To feel embarrassed that we are so cushioned from austerity

[pouffepants]

because we live in social housing.

My rent is about £100 a week, for a 3 bed terraced house in a seaside village in the south east. We can easily pay this, and have 'plenty' of money to spare each week.

We can't however get anywhere near buying a house, because it's just too expensive, and we're also self-employed precariously so I doubt anyone would give us a mortgage.
So we should rent privately. Except our rent would then be £100-£150 more for a similar place per week. When I say we have plenty over, I certainly don't mean that sort of money.
So basically we can either stay put, taking up social housing that could be used for someone in need (as I once was), and saving/spending a couple of hundred a month. Or I can go private, where we would have to go to a cheaper area, change schools, cause problems for work, lose security and be utterly skint! (Like the rest of you)

The only conclusion is that my rent should be higher.

Easily Rhondajean. I'm not being funny, why would that be difficult?

If you are Self Employed, is the 29K take home pay, after tax?

Your point is you want all the Daily Mailers to come storming onto the thread ranting about social housing being unfair wah wah wah.

"When I say spare income, i mean after all our extras are paid for, extra car/holidays/kids activities"

How about, cutting down a bit on all the extras, and saving some more, so that you can afford to buy or rent, if you feel so guilty about it..

FFS..

people are means tested though and those on low income and benefit get housing benefit

It's pathetic the state our country is in when anyone can regard being able to put a nominal amount of savings away each month as an unfair advantage isn't it.

This is one of those threads that is a researcher's DREAM! OP - tune into the wright show or DM website. You're about to get famous!

If there comes a point when you can realistically afford to move out of HA accom, then do so. If you can't afford to come out of HA housing, then you are not cushioned from anything.

If you could come out and private rent and free up a much needed property for a family currently in a b&b or hostel but you don't want to give up your many many pounds of spare money, then that's something for you and your conscience.

And yes, perhaps HA rents could come up (maybe then we wouldn't see all the ranting about them being 'subsidised') - and private rents could come down so that people weren't struggling to pay them, and they could meet in the middle! And house prices could fall so that they weren't so ridiculously expensive and people could afford to buy them.

OP How big is your TV?

It's not always about the rent though,anyone giving up a secure tenancy would be mad IMO.

ach hectate I will watch the wright stuff tomorrow was helicopter parenting the other day

HA rents do not need to go up!!

Why do people think that's a good idea?

catgirl, oh yes, no article/item/discussion of social housing is complete without a 50inch flat screen tv (and a packet of fags )

Because despite my principles, I'd actually have to be really stupid to give up security and all the extras for my kids.

The only way I can justify it to myself is that I originally got the housing because of my first husband's disability. He died 6 years ago, and obviously can't pay towards his kids, nor could he have life insurance, so I thing of it as income from him for the kids.

Really, I shouldn't be getting it from the state though.

I do love threads like this

I think we should add to the acronym list 'YABUAW'...'You Are Being Unreasonable And Weird'....

Means tested for staying in social housing mean...if an income is over a certain amount.

Let's not forget the goat Hecate.

If you like, I can suggest some ways to spend your excess money, so you don't notice, and won't feel bad.

Have takeaways often, go to the cinema weekly, buy yourself some nice shoes/ clothes once a month. Have your hair done regularly.

Oh, look, you can't afford to save any money. Voila

See OP, when those of us who do not live in social housing had to find somewhere to live, we didnt have holidays, we managed with one car, and we cut down on all unnecessary expenses until we got some savings together.

If you were so serious about feeling guilty for not freeing the place up for someone so needy, you would do more about it.

These threads get my goat..........

you are getting nothing from the state though you are paying rent Do you feel guilty about still staying in the house ?

I have always wanted a goat.

I want an African Pygmy goat

Absolutely usual, the secure tenancy is much more desirable than the low rent.

We'er complete bastards who are buying our house, work about a million hours a week to pay for it, get second hand clothes for our kids and don't go on holiday. Ha! beat that.