In hoping the benefits cap may prove to be A Good Thing?

YesLaurie you're right

Line Runner I was simply responding to the "extortionate rents" comments. Suggesting that there may be other factors to take into account.

I'm not sure it will do anything to combat house prices or rents

Round my way a 3 bed detached is on sale for £325,000 - the same house next door is up for rent for £1500 a month - that's how much a repayment mortgage would cost on it.

Not that any lenders would lend a couple with 50k coming in that mortgage anyway but they are exactly the couple that would be actually paying a rent like that.

There is NO joined up thinking here. We need massive investment in house bulding (only 4% of Britain is built on), we need to persuade the elderly to sell their properties by making them pay more for their care (it's ridiculous that they have benefitted so much from massive house price increases - the elderly - mostly elderly nhs costs - cost most to the country than the benefits bill).

Does everyone really believe that a perfectly ordinary property that cost £3000 back in 1957 should now be of benefit to someone when they sell for 750K? for no reason?

And that's the reason govts don't really want to tackle house prices - they are the ones benefitting.

But no-one is forced to become a 'buy to let' landlord, surely?

You do appreciate that buy to let mortgage providers require landlords to have rental income of 120% of the mortgage payments. If you live in the South East where properties are expensive and mortgage repayments high this 20% on top really does push rents up. Landlords don't always have as much freedom as you expect when it comes to rent levels.

An average 4 bed house where I live is around £1600 a month private rent. Something has to happen to these rental prices, they are obscene. Three beds are around the £1200 mark.

ive been banging on about having a upper limit to benefits for years

about time they slowly started to sort it out

HB is already capped. So it particularly affected those living in the South East.

Also isn't HB capped anyway now? Through the local allowance? In my area, that means that no one can claim anymore than £180 per week HB. Or are they lowering those thresholds even more?

Lots of landlords won't accept tenants that are claiming any HB anyway, so it probably won't make a lot of difference. I do agree with you though about greedy landlords.

Landlords are not going to put their rents down.........not in a time when most working people can't afford a mortgage.

Unless you get a disability related benefit (in which case you are exempt from the cap) I don't see how you could get £26,000 or more in benefits.........so is this aimed at people who have a lot of children and claim?

I wish it would work sadly I don't have enough confidence that this will combat landlords' greed. It'll just put the homeless rate up and over burden local councils with temporary accommodation costs.

I would like to think you are right too.

Unfortunately, something always comes along and puts a spanner in the works!

YANBU...& lets hope you are correct. :)

Disclaimer: I am only talking about rents...I am (at the moment) a little ignorant on any other benefit that may be capped.