To think being able to use housing benefits as a mortgage is unfair?

There is another factor as well. The intention is to enable HA tenants to buy their homes at a discount. But the government doesn't own the HA property, so how will that work- unless they will be reimbursing the HA for the discount they are forcing them to give. In which case HA tenants will get what it in effect a lump sum deposit from the state which private tenants won't get. Why not just build more Council housing?
Advisors to Cameron and May have already said it won't work as they have looked at it previously. Still good headline for BoJo.

They haven't needed too though. In an era of increasing house prices, lenders have granted a high amount of forbearance as it made commercial sense.

The elephant in the room now is that are lenders and the government predicting a downturn in house prices, which would mean that it wouldn't make commercial sense for those mortgage holders with 10% or less equity in an era of decreasing house prices?

Ultimately the underwriters will say NO.
Risk of default too high.
They won't be able to have a deposit higher than 16k as otherwise wouldn't be entitled to benefits.
Desperate popular politics for a man who knows his career is on the line

RTB buyers have a built in deposit, and surely that’s who they mean, but finding mortgage lenders prepared to underwrite will still be a hurdle.

Plus I've never known a conservative government give ( potentially ) so money away like this before too

RTB was started in the 80s by Thatcher. You’ve definitely known it, it’s in your user name!

I'm actually gobsmacked at this sentiment. You'd rather line the pockets of landlords and subject people to their whims rather than allow people a stable roof over their heads?

After I suffered DV at the hands of my dc's father, I stayed in the family home while I sorted the divorce and court, etc. I was claiming benefits until I could work full time and take the mortgage on myself. To have to sell my children's home and move into a rental, get rid of family pets, possibly change schools, etc etc, after such a traumatic life event is a horrendous thought.

I'm grateful for the assistance I received during such a terrible time in our lives. I'm also grateful you aren't in charge of any policies that would have adequate our lives exponentially worse.

Really hope so. Very unfair otherwise.

Of course housing benefit should cover the mortgages. What do you want families that fall on hard times to do, default and end up in a council house that doesnt exist?

It’s not going to work accept for maybe a few people in gritty council flats on Stoke, and only turn if they bring in a government-backed lender. So I think you can release your pearls.

Plus I've never known a conservative government give ( potentially ) so money away like this before too. The magic money trees are growing at number 10!!

I know it's nuts.

Or, they are trying to inflate away the debts they've accrued.

Surely you have to be in a HA or council owned property first to be eligible for this? They are hard to get to start with!
It's not private tenants renting that will qualify for this of course , that house or flat does belong to an actual person or company. They pay a lot more rent too and probably the ones with the biggest gripe. I don't blame them.
How many homes would potentially come under this scheme for people to consider?
Plus I've never known a conservative government give ( potentially ) so money away like this before too. The magic money trees are growing at number 10!!

And this will just lead to more unscrupulous landlords and a lack of social housing.

I'm in private rented , no benefits, can't afford to buy .

No after £6000 you lose a certain amount it stops totally at £16,000

I agree - in fact, anyone who has the cheek to claim any sort of means tested benefits should prove they’re homeless, starving and at deaths door before their claim can be processed!

I thought that buy to let owners did pay a lot of tax?

They pay tax at the same rate as the rest of us. They sob about being hard done by but they’re really not.

People who are up to their eyeballs in debt are compliant.

that’s the plan, right now we have far too many people who do not need to work, who are in a comfortable position without a PAYE income.
The plan is to get those people back into the workforce by pushing up the retirement age, by inflating away their savings and by forcing as many people as possible to be indebted for as long as possible.

Yep, it's working already

Newspapers are never accurate I've read so much rubbish about benefits in the past. Has anything been confirmed? I've not heard if it has.

Hear hear!

Maybe I am being synical, but is this to divide the country. 🤔

Yeah I’m sure that will keep you warm in your old age, honestly it just makes me laugh out loud. I pay 40% tax on everything I earn over and above the threshold and it’s still worth my while dragging my arse to work every day to just not to be on minimum wage and having to deal with anybody at the universal credits department.

I believe me there’s been times I’ve considered it. But I would do it in addition to self employment and no way would I rely on the government to keep the roof over the children and i’s heads.

I have seen the shit they put people through, literally calling my friend who works full time by the way and had small children, at work to tell her that she needed to get in to an appointment with them with less than 24 hours notice otherwise she would be sanctioned. Literally the list of reasons they could sanction you just seemed to be endless.

Not if the deposit savings are ring fenced, as per the news today.

If you have no children or children over a certain age the minimum hours to work is 35 a week. You won't be better off trust me

People can have savings but they will get less benefits as they take the savings into account.

this