[the truth]

thank to the endless mental rules over health and safety as dictated to us by the freeloading crooks in Brussels...we are in fact less safe and less healthy
in short were safer on paper but far far far less safe in reality

there has been so many billions of tax payers money spent on health and safety and the endless chief executives the bosses and middle management that have sucked billions out of the pot in all the public services..there is so little ;left for actually making people healthier and safer

coastguard? most beaches have none at all? how many kids have and will die at the beaches?

the fire services cut back for years over worked underpaid fewer firemen fewer fire trucks

the cops...theyre a joke. all theyre about is petty crimes easy fines....crime avoidance is the name of the game, too much trouble otherwise filling in forms....they spent a few million on the pathetic pleb - gate...endless middle management, useless commissioners, drugs war totally lost, all we get is spin double speak rising costs etc etc its a joke
meanwhile actual victims of repeat crime get no help at all..added to which cops never used to work in their home towns, now they do so guess what? they avoid the real criminals because they don't want to be hassled out of work

the nhs...virtually bankrupt...hospitals still dirtier than almost every European country...worsening waiting times, worsening ambulance call out times, endless buck passing....phenomenal waste , enormous middle management, trusts owing millions, get chief executives wages are through the roof running to millions in rises

roads and green energy? what a joke...speed cameras , speed bumps everywhere...what do they do? damage cars, damage suspensions, damage breaks, damage wheels etc etc make every car more dangerous....endless road works temporary or new traffic lights creating ever more emissions ...destroying all town centres with absurd rates, giving cheap rents to corporate retailers on the outskirts...end result more people in more cars driving to retail parks polluting even more....making the air more polluted , so health and safety are all worse


housing benefits going direct to tenants...massive danger for health and safety...the majority are incapable of looking after a house...often they simply waste spend or simply steal the money and let the houses go to rack and ruin....meanwhile the houses flood, the dampness spreads the electrics become dangerous , the buildings unsafe and lets not even talk about gas....the government want the landlords to have the right paper work...that's meaningless when you have idiots destroying houses


cutbacks to trading standards....so guess what more cowboys get away with more cowboy jobs..cowboy builders, cowboy plumbers, cowboy roofers, cowboy electricians , cowboy mechanics etc etc etc

weve not bothered harnessing the severn tide, the 2nd highest in the world to give us 5% more energy? insane..so its back to nuclear, again how safe is that?

oh we cant dig for our coal, the best coal in the world, why? its unsafe or dirty? yet we can frack, despite fracking being far more dangerous and frankly a journey in the unknown, or rather a journey into the centre of the earth...which its suspected causes earthquakes

war on terror, has that made us safer? don't make me laugh (or rather cry) the threat is greater because of our frankly insane politicians and their nutjob foreign policies due to lobbyists etc

we're not safer were unsafe...these rules are simply about passing the back on due diligence

the only thing that's made us live longer is the scientists who have improved the medication, the technology in vastly improvements the treatments made available to us

so thank you scientists and the rest of you idiot politicians and corrupt burocrats , you can frack off

[joeysteele]

You may get some negativity as to that post the truth but actually analysing it, there is a lot of sense in there.

I don't agree with it all in the way you outline it and who or what you blame for things but there is no denying the vast majority of it could do with being addressed.

I massively agree,not for the reasons you state, as to housing benefit being paid direct to the tenants/claimants,I can only see massive problems arising from that.

Being a driver now myself, I share your moans as to speed bumps,you run a taxi firm I believe, they must be a nightmare for your drivers and cost you loads as to repairs too.

Good post.

