Is this just getting ridiculous! UNIVERSAL CREDIT

Not completely, as if they are accessible and especially if the child would not be old enough to access it, and it would be you the adult, they can count that too. It’s only things like ISA’s etc that you can’t withdraw from, which are excluded. It’s sad but true.

So how do you square that with your contribution to taking from the billions of pounds that are paid from the public purse into private pockets every year in housing related benefits? How do you maintain your image of yourself as good and kind and of claimants as lesser beings? Seriously, how does that work?

When I'm not at my job helping people get work, I think about the reasons why some people - and it is vanishingly rare to encounter someone who's NEVER worked - might not have had jobs. I come to a lot of conclusions but never that they're just too lazy. Because that would be lazy. Lazy, simplistic thinking.

Yes, what would happen to tenants if private landlords weren't around? I guess they'd all have to live in tents! All those privately rented properties would just disappear in a puff of smoke if the rentier class no longer existed.

Thank you ! I do try.

House wasn’t paid for by benefits but I understand what you mean and I agree it is hypocritical. It would be good though for everyone to have at least had one job in their lifetime. Would you not agree ? Or to at least work the minimum 16 hours a week if able.

Look at the good Samaritan.

I didn’t say you were an arsehole.

I rented a property after I left my ex husband, and paid about £200pcm below the rental market value for it because the guy owned it and didn’t want any more for it. That’s why I asked, because that’s the right thing to do on a non-mortgaged rental IMO.

I do think it’s unreasonable to have an issue with benefits when you are profiting from them personally.

Not all landlords are despicable. Where are tenants on benefits/ low incomes supposed to live if there are not enough housing association homes and not enough council homes?

Very altruistic of you. 🤣

Landlords are the worst benefit scroungers going. Not only do they expect large monthly payments but they expect a house bought for them at the end of it. Shameless.

Lots of landlords won’t accept benefits I agree. Do you think landlords shouldn’t accept benefits?

@LilyBunch25 @Coffeeandbooks88

In an ideal world there would be enough social housing. Rented on a time limited basis, not for life. But we don't live in that world. Who should house @Crochetandtea 's tenant given the housing shortage?

I'll wait.

Very fair rent pay fully paid for by benefits so she doesn’t have to pay anything extra. She’s been there for about 5 years this time. Moved out of the same house about 15 years ago and moved back again ( she asked us to keep it for her should it become available again). It’s a large bungalow in the countryside with a bigger than average garden . She looks after the house well and can paint , decorate, hang pictures as she wishes. Are we still arseholes?

We would rather rent to someone locally longterm who looks after the house even though we could possibly get more a month if it was re advertised .

It doesn’t no, but then you shouldn’t be living somewhere else I.e the partner of someone, and have a key to their place, when for example in our tenancies it specifically says not to give to persons not named on tenancy. And then stay 7 days a week if you want, and still expect benefits to pay, because oh yeah, you don’t want to live together.
It’s very easy to do when you just live with family elsewhere then that home exists with or without you, but the government are slow on this kind of thing.

I’ve known people hide their car to stay extra so it doesn’t look like what it looks like, fraud.

So just relyimg on other peoples bebefits then lol

Many landlords domt take UC tenants so its quite easy to get people to pay rent from their earnings if you were genuine about not relying on benefits

If the house isn’t mortgaged I’m assuming the rent is at a fair and reasonable rate, below market value even, perhaps?

My salary comes directly from the state too.

How funny you should mention this, but a lady was on the bus last week on the phone saying the exact same thing, she was speaking at full volume so impossible to not hear what she was saying. And she was disputing the taking a photo outside her door etc, so I kind of guessed it must be connected to UC etc.

I have just had my review, and have not had any of this, but despite in the initial stage being asked for last 4 mths bank statements etc. Then in the final call which I am familiar with, further questions are asked, and I was then asked again, how many bank accounts do you have, I guess this is to catch you out, in case you sent less via the statements submitted already. Then after that in my ‘to do’ list asked me to declare savings etc 🤦‍♀️ so I guess this is to check further. Despite not having anything to hide, it does make me nervous still.

Hopefully it solves any mysteries when you send them what they want.

That’s brilliant 😂

No mortgage on the property so that’s irrelevant. We don’t tax on the rent though so it’s not all profit. Trying our best to ensure we will never need to rely on benefits to survive.

I suspect they may be asking for a standard list of things because it costs time and therefore money to tailor the request to each person.

Not ideal but one possible reason?

Would you prefer we didn’t house her and her three children and their dog? We are providing a service it just so happens that the state pay her rent. I agree it would be better if she had a job and paid her own rent.

We keep having these reviews like randomly having to have a face to face and provide a years worth of statements. We’ve always been open with them, like I recently got £100k life insurance payout which they disregarded as I was using it for new bathrooms, woodburner and paying off the mortgage. I also got £8k pack pay for pip which they also disregarded. So I don’t know why they keep doing these checks on us for a years statements when we had to do all that when I had lump sums going in a few months ago.

I think they are clamping down massively to try and catch people that shouldn’t be claiming.

pip is also increasing difficult to get now after the rapid increase during covid where they were handing it out left right and centre for anxiety etc. I’ve got stage 3 cancer and initially I got turned down! (Got it after appeal)

Totally my fault 🙈 not surprised you were...

No problem. I was confused. 🤣