects people of working age?

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

I think that's spot on ,no way should the LA's have been allowed to sell off all the stock without replacing at least some of it (hindsight is a wonderful thing ;))

I must admit that i was surprised that the biggest offenders of under occupying have been given exempt status ,namely pensioners .I would have sooner that disabled people be given exempt status and pensioners given the reduction in benefit .I have today fit 10 windows in a 3 bed house occupied only by an 80 something old woman and there where bungalows built 3yrs ago behind her street on the grounds of an old school specifically for pensioners

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

-allowed +compelled.

---------- Post added at 18:03 ---------- Previous post was at 18:00 ----------

Haven't pensioners been exempted from most of the 'austerity' measures? Not sure why this would be surprising. An absolute majority of pensioners vote Tory and they have the highest turnout.

Fairness is for those who wouldn't have voted Tory anyway.

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

Don't worry Marty. she might snuff it soon. and a nice big family can move in :)

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

Actually, in 2010 it was 44%.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/people/greaves/wellington_college_talk.ppt

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

That is probably the thinking behind the exemption, 'natural wastage' would vacate the properties anyway and no way would a council move a pensioner into a 3/2 bed semi so in a relatively short number of years the problem of having elderly people hogging large council houses will solve itself naturally

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

Thanks - let me find the source for the figure I quoted. It refers to 'voting intention' rather than 2010's results, my bad there.

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

Housing benefit changes distress disabled people, say MPs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26843152

The problem is in its implementation it is hitting the wrong group too much.

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

But that's ok, because it saves the tax payer £1m a day.

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

l did not say it was okay Jimmy because in my opinion the policy was ill thought out and rushed as most policies are to save money.

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

I think he meant to quote Martyr from http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/35...-post1150.html

(Probably).

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

I still want to know where all these smaller properties are to move into? Also I am pretty sure most supporting this bollocks policy have no idea how difficult it is to move from one property to another anyway. Its all bidding wars nowadays

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

Exactly as there is a acute shortage of smaller places that means that many could not downsize to a smaller place even if they wanted to.

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.
 

The whole policy is ill-thought out and badly implemented and the consequences critics cited, namely few people moving and many in rent arrears, have come to pass.