Social Housing - is there a limit for earnings?

[Dogreared]

So, I am asking as someone who was homeless for several years and earning minimum wage, working two jobs, and spent years blaming myself for the position I was in... Experienced all forms of homelessness during this time, was incredibly vulnerable with both mental and physical health issues.

Recently met someone who is a Band 8 salary within the NHS, and who's partner is earning 60k a year - they have been living in social housing (and now complaining they are not eligible for it in their new area they've moved to).

I guess I am really confused about the system and how it works. I was told there were no homes, it is the same area, and it has been through the same time period.

By the way - this isn't posted out of my spite, I ended up being incredibly fortunate and am now comfortable and have secure housing although on benefits and pay for it all from my benefits (I manage with very little to spare each month, but my house is long term secure).

I don't know if I just didn't fight hard enough looking back, or if this is how the system actually works? Are people allowed to keep social housing as they progress through their careers?

My stance would be build more social housing, then this stops being an issue. Make sure there is enough housing to meet demand then housing costs should fall across the board therefore being better for everyone (except those making huge profits from it of course).

But we can give social housing to everyone who needs it. It's a political choice not to build.

@Kendodd not at the moment we cannot because there is a crisis - sure in the future we can if we act now, but currently we cannot.

So start a thread about why there is a crisis rather than one asking is it fair that someone who earns a certain amount has a house. Its clearly a bashing thread and your intent and focus is clear.

I work in housing. Where I am the only people who have a lifetime tenancy are those who have old style perpetuity tenancies which are no longer used, every new tenant in SH is given a 12 month probationary tenancy followed by an Assured Shorthold Tenancy which is supposed to be renewed every 5 years to ensure that the tenant is still in need of social housing.
I'd love to know where all these lifetime tenancies are!

@SomeCommonThing still a thing where I am in Scotland I’ve only been in mine 3 years and it’s life time

We could make buy to lets only available if rented out at the local housing allowance. That would help too.

I paid 10 quid less a week in my grotty HA home than my neighbour in their private one. I paid full rent and utilities the entire time I lived there. I have since moved and got my own house but if I certain circumstances in my life hadn't left me in a position to buy I would still be living in my HA home. Me and DP were on around 55k between us

Yes we can.
Change planning laws (never happy with Tory NIMBYiam).
Build prefabricated homes like they did after WW2.
Housing crisis greatly reduced very quickly.
It's political choice not to do this.

When I first arrived in the UK I met through work a woman from the same country I come from that offered me her 1 bedroom apartment near Covent Garden for £850. She wanted to move in with her boyfriend.

I viewed it and liked it a lot, she then went on to explain how the whole thing had to be kept secret and be careful with what I told the neighbours. I got cold feet and passed on the offer. It all sounded v. strange.

Then the person who had introduced us explained to me about social tenancies. I thought the whole thing was mad. I hope this behaviour is not allowed any more.

@Kendodd or how about stopping all the second homes sitting empty for months, use of empty buildings shops etc instead of mass building and covering green space which is inevitably where it ends up

Yes, completely agree, punitive taxes on second homes and repurposing commercial buildings. Also, I think Britain should break its love affair with the house and live in flats more as they're better for the environment with a smaller footprint.

I'm glad to hear that. Always thought lifetime tenancy was a joke!

@Kendodd completely agree but with everything else these things are too much like common sense

Where I live in the south of England, they only brought in the fixed term and probationary tenancy a few years ago. Pretty much everyone I know in social housing around here has lifetime tenancy. And it’s widespread. You only have to look on the home swapping website for HA and Council homes to see how many are unconditional in terms of time.

My council still does lifetime tenancies. First 12 months is a probationary tenancy then it gets converted to a lifetime tenancy because they want to build strong communities where people put down roots rather than transient ones where people get forcibly moved on.

If you would get kicked out of your home for earning more than some arbitrary limit, where is your motivation to progress at work?