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.

And when you die, or go into a care home, you have a limited time to clear the house before everything has to be cleared out.

I’ll just have to ham it up, like all of the other chancers on it 👍

They wouldn't work. They would stay on benefits. So that doesn't make any sense.

@PluckyCheeksi have received enhanced rates on both for decades first time without appeal and now no longer subject to reviews
How fucking stupid are you?!

Who is “they” and “us”?

You’re so incredibly narrow minded and ignorant.

If you’re struggling with day to day life due to your mental health conditions and need some support then crack on and apply for PIP.

If not - shut up and stop being so judgemental and bitter. It’s not a good look.

I will do. I’ll let you know how I get on 👍

Are you able to.self care,clean ,cook meals etc?
Can you independently undertake a journey from A to B if you can do.all these it doesn't matter how many diagnose s you have you are unlikely to be successful in a PIP claim

🙄🙄🙄🙄

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

I’ll answer the questions as per my worst day.

Nah, that's not true.

There are numerous websites advising people what to say to make a claim.

The number 1 main condition for PIP awards is mixed anxiety and depression.

Number 14 is ADHD. As PIP is for over 16s we're mostly talking about adult ADHD.

Out of hundreds of conditions.

Wel! That is literally the criteria so why do you think it's not true?

Im.not sure what your trying to say really I I used to be a mental health nurse and have known some people be so severely depressed they are catatonic
And conditions such as ADHD are spectrum conditions,some people with the diagnosis can function very well with and some not so much.

They advise no to.do that anymore as it could be considered fraud and answer it truthfully .

Me too.

And some people are claiming things, with the help of websites and the PIP system that are not true. Based on the false idea of "talk about your worst day" when that worst day may occur extremely rarely but to claim for PIP, it should be at least 50% of the time.

Which is why tit needs reform with particular focus on psychiatric/ND conditions as a benefit designed to compensate people for the additional costs of a functional disability is now being primarily claimed by people who don;t really experience that.

When I was helping people claim it was just a matter of course that we helped people apply for DLA and then PIP when it came in and based it on the worse possible day and I 100% led people in their responses because I thought that was what they were entitled to.

It was once I started looking into what the benefit was supposed to be for that I questioned it and was accused of being a UKIP voter (it was that long ago) and why did I care about people getting benefits when it wasn't my money?

I've known mentally ill people who could not work and are functionally disabled and probably never could. i know people with ADHD who are so disabled they would struggle with lots of things but not the things on a PIP claim but they get awards.

And when I was involved in the ADHD world, there were a lot of people claiming PIP and lying out of their arse to get PIP so they could drop to part-time or not work at all.

My grandad lived in his council house for 60 years - it was his home, regardless it being council. My neighbours opposite all live in a fancy council flat but have ‘decent’ brand new cars - because they work. The flats were allocated only to working residents. I have a ‘decent’ brand new car, but I’m physically disabled and it is a mobility car.

council homes are people’s homes and you cannot judge every situation. Most people get in debt to have a reliable car. Some people like my sister live at home with my parents so can afford to have a decent car on the drive. You don’t know the ins and outs of peoples lives

I already know this. My point was to the pp who assumed she'd be entitled to enhanced rate of both elements at the first time of asking.

This isn't quite accurate. If you have the money to buy a car outright then you're daft to do that. A large lump sum of cash, enough to buy a luxury car, will work much harder for you (properly invested) than just sitting, doing nothing, sunk in to a new car.

I drive a RR Vogue which we could have bought outright. But instead we invested that large lump sum in buying/renovating a property. When we sold it made us a much, much larger return on our money.

I do think that properly managing/investing your money should be taught in school. A damn sight more useful than bloody algebra or calculus.

I can't buy a house because when I had to flee terrible domestic violence with a toddler, my abuser took out hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of debts in my name and my house was repossessed. My credit rating has never recovered.

I can't privately rent, because finding an affordable, wheelchair adapted bungalow on the private rental market is completely impossible.

My DH and I both work in full time, professional careers. We live in social housing because it was literally our only option. Sorry you think that's, "All kinds of wrong", but perhaps you should check your ableism.

My brand new car is because I'm so disabled, I get higher rate PIP. Is that wrong too?

@PluckyCheeks
For reasons of both geography and profession I would hazard a guess that I know a lot more about it than you do.

Keen to hear what you mean by "sunlight is the best disinfectant" and "the shit that went on".

Were you involved in the local relief efforts either personally or professionally? Did you read the inquiry reports? Have you been following all the regulatory reforms since then? Do you understand why they were needed?

You are very flippant about an event that took so many lives in horrific and avoidable circumstances and deeply reshaped fire, building safety and social housing regulation.

I totally agree we need more social housing , too much was sold off cheap under right to buy policy. Some of those are now property landlords making money out of charging “market rate” on ex council houses that would be unaffordable for those on low income.

However, social housing is so limited it needs to be for those who really need it. I.e. not those who think they’re entitled to low rent and a new car. Whilst many low and middle income earners have high rent and can’t afford a car or have an old one. Am sure they’d love low rent so they can afford a car! So this PoV is about what’s fair.

@PluckyCheeks
Are you aware that you just can’t “ ham it up”?
you have to include detailed evidence, also that your “ worst day” applies for at least 50% of the time and what do you mean “ approved list”? As I and many others have stated it is not granted on diagnoses but how they affect you.
The proposed changes mean you won’t gain 4 points on one descriptor if you’re able to wash, dress and feed yourself(ie be ineligible for LCWRA)

Very succinctly put. I don’t think council housing or housing association properties should be allocated for life to anyone. The state cannot afford it.

Yet again so many MNetters falling for an obvious troll.

One day I'll start a thread about the increasing numbers of owner-occupiers claiming benefits.