To think being able to use housing benefits as a mortgage is unfair?

[blahloney]

I’m actually feeling quite annoyed. I currently work full time, don’t receive benefits but cannot afford to buy a house despite my rent being more than a mortgage. How is this fair?

You’dneed still to meet affordability criteria so I can’t see how it helps anyone.
Its just popular politics soundbites for a man who knows his career is on the line

It also as your post demonstrates… just further serves to make people who struggle financially who work against those who struggle financially and don’t work, rather than look at the root cause of the problem, ie rich folk hoarding property and avoiding tax

Eh?
you can't use housing benefit to pay a mortgage. It's for people who are renting.
of course private landlords use the rental income to pay their buy to let mortgages, so if a private tenant is claiming HB, it's indirectly paying their landlord's mortgage.
but that's not what you mean is it?

It's bollocks just to cause a row and set people against each other.
If you get HB or UC you aren't allowed savings over £16,000.
You've no way to get a deposit.
don't fall for propaganda.

Maybe watch/read the news before commenting

Its a terrible policy. Part of the reason we have such an awful housing crisis is the near destruction of the social rented market through the RTB of council homes. Council housing used to be respectable and aspirational. Even if the conservatives did build one new HA property for each sold off (and I don't believe it) there will still not be enough affordable social housing. We need to massively increase social rented housing, improve the private rented sector through developing a proper professionally run private rented sector, where tenants have security of tenure and decent rights. Part of the reason everyone wants to buy (which has pushed up house prices to unaffordable levels) is there is not a decent, affordable, accessible alternative to owning your own home in this country.

Have you not seen Boris's most recent announcement today?

I think it is unfair. Assets are assets and all types should be considered when granting housing benefit. It’s unfair for a person who rents and has £16k in savings to be denied benefits whereas a homeowner sitting on £100k in home equity but no savings gets benefits. Yes, I think the homeowner should be forced to sell their home and live off the proceeds until they drop below the £16k threshold.

I also didn’t realise you could have £16,000 savings and still claim UC and Housing Benefits. The world’s gone mad.

Disabled people fortunate enough to have equity should be forced to lose their secure home and be at the liberty of rental?

It's a terrible idea but the mortgage providers will still be the ones to say yes or no. If they don't think you are in a stable enough position financially you won't get one.

It's bullshit. Anyone on benefits, privately renting cannot save up a deposit without losing their benefits, banks won't give a mortgage without a deposit regardless of benefits being classed as income. Typical Boris, big headline grabbing policy's to take the attention away from his fuck ups,

Just so we know the BBC report:
”The prime minister also said those receiving Universal Credit would be given the choice to spend their benefits on rent or put them towards a mortgage.”

Did you know people who WORK and earn MONEY get benefits?
I hope you're sat down.

Its ludicrous!!

So does this mean people who have bought previously will be entitled to housing benefit now, should they lose their job?

At the moment, if you own, you can't claim housing benefit or the housing element of UC if you own your own home.

@YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake apparently they can save up to £16,000 which is enough for a deposit where I live.

For those mentioning the inability to save a deposit when you can't have savings of more than £16,000 - there are plenty of houses in cheap areas of the country where £10K would be enough for a deposit - for example on a small terraced or similar.

I agree. Some lenders won't even allow landlords to rent to those on benefits. I can't see those lenders lending to those on benefits.

You can if it's interest only after a certain amount of time of you meet the criteria.

Even more so as these people have secure tenancy, there are millions in private rent left on the whim of a landlord.

Plus if you own your own home you have to pay for everything that goes wrong, how will they have money for that? Benefits are not enough to live on anyway

It’s never going to happen. It’s yet another attempt to distract from Partygate/the disastrous confidence vote. I dread to think what he’s going to dream up after they lose the two by-elections on the 23rd.

Yeah areas where there's fuck all jobs or amenities, there's a reason they're so cheap.

@AnotherEmma I guess you don't watch the current news then....oops

Yes. Don’t see why working age disabled should get a free pass when elderly have to sell their homes to pay care home fees when they are disabled by old age. (Im disabled and lost my home/fell off the property ladder as a result before you think to call me a privileged twat).