Asked to consider leaving our council house for private renting

[Edenviolet]

Because we have been overpaying on rent and therefore should re evaluate our position.....

Bit of background, we had been in arrears which we paid off whilst dh was in work.then had a few months on IS and got HB and now dh has been working again (part time) we pay nearly all the rent.

We decided about 3-4 weeks ago to overpay our rent a bit each week to allow us two or three 'weeks off' over Christmas and new year.

Got a call today about my rent account as the balance is now in credit by just over £200 (so only a week and a half ahead really). Housing officer was offering an appointment for us to come in and discuss a possible move to private renting as there is a huge shortage of social housing and we could according to them afford it due to the fact we are overpaying our rent.

I explained why we have been paying a bit extra but she was quite pushy about us at least considering a move!

AIBUto think this is a bit pushy and wrong?

I think I'd be tempted to make a written complaint TBH.

I can't see what basis she's acting on.

Yes, and many LL's do not want children, or more than one child, people who are home all day, or cannot accept any sort of HB at all. LHA caps are low, too, and so the LL would need to see proof of steady income so he/she can rely on their being able to top up the rent.

Yeah i'd say you are exactly the kind of family council houses are meant to be there for. It would be a bloody nightmare moving you all.

I'm not sure I inderstand about the rent card though and over paying on it though, do you have to physically out money on an actual card? I'd thought you were just moving money around via online banking so it didn't make any sense to me!

I like to have an overpayment on my rent for a month or so.

Currently we are claiming IS and HB, but I am looking for work. What happens when I find a job and my HB stops, but I dont get paid for a month? At least then I dont have to worry about my rent.

Problem, for me, with savings accounts is that Im not very good at keeping the savings there. I dip into them.

This is awful, people shouldn't be pushed into expensive insecure private lets, they have no right to do this, how awful.

We have a card that we have to take with the cash to a post office or pay point outlet.

Used to pay by direct debit but the council kept increasing it then we were in credit by a lot but they refused for months to refund it. I set up a standing order but then they took the dd and so every month so in the end we went back to the rent card!