To be envious that my neighbour lives in a council house........

[EnviousEvie]

and pays £600 a month less than me for the exact same bloody house (her's is nicer inside) next door to mine?

Difference is hers is a council house, mine is a private rental. The owner of mine bought it from the council and now rents it out while he lives in a 4 bed detached house in a nicer part of town. We pay £950 a month, neighbour pays council £350 a month (3 bed terrace). We had to move here after selling our house last year because DH lost his job and we needed to release the small amount of equity we had to pay the bills we were behind on because we were terrified of being in debt. Our rent is now £150 a month higher than our mortgage was.

We struggle every bloody month and live on 'value' food. We are not entitled to housing benefit (DH now working again after a year, I work part time - 3DCs). Neighbour's DH is an accountant so she can afford not to work at all. That £600 would make a massive difference in our lives but we have not got a chance in hell of getting a council house. There are over 5000 people on the waiting list in my area. We are on the list but have been told that it could be over 5 years before we have a chance. Love my neighbour to bits but can't help feeling pissed off about it!

AIBU to think that this is bloody unfair?

Think we're headed there faster than we think Riven

Nope Riv, can;t afford to go to the US

But we are supposed to have the pride of social support here, that's the difference.

Just been reading the Inside Housing forum...sheesh, some of the comments from those working in housing are an eye opener.

Ah that site reminds me of here! For every right wing numpty there's someone with some facts arguing back

Our local HA lady though (saw her about some forms she helped fill in for something else) was lovely; now maybe it helped that I ahd ds3 with me (school was on strike) and he was trying to lick the glass divide (!) but she sat and chatted about her own SN Grandchild and how hard things could be for carers. My mate works for the Devon and Cornwall HA and he's fine, has learned a little I hope about ASD from me and is really interested (works direcvtlyw ith tenants). Thing is though- and I know this from yeras in those jobs where you ahve to deal with some people taking the piss and far morewho need every bit of help they get- is that you can get hardened. Even if you try hard not to. Not with teh grnuines but with the pisstakers.

Though LMAO that only 7% of people on ESA can work; that is before ATOS over turn rates (of between 30 and 70% dependant on whether there is proper representation) and even then vastly wrong i will wager. Besides could and can are different things- I wonder how many people who recruit woudla ctually choose to employ someone with MH / physical disability / etc? Triply so in a comptitive job market! In reality, most people can do soemthing- I shall find a link for you about my friend in a minute- but there's always a specific group fo people with LD, MH, AsD at a certain level etc who simply cannot and a big group of people with PF who can't without many adaptations- adaptations that employers just don't make.

Nath