[the truth]

forgot to mention dentistry too...fact is its harder to get treatment now than ever....how safe and healthy is that....im sure if you studied everything youd find many of the rules regulations endless new laws, burocracy across society have been self defeating and actually made us worse off ......how do you tell the winner of a fight? wait for the smoke to clear and see whos still standing

[arista]

[the only thing that's made us live longer is the scientists who have improved the medication, the technology in vastly improvements the treatments made available to us]

Yes we need Robot
Cooks
now

[arista]

Yes fella
I will have double egg and brown toast

[user104658]

Originally Posted by the truth

the only thing that's made us live longer is the scientists who have improved the medication, the technology in vastly improvements the treatments made available to uk

IMO literally only two things have significantly increased the human lifespan: sanitation / clean running water, and antibiotics. And even then, the latter of those is now being over-used to the point that it's detrimental to the natural human immune system. They should ONLY be used to treat severe infections that the body can't handle itself in time, and most important of all, septicemia (that's where it increases lifespan - it was a huge killer).

I do sort of agree with this otherwise though, in fact I sometimes feel like all the excessive regulations end up doing is causing people to rely on everything being "totally safe" by default and therefore bypassing common sense. Like... "They" wouldn't make something dangerous like that so it must be f... BZZZZZTTTT dead. People seem to have partially lost the ability to just look at a situation and think "yes, this is obviously dangerous".

Also with speed bumps, there have been MANY studies that show too many speed bumps actually being hazardous, as people's driving becomes more erratic trying to avoid them or their awareness of surroundings is affected by the distraction. I can see the logic in having ONE bump at the beginning of a residential street, if people might be coming in too fast, but the street I used to live on for example had bumps literally every 15 metres... massive overkill.

[the truth]

in socialist wales theres infinitely more speed bumps per mile than in England....the difference is in England you have to prove the reason to have speed bumps in a road..in wales the socialist councils stick them up anywhere

[Kizzy]

I'm not sure why you've emphasised Wales as socialist; deregulation, cutbacks to essential services, privatisation and the mindless bureaucracy that masterminded the services added or lacking and the housing issues you oppose are all conservative initiatives.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by the truth

in socialist wales theres infinitely more speed bumps per mile than in England....the difference is in England you have to prove the reason to have speed bumps in a road..in wales the socialist councils stick them up anywhere

Not sure that's the case really, maybe you have more councils run by Labour in Wales but am finding many in places that have had Lib Dem councils particularly and some Conservatives councils for absolutely ages.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I'm not sure why you've emphasised Wales as socialist; deregulation, cutbacks to essential services, privatisation and the mindless bureaucracy that masterminded the services added or lacking and the housing issues you oppose are all conservative initiatives.

Wales has been enslaved to labour for 40/50 years and they've gotten poorer and poorer.....that's not to say its all labours fault , clearly thatcher destroyed the welsh industries. whilst this thread isn't wholly a political party thread its a thread about health and safety....welsh labour have brought in far more of these idiotic rules and regs into peoples everyday lives and also chipped away at civil liberties...moreso than the tories...labour have pretty much failed wales..not only have they strangled the economy and businesses they've done nothing to revitalise the industries either, in wales theyre now considered a joke....being an honorary Welshman in this stunning country, I actually think the welsh as a people are not suited to socialism....yes there is a very deep rooted sense of fair play , but there is alsoa profound sense of individuality here....which frankly welsh labour doesn't cater for..

regardless of all that, id say generally the health and safety stuff weve signed up to has been self defeating. the types of people who sign up for this stuff usually do so to try and appear like good moral people, but they don't bother to calculate the downside of their policies...in short these people are fake

[Crimson Dynamo]

doe anyone know why they put a speedbump at the end of my mums road 1 foot from the T junction where it joins the main road so as you stop at the junction to turn right or left your car goes up at the front making it harder to see?

its just been put in and I am baffled

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by the truth

wales has been enslaved to labout for 40/50 years and they've gotten poorer and poorer.....that's not to say its all labours fault , clearly thatcher destroyed the welsh industries. this thread isn't wholly a political party thread its a thread about health and safety....welsh labour have pretty much failed wales...being an honorary Welshman in this stunning country, I actually think the welsh as a people are not suited to socialism....yes there is a very deep rooted sense of fair play , but there is alsoa profound sense of individuality here....which frankly welsh labour doesn't cater for..

