Crackdown On Rich Council House Tenants.

[tonyav]

George Osborne will announce that anyone earning over £40,000 in London or £30,000 outside the capital will lose benefits and have to pay the full market rent.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/crackdown-on-rich-council-house-tenants/ar-AAczdNq

[Gromit]

I thought Housing Benefit was means tested anyway?

What has changed?

[Ric.ror]

Just who will this affect then

[237SJ]

So that`s how they are going to fund the increase in the IHT threshold..

[tonyav]

It looks like if you earn over the figures mentioned then you don't get any housing benefit at all, where as you probably would ( depending on circumstances ) now.

[Orderlimit]

"Just who will this affect then"

labour Party politicians like frank Dobson and militant union leaders like the late Bob Crow, according to the report. Socialist etc ??

[Gromit]

It sounds like a big headline for not much has changed.

[Baldric]

About time imo!

[Gromit]

A bit puzzled by this

// The crackdown, which will save taxpayers £250m a year, is aimed at the likes of Frank Dobson, who still lives in a council flat near the British Museum, despite serving as a Cabinet Minister under Tony Blair and earning a six-figure salary.

The late Bob Crow lived in a council house in east London, thought to be paying just £150 a week in rent, while he was the militant leader of the RMT union with a pay and perks package of more than £140,000. When challenged, he said he made “no apology” for living in social housing. //

I do not believe people like these two should live in social housing when they do not need to. They are depriving someone less fortunate a place. But surely they are paying full rent and not one sudsidised by Housing Benefit. The local Council or Housing Association set a commercial rent. If you are on a low wage, which Dobson and Crow were not, then Housing Benefit is paid.

This is a very confused article.

[tonyav]

£250 million a year change, Gromit.

The crackdown, which will save taxpayers £250m a year

[equalityforall]

This really isn't anything to do with housing benefit but more to do with people living in council houses at subsidised rents like Bob Crow.

If you live in a council house you automatically get a discounted rent i.e a similar house in the private sector may cost £1000 but only £600 if its council stock.

So quite rightly they are now saying if you earn a decent wage you no longer get discounted rents.

[Mamyalynne]

I think put simply, it is the 'benefit' of low social housing rents they want to address.

A £150 per week council property in London could be £1,500 on the private rental market.

[retrocop]

Not soon enough.
Apart from affecting our own mickey takers I would like to see our refugees housed in less salubrious accomodation.
I posted a link about Jihadi John's parents and family who claimed asylum here from Kuwait.
They were living in 5 bed roomed accommodation in Little Venice, Queens Park and another up market London location. I think one eyed hook hand's family were accommodated in a large multi bed roomed house in Edgeware.
This would cost a kings ransom for me to inhabit but then I don't claim benefits.
Incidentally Jihadi John's parents have crawled back under their stone in Kuwait.The very country they fled from to claim asylum here. The rub is they are still claiming UK benefit in Kuwait and one daughter is allegedly attending university here. :-(

[ladybirder]

It's nothing to do with Housing Benefit at all. It means that if you live in a social housing property which is subsidised by the taxpayer, by about 5% I believe, you will have to pay the full market rent if you now earn over a certain amount. This is fair and should have been done ages ago. I would go further still and say if people can afford a full market rent then they should release the subsidised property to a family that needs it.

[tonyav]

Yes that sounds about right, Mamya. I wonder who will determine what the amount of rent would be in the private sector though.

[douglas9401]

If that's the case then maybe there's a need for a look at private rents.

[equalityforall]

Quite right ladybirder - the council housing should be freed up for those that need it.

[Mamyalynne]

I just think the use of the word 'benefit' has lead to confusion.


Don't know - I am in the Private Sector and the HM Rent Officer assesses mine (I lie him,he lowered mine last time).

[Mamyalynne]

^ I like him.

[tonyav]

Thanks Mamya, maybe it will be the HM rent office then.