[Cherie]

I think it would help the situation if the private landlord had the contract with the council so the tenant and landlord are both protected landlord commits the property for x amount of years and gets paid directly, and cannot serve notice within the term and tenant is under contract to keep the property in a reasonable state of repair or face eviction and any repairs are organised via the council so they are carried out quickly

[thesheriff443]

there is a program starting Tuesday of next week, called benefit street, this will give everyone a chance to see what a large majority of people on benefit are like, im not saying that all those that are on benefits are like that, but some are.

[Vicky.]

Yeah, am sure that benefit steet will be like the rest of tthe manipulated c4 programs about benefits too

Infact, even the DAILY MAIL has ran a story on it being manipulated http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...stitch-up.html

(The 'main' guy in the program sounds like an absolute douche though )

Its not a large majority like that,. Its a small minority...unfortunately the minority are all people are interested in. Wouldnt sell papers/get viewers if they showed the truth about benefits would it

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Cherie

I think it would help the situation if the private landlord had the contract with the council so the tenant and landlord are both protected landlord commits the property for x amount of years and gets paid directly, and cannot serve notice within the term and tenant is under contract to keep the property in a reasonable state of repair or face eviction and any repairs are organised via the council so they are carried out quickly

The problem with that though is that many (working) people get partial housing benefit that covers a percentage of their rent and cover the rest themselves, e.g. someone in full time, minimum wage employment living in a £450 a month house might be getting £200 in housing benefit and covering the other £250 out of their pay. Keeping track of this, if the money isnt paid to the tennant to then be passed on to the landlord as a lump sum, becomes very complicated.

Theres also the (ridiculous, IMO) problem currently where most landlords take rent monthly (totally normal) whereas housing benefit is paid every 4 weeks (totally daft), though that is at least being fixed with Universal Credit, supposedly. Currently, though, councils would be paying directly to landlords every 4 weeks (28 days, so it slides back 2 to 3 days each month, e.g. one month its the 10th, then the 8th, then the 5th, then the 3rd... an unholy mess) instead of on a set day each month, totally screwing up that landlords books.

Either way - landlords shouldnt be discriminating purely on this, as plenty of respectable working families receive some housing benefit, and make all of their rent payments on time. This man has had problems with idiots / junkies blowing their rent money on drugs and its fair enough that he kicks out those problem tenants but thats not whats happening - he's decided that he won't allow ANY claimants to be tenants and discriminating purely on those grounds.

He could much more easily solve this problem by interviewing (or hiring someone to interview) potential tenants before renting to them. It's not that difficult to spot a potential rent-dodger. He could hire someone at minimum wage! It would be an easy enough job :/.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

The problem with that though is that many (working) people get partial housing benefit that covers a percentage of their rent and cover the rest themselves, e.g. someone in full time, minimum wage employment living in a £450 a month house might be getting £200 in housing benefit and covering the other £250 out of their pay. Keeping track of this, if the money isnt paid to the tennant to then be passed on to the landlord as a lump sum, becomes very complicated.

Theres also the (ridiculous, IMO) problem currently where most landlords take rent monthly (totally normal) whereas housing benefit is paid every 4 weeks (totally daft), though that is at least being fixed with Universal Credit, supposedly. Currently, though, councils would be paying directly to landlords every 4 weeks (28 days, so it slides back 2 to 3 days each month, e.g. one month its the 10th, then the 8th, then the 5th, then the 3rd... an unholy mess) instead of on a set day each month, totally screwing up that landlords books.

Either way - landlords shouldnt be discriminating purely on this, as plenty of respectable working families receive some housing benefit, and make all of their rent payments on time. This man has had problems with idiots / junkies blowing their rent money on drugs and its fair enough that he kicks out those problem tenants but thats not whats happening - he's decided that he won't allow ANY claimants to be tenants and discriminating purely on those grounds.

He could much more easily solve this problem by interviewing (or hiring someone to interview) potential tenants before renting to them. It's not that difficult to spot a potential rent-dodger. He could hire someone at minimum wage! It would be an easy enough job :/.

Oh yeah in my master plan in forgot about partial payments

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Oh yeah in my master plan in forgot about partial payments

This is kinda where the argument about HB claimants not paying, while working people do..falls down tbh. Most new HB claims are made from people who are actually in work.