regardless of all that, id say generally the health and safety stuff weve signed up to has been self defeating. the types of people who sign up for this stuff usually do so to try and appear like good moral people, but they don't bother to calculate the downside of their policies...in short these people are fake

There's a profound sense of individualism everywhere as there is no such thing as community or society anymore that has been a running theme for many years, the fact it's as true in Wales as England is really saddening as I was under the impression they managed to maintain the spirit of togetherness we lack.
As you say the infrastructure around us has been dismantled and sold, the only good health and safety initiaties surround work and workers rights , which if nobody has any work renders them redundant ( bad pun sorry)
Other health and safety issues such as food standards are also worth keeping otherwise we won't become aware that the burger we're munching because we can't afford a chop is some infected nag.
Traffic calming does cause problems yet in residential areas they've cut accidents so there's a plus there. The speed cameras are a way for councils to claw back some of the monies cut by central govt and are therefore in a way an indirect tax, a speed tax.

[Josy]

Originally Posted by the truth

housing benefits going direct to tenants...massive danger for health and safety...the majority are incapable of looking after a house...often they simply waste spend or simply steal the money and let the houses go to rack and ruin....meanwhile the houses flood, the dampness spreads the electrics become dangerous , the buildings unsafe and lets not even talk about gas....the government want the landlords to have the right paper work...that's meaningless when you have idiots destroying houses

I have to reply to this part.

Did you happen to see the panorama episode last night which focused on the opposite end of the letting/tenants/landlords spectrum?

These greedy landlords with no morals at all are raking in a fortune (millions it was shown last night) per year from housing benefit. One family of landlords actually raked in 3.5 million in housing benefit payments in one year from their tenants, living lives of luxury whilst the people that are living in their properties are living like sardines in a tin, amongst mould, damp, rats, cockroaches and actual squalor, one landlord was actually opening the tenants' mail as part of the tenancy agreement, I'm talking about an entire building of tenants mail too not just one.

So whilst it's known you have been affected by bad tenants in the past you CANNOT lump everyone into one category, for every bad tenant there will be 10 decent, law abiding, perfect tenants out there.

As to the housing benefit being paid directly to the tenant, after what I watched last night I don't think this is as bad an idea as what you make it out to be.

Speaking of health and safety, these landlords should at the very least be fined for the unsafe conditions that their tenants are being forced to live in.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Josy

I have to reply to this part.

Did you happen to see the panorama episode last night which focused on the opposite end of the letting/tenants/landlords spectrum?

These greedy landlords with no morals at all are raking in a fortune (millions it was shown last night) per year from housing benefit. One family of landlords actually raked in 3.5 million in housing benefit payments in one year from their tenants, living lives of luxury whilst the people that are living in their properties are living like sardines in a tin, amongst mould, damp, rats, cockroaches and actual squalor, one landlord was actually opening the tenants' mail as part of the tenancy agreement, I'm talking about an entire building of tenants mail too not just one.

So whilst it's known you have been affected by bad tenants in the past you CANNOT lump everyone into one category, for every bad tenant there will be 10 decent, law abiding, perfect tenants out there.

As to the housing benefit being paid directly to the tenant, after what I watched last night I don't think this is as bad an idea as what you make it out to be.

Speaking of health and safety, these landlords should at the very least be fined for the unsafe conditions that their tenants are being forced to live in.

of course they should.....so why aren't they?

