Under 25's to lose housing benefit ?

[silverclaws]

silverclaws, do you have an issue with your landlord earning that on his property?
Not a leading question, not wanting to get into a discussion about profits etc. Just asking.

Nope, but I wrote what I did to back up Greenstiles assertion that tenants should not be treated as they are having a favour done for them, but I wonder how much of that attitude is a leftover from the old land lord mentality where the homeless went cap in hand to land owners.

I know for a fact my home is sub standard, it breaks many laws regarding rental properties and that is reflected in the rent and the fact that they leave me alone, but recently they have took an interest in the place which is worrying, why now after seven years of no contact with such stuff as wanting to get the legal stuff done that was never done, the electrics, refit the kitchen, replace the cooker and bathroom suite, otherwise, a lot of money and mentioning stuff about they didn't want benefit scroungers in their property, but have had no complaints from anyone.

You see, the assumption is benefit scroungers are house wrecking scum, only one tier up from travellers and that is why we have a thing in this country that seems permitted to place on adverts for places to live;

NO DSS.

Now if that is not status discrimination what is it ?

 

[gibbleking]

i used to be dss but i was a great tenant..never made a mess,was quiet ...the label has been there since the dawn of time really.

 

[IDB1]

Nope

Cool..

The whole NO DSS thing can be challenged since it is discrimination (done some research.. can't remember where I found it).
But it would make no difference since you'd only get turned down anyway.

The last place we rented while I was in full-time employment (I was 35 on a £45k basic with ote of £60k+) was in 2001 and I had to provide a guarantor.

Ridiculous.

 

[silverclaws]

When I rented this place I was in employment, above average wage for here, I got made redundant one day short of two years later and went down hill fast.

But what my land lady perhaps doesn't know, is with my skills I also repair neighbours stuff as well, fit light fittings, plumbing fittings and such , the owner occupiers not the tenants. I have saved my neighbours a lot of money in return for good will. But they don't see me for weeks on end, no tv and I don't make noise.

 

[IDB1]

That place we rented in my previous post, we were in there for 10 days before I stacked my bike and went on HB once my redundancy ran out.


This place.. We like to be left alone and so does our landlady. She has dropped in unannounced twice but it's cool. If it wasn't convenient she'd naff orf and come back later.
The firs time was an intro, the second time she was in a flap because she was on her way to one of her other houses that had been trashed so wanted to make sure this place was ok.

She was told by the letting agent that we had 2 dogs. Imagine her surprise on her first visit to be confronted by 4.
The ferrets hadn't been mentioned to her either (we had 6 of those).
Or the frogs.

But she didn't mind.. I do everything here I can, what I can't do she arranges. Rent is about right for the area, we have to top it up a bit because it's a bit more than the HB rates.

Don't care.. love the area, the house is cool. Landlady is accommodating and friendly and leaves us alone, pretty much.

Had a mortgage once.. never again.

 

[silverclaws]

Oh I also have to top up the rent to the tune of 110, not that I can afford it, but that is the way it is, although others in the same studio flats also with MH, unemployed and on benefits get it all paid and contribute nothing, the difference is they have MH teams looking after their interests.

My landlady totally forgot she had a rental property as I have forgot what she looks like it has been so long, but she's coming for a nose thats for sure, such sudden interest worries me and I can see homelessness looming and that is a factor in my present mood.

 

[IDB1]

Housing Benefit is a flat rate paid to all properties with X number of rooms in it.
It should only be affected if you have other income or savings/investments etc. presumably to make up some kind of shortfall.

Income support usually means automatic full HB award.

 

[silverclaws]

My HB entitlement has been falling yearly, but MIND did say it was wrong , but contacting the council, they say it's right, so that's it. No income other than ESA and council tax benefit. Studio flat 49 square metres in total unfurnished and I pay all the bills.

I had income support but lost it when DLA got downgraded. After my rent, I have 220 a month for everything else, so manageable, oh and I get slightly more because I have worked and paid tax.

But theres loads of people I come across who are getting various amounts, so this daily mail scare that scroungers live in the lap of luxury is just plain wrong and damaging, as many scroungers know they are despised by society and well MH is a problem society with it's vilification is only making worse.

 

[IDB1]

this daily mail scare that scroungers live in the lap of luxury is just plain wrong and damaging.

I have to chuckle whenever I hear/read about the 50" plazma telly, new car, luxury holidays etc. that I am supposed to have..
Didn't have any of that when I was working, it's a far cry now...
Gotta love the ignorant.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

I get to visit a lot of less than salubrious houses, and it's not a cliche, it's true - no matter how skint they are the house will almost inevitably have a larger TV than mine, a PS3 or XBox and a laptop or two. No carpet, dog shit on the floor, but always a tv of at least 42". I m afraid IDB that you are very much the exception to that rule me old mucker.