OMG!! The Council House Giveaway!!

[HeeHiles]

It's IDS again!!

So, if you live in a council house and come off benefits for a year the Tories will GIVE you your council house. Now even though I could benefit from this I still think it's a crazy idea......we need more CH not give them away!!

All for a few votes?? It's that damn Dame Porter all over again!

Anyone think this is a good idea?

I wonder if when the say benefits do they mean any sort of benefits or just out of work benefits. No point in getting furious. A lot of people are struggling financially both those people on benefits and not on benefits. This is one of the daftest ideas I've seen for a long time.

Dawn Answer me this - why should people have the right to have children that they can't afford and expect them to be fully paid for by the state? I really don't think that's an unreasonable question and just to clarify I'm not including those whose circumstances have changed.
Because neither you nor I can decide what is an affordable amount, people prioritise/budget etc differently. It cannot be policed and shouldn't be policed, choices are available and should continue to be. Marie Stopes and many other eugenicists were quite clearly shown to be in the wrong.

Surely someone has pointed out to him that doubling the NMW would be much cheaper? So presumably this isn't really about unemployment. It's just convenient that they can have a pop at the unfortunate in passing.

Since August last year the max rtb discount is now 75%

And it's capped Baddz. £75kish, outside of London I think.

So you'd have to live somewhere worth £100k or less (and have lived there a very long time) to get 75% discount.

It's not troubling my envy circuits too much.

In fact I just checked Baddz and the maximum discount is 70%, but capped at £77k outisde of London and £102700 in London.

So probably largely of academic interest In London and many other areas.

righttobuy.communities.gov.uk/what-discount-could-you-get/

(And you only get 70% if you have been a tenant for 15 years +)

My mum just bought hers and got 75% off
She has lived there since 1969
Not London

You'd better let the HCA know

Planning policy is often a convenient scapegoat for lack of house building but developers actually sit on huge land banks WITH planning permission until the sites become profitable enough for them .

That link was very helpful Arsenic.

RTB is starting to look quite attractive.......

Good point Bee.

As a voter or a tenant?

By the time you've got rid of all the wall-mounted plastic-trunked electrical cabling, put a decent kitchen in, had the plastering done properly and replaced the boiler, maybe some elctrical work or windows, I should think those discounts are looking more helpful bonus than lottery win.

It might be different if all the new-build HA houses were suddenly put on the RTB scheme. They are (generally) in much better nick.

A very good point made about NICU and neonatal services.
BTW a family member has private health insurance and as far as I have been informed they have to be referred by a lowly GP to access it.
Same family member also has a disabled child, epilepsy and other health issues, his care has to be under NHS and the SEN school the child attends is LA as no viable alternative is available to meet the child's needs.
Anyway I thought this thread was about giving council houses away? There are no council houses to give away here as all (mine included) are now under HA.
I also work and pay taxes, so there!

As a tenant Arsenic.

54% of off this dump makes it look like a bargain- even with the cost of new bathroom/kitchen/heating.

Blimey.

Yay SaucyJack, mine too! Any news on the bathroom front?

I suppose the thing with home improvements is that you can take your time.

In HA you are not allowed to do home improvements, they rip them out and fine you for the priviledge! I have a circa 1950's bathroom that I am not allowed to improve myself, but that is another thread altogether. Heavens I don't want to accused of being a nasty socialist!

I meant home improvements after a RTB purchase, but wow 1950s!

That isn't one of the shiny new HA houses then?

Don't be silly Betty. It's only 50 years old- practically brand new in SH terms

Are they going to do yours?

No! Apparently my name was 'missed off' the up grade list, so tough tits!! I was ' granted permission' to put up a fence, at my expense naturally, after neighbours staffie tried to maul my 5 year old twins! I doth my cap accordingly!

Arsenic my house is 1950's old council house. However, at least we have 'proper walls' unlike the shiny new ones!

That's a point (the walls). Wouldn't fancy trying to upgrade walls.

No! Apparently my name was 'missed off' the up grade list, so tough tits

That kind of nonsense is exactly why I wouldn't blame people for accepting the deeds to their homes if they were offered gratis.

I've lived here for 16 years.
The point is actual 'council houses' are very rare as most stock in the UK has been transfered to HA's. Therefore IDS is talking out of his rear again. However if you look at some of the posters reactions on here, he has achieved his aim.
Diatribe and vitriol directed at the poorest in society.

Does IDS mean housing association homes ?
As there are very few actual council homes .

Does anyone else actually think IDS is trying reverse psychology to stir up more hatred against people on benefits ?
How much shit would this cause if they gave houses away? , I actually dread to think, people will be furious and take it out on the wrong people.