[Kizzy]

Because there is no legal aid to do so anymore, if you are living in squalor you have no right to legal representation to fight for better living conditions.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Because there is no legal aid to do so anymore, if you are living in squalor you have no right to legal representation to fight for better living conditions.

eh? you don't need any legal aid you just go to the housing benefits at the council and they can force the landlord to make the improvements with a compulsory home improvement order or face enormous fines

[Kizzy]

I thought we were discussing private landlords? And that's not always the case tenants have taken local councils to court for disrepair cases.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I thought we were discussing private landlords? And that's not always the case tenants have taken local councils to court for disrepair cases.

we were discussing landlords who get paid housing benefits....whenever a landlord gets housing benefits he/she is answerable to the local council who can fine enormous sums and demand repairs are made

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by the truth

we were discussing landlords who get paid housing benefits....whenever a landlord gets housing benefits he/she is answerable to the local council who can fine enormous sums and demand repairs are made

So how are people living in squalor then if there are so many safeguards in place?

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

So how are people living in squalor then if there are so many safeguards in place?

1) perhaps some of housing benefits don't know the ropes about how to complain to the council
2) the rent is paid to the tenants in many cases , they steal it spend it on booze drugs cigarettes , the landlord gets furious and refuses to spend any money on the property due to the theft, the communication breaks down totally and the house starts to fall apart etc etc

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

So how are people living in squalor then if there are so many safeguards in place?

Most landlords, obviously, know all of the ins and out and can play the system. Especially these "slum" landlords. The tenants have rented maybe what... 5 homes in their life, if that. The landlords have rented out hundreds year upon year. They have VASTLY more experience of the system, is the sad truth.

My current landlord is useless. Not interested at all in the house, it was a 70's nightmare when we moved in, the kitchen was bright orange, the carpets were ancient and stained, there was a gas fire in the living room that was at least 40 years old and looked like a death trap... We only chose to live here because it's a very sought after little village (with a very sought after school) and houses don't come up for rent very often at all - let alone affordable ones.

We've had quite a few problems to fix from the kitchen to the bathroom to the guttering to damp on the bedroom ceilings (caused by the gutters) and the landlord just was not doing anything at all... So I didn't give him the rent, and eventually he suggested that we sort these various issues and just take it out of the rent and email a receipt. We've done this a couple of times since with minor maintenance issues... Which is fine by me but... Really!

Not a benefits issue for us because I pay the full tent BUT,

My point is, for the Housing allowance tenants who ARE good tenants, being able to pay the rent themselves is essential for dealing with landlords who refuse to act. Withholding rent until basic issues are fixed is perfectly legitimate and should always be an option.

There are obviously problem tenants but the obvious solution is to have a small team in each council who can act to decide who is "in the right" and if there is rent being withheld form the landlord and no reason for this, THEN switch payments over to the landlord directly.

Pretty simple. Give people a chance first, then take that responsibility away from them if they prove not to be worthy of it. MOST people will be totally fine.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Most landlords, obviously, know all of the ins and out and can play the system. Especially these "slum" landlords. The tenants have rented maybe what... 5 homes in their life, if that. The landlords have rented out hundreds year upon year. They have VASTLY more experience of the system, is the sad truth.

My current landlord is useless. Not interested at all in the house, it was a 70's nightmare when we moved in, the kitchen was bright orange, the carpets were ancient and stained, there was a gas fire in the living room that was at least 40 years old and looked like a death trap... We only chose to live here because it's a very sought after little village (with a very sought after school) and houses don't come up for rent very often at all - let alone affordable ones.

We've had quite a few problems to fix from the kitchen to the bathroom to the guttering to damp on the bedroom ceilings (caused by the gutters) and the landlord just was not doing anything at all... So I didn't give him the rent, and eventually he suggested that we sort these various issues and just take it out of the rent and email a receipt. We've done this a couple of times since with minor maintenance issues... Which is fine by me but... Really!

Not a benefits issue for us because I pay the full tent BUT,

My point is, for the Housing allowance tenants who ARE good tenants, being able to pay the rent themselves is essential for dealing with landlords who refuse to act. Withholding rent until basic issues are fixed is perfectly legitimate and should always be an option.

