I think it's an excellent policy, I hope it is introduced. I say this as someone who was raised in social housing.
If people fnd that they are struggling to pay rent on £30k a year then they have to look at their expenses! A lot of people in private rentals on even less then that are now expected to be paying full rent with no housing benefit due to welfare caps etc.
Some of the reason that some social housing stock is below an ideal standard is because there just is no money to be able to 'do them up!' Rents now are laughable, almost just a token payment. Hopefully the income raised from this will go back into bringing the stock up to par with private housing and to maybe ensure more housing staff can be employed.
The cap of 30k will ensure that those with less will not be screwed, I know people below this amount that I am relieved for only on MN could 30k be deemed as 'not a lot!' It's enough to be paying more then 70 quid a week for a 3 bedroom house!
And how does this not encourage people to do better? To aspire to better their lot? Are you seriously telling me that someone will stay off the promotion radar, won't expand their business etc in case they have to shell out a few hundred quid in rent?!!