To think: if you can fly first class, you shouldn't have a council house?

[Mexxo]

Facebook friends of mine (friends of RL friends really) making lots of comments this week about their impending holiday to Mauritius on which they'll be flying first class and staying in a 5 star hotel.

This couple have lived in a council house for many years (no kids yet), though this year so far she has got a new (not brand new, a year or two old but still v nice) BMW and he has a new Ducati.

One of their friends has commented on FB "Wow, did you win the lottery?!" and the wife replied "no we just saved a long time for our dream holiday".

First class flights to Mauritius are £4k each. A week in a 5 star hotel must be at least £2k and probably more. That's £10k for a week's holiday. AIBU to think that if people can squirrel away that much money for a holiday, they shouldn't be living in a bloody council house subsidised by taxes from the rest of us?

Don't let it get to you, abitwobbly!

The "everyone should have a council house" crew are very black and white about the issue. No room for any middle ground at all.

Would make for better reading Mexxo sorry.....I cannot help these fingers, they do not engage with brain!

Oh so I am in a "crew" now....yay! Used to be clique....

So abit if you know best what SHOULD society do about ds3?

The only solution anyone ever gave me when pressed was euthanasia.

Excepting that, which is obviously extreme (cheers BIL)- some people have no option but dependency. DS1 will not be dependent, his ASD does not bring that, but ds3's does.

Often personalising stuff is the best way to explain. people ARE more than sums and figures, thank goodness. It's quite as it should be. We are ALL the product of real life and experiences, and life is all the richer for it. At the extreme- if it is so wrong why am I being urged to include case studies in my MA research?

As for lefties are X and Y: hardly! We are a diverse bunch. And even in welfare provision has to change, it does not mean that the current changes- ATOS etc- are the right ones: they definitely are not.

Hmmmm decisions, decisions, I am unsure my council would be happy with me for moving from £250 per month to £800 and I'm eighth on "the list" for a bigger Council house, best not upset anyone. I was Fifth on the list but people and points...pushed me back. Do I moan? Fecking right I moan!

"crew" feels appropriate to the baying for blood approach.

So you move out of social housing where the rent is manageable and into private rental where the rent is higher?

And be forced to claim HB to cover the shortfall....

a bit daft isn't it? End up costing the LA

Not at all. Why should I subsidize holidays abroad.

It's totally untrue and insulting to say council houses are only in horrible areas.I live in one of the most beautiful areas in Britain with council houses interwoven with private.Also don't new build estate projects have to put some aside to social housing now.

There have been problems because of this with people paying ££££££££ for houses that are built next to the same houses people are renting at a subsidised rate. Said houses are harder to sell.

mellower that's still not a bad position. I just moved too, got the place I wanted by bidding in the new year/over Xmas when people were away or too drunk to bother bidding!

prairie apparently the rules have changed this week, so no, developers are no longer obliged to

What sort of holiday can your fb friends of friends go on op? Maybe you'd like to lay down some rules for council tenants to follow? A points system of sorts?

For example no one in a council house is allowed to go on a holiday worth more than, say, 10 points. So Gt Yarmouth would be 1 point and St Lucia 8

Accommodation type carries points too. So a 5 star hotel would carry 8 points.
And mode of travel comes into it too. First class is 5 points.
And length of stay. 2 weeks is 5 points. Now all we need is to train and pay someone at the council to keep track of what tenants are going where and for how long. So maybe if they camp in Mauritius they might still be within their points?

'The West CANNOT afford their welfare provisions. Welfare provisions are, therefore, going to change.

And mocking me will not take that fact away.'

The largest proportion of the welfare budget is on state pensions. What are we going to do about those, as more and more people live longer and longer? Raise the age of retirement? There's already huge backlash against that.

Pensions keep going up and up.

No head far easier to just move tenants out when they don't need social housing which this couple clearly don't.If they don't like being moved out perhaps they should save for their own property. With 5-10K they're well on their way to a decent deposit.Yes there will be no more BMW or exotic holidays but as a homeowner myself I'm prepared to forgo said luxuries to have my own home.

this cannot be for real i mean really???????

how can people say that living in a council means that you shouldn't be able to go on holiday what about those people who work all year long to afford a break away are you saying they should'nt be able to do that as it is a the taxpayers expence?

i live in in private accomodation and would bite my councils hand off just to get a place my rent is £1200 per month for a 2 bed rabbit hutch i cannot afford to take dcs anywhere as the small amount of income i do get goes straight back out i also have to pay a shortfall of rent because of housing cuts so if i did live in council housing my rent would fall by a third i could work full time pay all my rent and go on holiday.

so i say mind your own business yabvvvvu leave them alone to enjoy their holiday of a lifetime you have no idea what they have done or sacrificed to pay for it

Oh good Blackberry and glad you have a nice new house.

Usual what is ilk

Blood baying? Where is that thread?

Theinets OK, well they can have my portion of tax, yours can go elsewhere. And s Is aid, his rent is market value and paid entirely by himself. Not everyone is in housing-shortage-rent-nightmare London. So frankly he doesn't get your taxes, my taxes or anyone else's taxes. Indeed, the housing on his estate was developed purely to meet the needs of the workers at factories nearby- all of whom who paid tax. Indeed, dad managed 1000 people at one point so must have been at least alright at his job. (why he didn;t leave the council housing is a complex long individualised story involving massive debts to HMRC after a business partner did a runner with their entire assets and left dad dealing with thousands in unpaid tax).

Anyhoo....

it's interesting: there was suggestion recently to not pay heating premiums to old people in places where the temperatures in winter averaged above a certain level, 20degrees c IIRC. There was a massive outcry- 'I paid my taxes'! etc. Well, plenty of poorer people pay taxes too. The majority of people on benefits are NOT unemployed- the new system includes tax credits, but it also goes for Housing Benefit.

Maybe I will take the 'we can;t afford it' stuff better if they address silly practices like heating for those in hot countries first. Cold weather payments for the severely disabled were stopped years ago.

Council houses are everywhere- nice or bad. They wanted to build some affordable housing in our village, badly needed, even the Vicar marched against it. Not me- when the local economy needs low paid workers to function I think we should be able to house them all, we are hardly Kensington- our rent is under £600 PCM and I love this cottage. the estate I grew up on was on the deprivation indexes, probably not most people's first choice.

My parents bought their house for £15k.

Then dragged us to Spain on a bus every year, now that's bad!!! 2 and half days on a bus....every year.

Head in hands that sounds like a great idea to me!

Tantrum social housing isn't there to enable people to go on holiday.

Nobody suggesting what ds3 should do come the predicted End Of Welfare?

no thought not.

theinets, I am hoping to take the parents to France next year, is that allowed please? (We have offered, depends whether dad can get time off). Or should I say no! Evil, hardworking, dedicated, loving, respite- giving father! You rent a council house without state help! you must not have a holiday at our expense!