Goodbye Spongers!

It's not opposing the benefits cap it just wants some people in some London areas to still be allowed to receive excessive amounts.

I have presumed the motivation is all private landlord profit, high house prices are good theme but I may be wrong.

This isn't really about whether houses are decent is it though? It's about reigning in the 8K pcm HB claims surely? They make irritating (for politicians) newspaper headlines.

I shall have to see what's available round here for the money, I'm guessing (an educated guess I can assure you) quite a bit.

I notice everyone on here was cynical about the standards dispossessed drive it's at 4.2 million now isn't it? are people still so cynical about it I wonder?

Blimey, if even the Standard is opposing the benefits cap I think we can safely assume it's iniquitous and unfair.

The chances are, people on HB have ALREADY lost their jobs and suffered a big loss of income - that's why they're getting HB. And very few of them are living in decent accommodation.

It needs pointing out though that some private landlords rents ballooned to match the increas in HB that was allowed by the lab gov (previously I'm sure most people owning a 8K pcm house wouldn't have considered someone on HB.)
There is nothing wrong with trying to correct this.

However I see from the standard that there are moves afoot to exempt London from this which IMHO would be a great shame.

it needs saying that if a working person lost their job or suffered a big loss of income they would have to cut their cloth accordingly why should it be any different if you are on HB?

me and Mr Jones I can't be the only one who had to read your post several times to make sure I'd read your figures correctly, at first I thought Mr Jones had paid £94 yax!!

MeAndMrJones

My comment about blaming it on the bankers was sarcasm. People in this country blame everything on bankers (some was their fault) but never accept any responsibility themselves for what happened.

I've seen a similar problem when we lived in Richmond. A house opposite us was being paid for by the council at >£5000/month. I have no problem with those living in the house; clever to exploit the system. I have a problem with a government that allows that to happen.

My DH is in the 50% tax bracket. His tax bill last year was > 10x my gross salary (I'm a lawyer). So yes we are keen to make sure it's used well!

Who just said it's all the banks fault?

If you add up the figures the banks caused a tiny proportion of the problems and 13 years with Labour spending like there was no tomorrow caused the deficit. Every Labour government from time and memorial have brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy but we all forget and vote them in again!

OP, I think may have been misunderstood. I live in London and my neighbours - whom I am very fond of - do not work and are in an £8000pcm house. They have four kids and have been on two holidays this year. It winds me up but she is too nice for me to hate her personally! LOL!

I also think that the more tax you pay the more galling it is to think that's what your money is going on. DH paid £94k in tax last year which probably went into my next door neighbours pocket. And when it came to getting a certain medicine was turned down because we are in the wrong postcode! I'm thrilled that our taxes go on everyone but us!

WH666 All I can say is "Jag mein oberleutnant!".

t

lol@criminal decor...wood-chip abounds

shakespear no disrespect but do you have a life? and if so do you spend much of it in of others?

Defective is right. And she brings us neatly back to the subject of rogue landlords and their criminal decor.

..

YOu must admit though, sponging is a sin

I eman, who would want a sponger in their house?

Better a nice rag roll, no?

spongers?...yeah because life is so simple isn't it...

Absolutely Vicar; worked for a aprenting charity for a while. yes many of our clients were on benfits but they were nice, normal humans who wanted the best for their kids despite often really tough times.

in the course of my new job training i had to go and work at at homeless young persons project last week.

i think that would be an excellent start for all the people shouting about spongers. yes - some are.and some arent. but whats the alternative? im in training as a police officer. i think my job is going to get a whole lot harder.

ZephirineDrouhin

Somehow I made the error of marrying a man who bought his parents a house to live in. Must make mental note not to do that again!

PMSL thatBWarwick is posting teh same diatribe in different threads on teh board.

Panel rejects dear, too repetitive.

Onager mate I am loving your work here tonight.

I think you are fab.

Best, Peachy X

No I haven't actually. Please point me to them. Perhaps my masterplan is already in action muwhwhwhhah. Getting the stamp duty (sorry I said CGT before) to 20% is the natural next step.

I think the idea that you have to have a decent deposit can only be a good thing in such a shakey market. It could actually bottom at any point you know, it just takes a little bit of a wiggle and it'll be freefall.

But perhaps that's the plan?

And 4 out of 5 ftbs are assisted by the bank of Mum and Dad

Think average age now for FTB is 37 unassisted by bank of mum and dad ...

It's already the case that only the top 20% of earners can afford to buy. Have you not seen the statistics on first time buyers lately?

Can I please have a fertility control fitted though? I fecking hate this Mirena coil and it sounds peachy

Is it fuck the bank's fault. The banks are far too inept to be given responsibility for any of the things listed!

WarwickHunt666 and whomovedmy chocolate

Both are rather inspired solutions in their own rather different ways.

However, both of you have clearly missed the ultimate point: that it's all the banks fault ... benefit caps, loss of child benefit, the crappy weather recently, the total inability for the UK to win at sport.

Which response. I'm being a bit devilish tonight (you'd be amazed to know what I really think)

There is an easy solution actually. We raise the value of ALL homes to the point that only the top 20% of earners can reasonably afford to buy. But we increase CGT to 20% of a home's value.

We spend that money on local authority rented housing which cannot be purchased, only rented.

We cap rents on all properties to 10% below the average mortgage cost for that property if available for sale on the open market (rated by council tax values reassessed every five years).

Thus renting becomes economically attractive for the vast majority of people.

Bob's your proverbial uncle.

No-one argues over whether HB is at the right amount (no housing benefit to be available to buyers). Everyone has someone to despise and things are hunky dory.