[Vicky.]

Also slightly offtopic, but I have just noticed his wife looks rather manly.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Also slightly offtopic, but I have just noticed his wife looks rather manly.

Now that we can agree on

[user104658]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

there is a program starting Tuesday of next week, called benefit street, this will give everyone a chance to see what a large majority of people on benefit are like, im not saying that all those that are on benefits are like that, but some are.

Pff. The "large majority" of people on benefit are in work, elderly, genuinely disabled, or recent school leavers / graduates.

By "people on benefits" you're probably thinking of the long-term unemployed. And not even the majority of the long-term unemployed are as bad as is made out by these shows.

An admittedly very visible minority are a problem... but there's a very obvious agenda by certain people in influential positions to paint everyone on benefits with the same brush. People are more willing (often deliriously happy) to accept sweeping benefits cuts when they can imagine the people involved as sub-human troglodytes... they find it harder when they realise that many of them are normal lower-middle class families.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Pff. The "large majority" of people on benefit are in work, elderly, genuinely disabled, or recent school leavers / graduates.

By "people on benefits" you're probably thinking of the long-term unemployed. And not even the majority of the long-term unemployed are as bad as is made out by these shows.

An admittedly very visible minority are a problem... but there's a very obvious agenda by certain people in influential positions to paint everyone on benefits with the same brush. People are more willing (often deliriously happy) to accept sweeping benefits cuts when they can imagine the people involved as sub-human troglodytes... they find it harder when they realise that many of them are normal lower-middle class families.

benefits are paid direct and this started this year and its a disaster

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Hasnt it always been like that? I dont think that was the tories as when I was on HB about 6 years ago in private housing, I actually asked the council to pay it direct to my landlord, and they said they couldnt unless I had big arrears already or could prove I had a problem with spending :S

As it happened, I was off HB again before the claim even got bloody sorted out. But still

no it started this year under duncan smith and its an unmitigated disaster
on a massive scale

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21756567

homelessness with soon go through the roof

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by the truth

no it started this year under duncan smith and its an unmitigated disaster
on a massive scale

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21756567

homelessness with soon go through the roof

I wonder why it was refused years back then. Very odd :S

[user104658]

Originally Posted by the truth

no it started this year under duncan smith and its an unmitigated disaster
on a massive scale

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21756567

homelessness with soon go through the roof

Sorry but you're incorrect; LHA [Local Housing Allowance] (the housing benefit given to pay private rents) has been automatically paid to recipients for many years. I was on it 5+ years ago when I left University. It was paid every 4 weeks, directly into my own bank account, for me to pass on to my landlord. This has been "the norm" since LHA was introduced in 2008.

HOWEVER - under LHA, if you could prove that you were having difficulty managing finances (a letter from a landlord stating rent arrears would probably suffice) then the local council would arrange to pay the landlord directly. I believe the landlord themselves could also contact the council and petition to be paid directly, which is what solved a lot of problems, as addicts (etc.) would then never have the option of spending their rent money.

What's changed this year is that LHA is being included in the new Universal Credit system and the OPTION of direct payment to landlords has been removed entirely... it can't even be requested, by landlords or the tenants themselves.

I can assure you though; direct payment to benefits recipients has been "standard" since April 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_H...irect_Payments

(apologies that it's a wikipedia link, feeling lazy)

[Kizzy]

He will be aware which of his tenants are benefit claimants, the change allowing HB payments to come straight to the tenant has probably put some in arrears as they have been a bit silly and used the money for other things... like gas maybe, who knows?
This has put them in dept to both their landlord and HB, which is I'm guessing a very scary as he/she then has the right to evict you and your LHA are not obliged to help rehouse you.... a lose lose situation.
As seen in tonights benefit street on C4 this is happening on there, one woman facing eviction for arrears of around £300, her landlord will now have to take her to court if she refuses to leave, how many times is that going to happen up and down the country? The courts will be creaking.
There are no social houses, fatty pickles wants to flog the last few of for a third of their market value as they've become too expensive to maintain.
Buy to let landlords will soon be renting their properties by the sq ft...regardless of what Europe say.