Social Housing

[sprayermick]

A very good friend of mine, a pensioner, is living in a house provided by a local social housing company, he has two spare rooms since his son and daughter moved out 2 years ago, he has recently received a letter from them saying that seeing as he now has 2 spare rooms his council tax will be put up pro rata to compensate for "under use" of his property.
This morning on BBC breakfast time the radio money box presenter Paul Lewis was on talking about this subject and how it will affect many people but he said that pensioners should be exempt from it, as I only saw the very end of the article could anyone tell me if this is correct and where can I get any details?

[bednobs]

cut off before i finished. So why should someone who is on housing benefit and doesn't pay live in a more luxuirious house then they need?

[sherrardk]

Not everyone in social housing is on benefits but I agree that social accommodation should be allocated on a needs basis (but with fair warning that tenants will be required to move when the house is 'too big for them').

[bednobs]

no, i know that's why i said "on housing benefit" :)

[sherrardk]

Sorry, crossed wires. I think anyone in social housing living in a house that is too big for them should be required to move to somewhere smaller.

[ladybirder]

Agree sherr, they should allow others in more need than themselves to benefit, just as they did when they actually needed the larger property. It doesn't belong to them.

[tamborine]

Would a pensioner in social house be drawing the same state pension as an OAP in private dwelling ?

[sherrardk]

Tambo, would depend upon their circumstances I suppose.

[ladybirder]

Your SP is based on what you've paid in, nothing to do with your housing.

[tamborine]

If the basic pension were the same then subsidised housing would be unfair to the private home owner.

[ladybirder]

Basic pension is the same tambo, it's just if you didn't pay enough contributions then you don't get the full amount.

[tamborine]

If Social housing pensioners receive incomes to pay for 3bed houses albeit with extra income as necessary. It would make sense to down size & live within their means.

[sprayermick]

Thanks to everyone who answered.