Council houses owning brand new cars?

[TheCluelessMum]

I’m writing this post with the hopes of being educated, not slandered

however I completely appreciate I may be just completely shot down for asking this.

i live on a new build estate, 12 houses at the start of the estate are council houses. I don’t know this because I’m a snob, I know this because it’s clearly marked on plans when you buy those houses.

i see so much stuff online about how the UK benefits system is failing people, the higher rise of food banks. It’s absolutely abhorrent people are in this situation.

however, when entering my estate today I noticed that each and every single council house had a car newer that a 20 plate. Mercedes, Audi’s, BMW’s even range rovers.. there was not a single house out of the 12 which had an older than 20 plate car.

I am now confused as to why this is the case? Everyone I know (including those receiving benefits) continually speaks about how hard the cost of living is.

so could someone please answer how/why those in what we would presume lower income families, are able to afford such lavish cars.

I’m not taking the piss. I haven’t been able to work due to it for many years. I just didn’t know I could claim PIP until someone recommended the CAB to me.

I get UC and I have a car. Shock, horror. I need it to do the travel necessary for my job which keeps me from needing even more UC.

We have 4 cars (none new). Why would I want to move into a private rental and have the stress and uncertainty of not having a secure tenancy? Plus it would be about £1200 a month whereas it's only £550 now.

Because we have a lifetime tenancy we've been able to indulge in our koi fish and build a large brick pond. Can't do that in a private rent because it's not a permanent tenancy.

I find that hard to believe, especially after you posted a whole list of "benefits"... many of which do not apply to everyone.

If you are trying to be clever and satirical then please stop.

So you award someone (who may or may not have been in a b&b themselves) a social tenancy to assist them into a housing situation from which they can build a life, but as soon as they actually start to build upon that new stable foundation supplied by affordable, secure housing you take it from them? It's almost as if you think people in b&bs and TA are some kind of underclass. Given access to secure, affordable and suitable housing people have the opportunity to build their lives. No one should be living in b&b. There should be more genuinely affordable housing. Not just a revolving door system that keeps kicking people back into housing insecurity and taking away life chances.

Because their landlord isn't trying to make a profit out of them. All private landlords do so as a way of making money, not for altruistic reasons, so they charge as much as they can.

Wow

Why on earth would you jump to feckless fathers from a thread on brand new cars? Another staggeringly ignorant statement.

Yes obviously there should be more social housing! Perhaps if housing associations and councils charged those who could afford it the market rent they’d have more money to invest. Does this not make sense to you?

I think it’s farcical that person A who’s never met the criteria for social housing pays a fortune to a private landlord when person B who once met the criteria pays a pittance, when person A and person B could currently have exactly the same financial circumstances.

It sounds like you’re incredibly entitled. Either that or you’re a troll 😄

They may have been part of a regeneration scheme and their old home was knocked down. It's happening a lot where I live.

Those are a list of benefits that I’ve claimed at one point or another in my life.

Yet you didn't know about PIP. Ok....

How about rent control so we don't have a supply and affordability crisis and thousands being priced out of the PRS into homelessness and costly TA?

@Jorgyporgy I earn minimum wage, my partner is a self employed trade worker. We work full time and we pay taxes.

We pay full rent and council tax (plus the other bills). Just because our rent is lower than private rent you call me entitled and a troll.

We have disposable income to buy fish etc. because we both work and the rent is fair.

I found out about PIP existing around 2 years ago but didn’t know what it was for. More lately I’ve seen MNs talk about it for anxiety and depression and this has been confirmed by my chat with CAB.

Perhaps if I belonged to one of these “communities” who look out for each other and share info on how to make the most of what you can claim, I’d be £749 per month better off already…

I have a 3bed newbuild it's HA. I also have a 24plate new car, well a year old.

Me and both my children are disabled with very complex needs. We have a motability car. These days houses are given to those in priority which is often medical needs so it's not odd that a motability car comes with them

Another benefits thread filled with ignorant narrow minded posts
The OP asked a perfectly reasonable question imo and once again posters are commenting about how lucky some are to be entitled to PIP( and a free car!!)
Fuck me!
I say this on every thread
Any takers for my £737.20 enhanced PIP??
I’d happily give it up, but you have to take my Moderate Cerebral Palsy and Bipolar Disorder??
I own my flat outright but my DS1 who works and is fit and healthy has lived in his own council flat since he was 16( 31 now)

You can claim PIP for jumping a shark too. Good luck.

Too late really, Rachel Reeves is coming for PIP

Good to know. Anyway, I’m off to catch the last episode of Stacey & Joe. If you’re pro bennies no matter what, your mind will never be changed. Well, if you came to live in certain areas of North Kensington or Islington, it might be. But that’ll never happen and tbh, you’re better as you are as ignorance is more blissful instead of seeing daily injustices.

Because the ONLY place rent control has ever worked was Austria and at that time it was coupled by a truly vast social housing building program.

Rent controls just mean landlords leave the market and private rental just gets more and more hard to come by, and more and more expensive. It’s something like 30,000 landlords have sold up since the rent controls were introduced in Scotland. It’s virtually impossible to find a place to rent in the big cities.

@PluckyCheeks
PIP is not awarded on diagnosis but on how conditions affect your ability to function
I doubt If your mild anxiety and depression would score any points.
If your functioning was impaired then you wouldn’t be able to compose your sarky posts and “ I’ll get what I can out of it” comments

I agree @Freeasa but many on MN will argue it.

Yes, because NO ONE has ever over-stated their symptoms to claim things… 🙄

Its strange how the hatred towards social housing tenants has increased since Grenfell