There are obviously problem tenants but the obvious solution is to have a small team in each council who can act to decide who is "in the right" and if there is rent being withheld form the landlord and no reason for this, THEN switch payments over to the landlord directly.

Pretty simple. Give people a chance first, then take that responsibility away from them if they prove not to be worthy of it. MOST people will be totally fine.

u pay out of your own pocket and you don't rate the way the landlord runs it, leave

if youre ever on housing benefits and the landlords doing a lousy job, ring the housing benefits and get a housing officer out, he will crucify the landlord

[user104658]

Originally Posted by the truth

u pay out of your own pocket and you don't rate the way the landlord runs it, leave

"Leave"? In the middle of a two year lease? With two young children? And go... Where? The options available for rent in my village currently, for example, are a couple of tiny one bed flats, and a 5 bed detached house at a cost of nearly £2000pcm.

Like I said, withholding rent is a perfectly legitimate thing to do if the landlord isn't meeting basic maintenance or safety requirements. In my opinion, it is a vital tool for genuine tenants and pretty much the only leverage they have. I don't really understand why you would have a problem with my suggestion. With "my" system, if you have housing allowance tenants who aren't paying up, then the landlord gets the council out, and if the tenants don't have a good reason to be withholding it then they take the landlords bank details and switch the payments straight over. Simple, easy and fair!

Mandatory direct payments to the landlord would be a pain in the arse for many landlords. Housing allowance isn't a "you get it or you dont" benefit - many people in work get partial payments that cover a portion of rent and they cover the rest themselves. What then? The landlord gets part of it from the council and the other half from the tenant in two separate payments? That sounds like a needless hassle when most tenants are more than capable of sorting out the payment themselves. Just because you personally have had bad experiences with a few tenants does not justify changing the system for everyone.

Interview prospective tenants, get references from previous landlords if possible, and make better choices regarding who you allow to live in your properties.

[billy123]

Last i heard private Landlords are not forced to take tenants that are on housing benefit.
Surely if the property is priced fairly and in good condition then there wouldn't be a problem finding a tenant that is earning enough to be able to pay.
If a Landlord isn't happy with tenants on benefits then don't rent to them its not rocket science really.
It is your property to do what you see fit with.

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

"Leave"? In the middle of a two year lease? With two young children? And go... Where? The options available for rent in my village currently, for example, are a couple of tiny one bed flats, and a 5 bed detached house at a cost of nearly £2000pcm.

Like I said, withholding rent is a perfectly legitimate thing to do if the landlord isn't meeting basic maintenance or safety requirements. In my opinion, it is a vital tool for genuine tenants and pretty much the only leverage they have. I don't really understand why you would have a problem with my suggestion. With "my" system, if you have housing allowance tenants who aren't paying up, then the landlord gets the council out, and if the tenants don't have a good reason to be withholding it then they take the landlords bank details and switch the payments straight over. Simple, easy and fair!

Mandatory direct payments to the landlord would be a pain in the arse for many landlords. Housing allowance isn't a "you get it or you dont" benefit - many people in work get partial payments that cover a portion of rent and they cover the rest themselves. What then? The landlord gets part of it from the council and the other half from the tenant in two separate payments? That sounds like a needless hassle when most tenants are more than capable of sorting out the payment themselves. Just because you personally have had bad experiences with a few tenants does not justify changing the system for everyone.

Interview prospective tenants, get references from previous landlords if possible, and make better choices regarding who you allow to live in your properties.

I've said this before, but your landlord sounds like a ****.

They have schemes where tenants can buy a percentage of their homes and pay rent on the rest retained by the Housing Association, which then allows the tenant to buy the rest of the freehold/leasehold once their income/circumstances allow, so I think it's high time that SOME government extended this scheme across the whole housing market.

Good tenants are to be prized and it stinks that hard working decent tenants cannot have the hope of one day owning the house which is their home.

As long as a fair market value is ascertained and agreed upon, I cannot envisage any problems.