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 don't have kids so I guess I am doing benefits all wrong.

I know what the rules are regarding council house tenancy. I’m disagreeing with them.
Life time tenancies means the availability of council housing stock and movement off the waiting list into a vacant property is severely limited. In my opinion, council house tenancies should be means tested and evaluated every 3 years.

A new one at that.

My experience too.

I feel like most MNs live in detached homes with no council properties near them.
They move in circles where they never mix with benefit claimants.
They like to think of themselves as Lady Bountifuls giving their hard earned taxes to the suffering plebs.

The thought that these people might be leading any kind of high life is just unimaginable to them so they stick their fingers in their ears and cover their eyes and shout “oh here we go again!”

All I say to them is, come and live on a council estate (particularly in London) for a couple of months and get back to me.

Some people value other things and not property. So if you like spending money on holidays, eating out, designer clothes and expensive cars, then there is not much money left to invest in property so a council house will do. Other people value property above all else, so go without a lot of things to achieve this. It really is not that hard to work out.

The only reason why I get DLA for my son is because he got cancer, almost died and it left him disabled.

I'll gladly swap you but of course, it means your child has to go through what my child has gone through including his near death experience and likely permanent disability.

Yeah, I didn't think you'd be interested. 'Doing well' is a fucking insult.

if I didn't have a car my children wouldn't be able to get to school as we live in the middle of nowhere and I wouldn't be able to get to work! I would never be able to afford rent on a 3 bed property in our area and no landlords take 6 months payments up front without a guarantor. plus how ling would it be before a landlord sold up? I saved half the down payment for my car and the rest is finance. I will never move out of my house as eldest DC will never be able to live alone, if people think I'm entitled then that's on them. after what me and my children have been through we deserve happiest and to feel secure.

Laughing at the idea that having several disabled children is doing well.

@PluckyCheeks

r 2 kids)
Not having to pay service charges for your block of flats

BUT PAYING FOR SOMEONE ELSES

Once more with feeling
Across the river in Nine Elms, Janine Streuli is one of many NHG shared ownership tenants in a block called Viridian Apartments. But far from delivering Kenrick’s utopian vision of good quality housing for everybody, regardless of wealth, Streuli and her neighbours have ended up paying for the concierge and garden landscaping of the wealthy residents of the adjacent luxury block. They’re facilities that she and the fellow affordable housing residents haven’t been given access to; their block has a separate “poor door” and their entrance to the communal gardens are sealed shut
The charge was only announced five years after Streuli moved in, when the affordable housing residents got a bill for thousands of pounds. While their initial leases made clear they wouldn’t have to pay these fees, NHG’s own lease with the building’s management company — which actually runs the development and its facilities — said the opposite. When the discrepancy was eventually identified the tenants were asked to take on the cost. They were now going to be paying to maintain the luxury gardens and concierge that they weren’t even allowed to use. Now she and most of the other residents spend upwards of £6,000 or £7,000 a year in service fees, almost 500% the rate promised when she moved in. While subsidising the facilities of their neighbours, many of their own flats and corridors have dealt with flooding, penetrating damp and mould — problems that have never been adequately fixed. Eventually the residents cobbled together enough money to take NHG to a property tribunal, and next month their fate will be decided by a judge

You don’t get PIP so it’s a bit irrelevant to my point?

also unclear why it’s important the ‘NHS nurse’ part- the NHS is the biggest employer in the UK. Could they not supply you an ill health package perhaps?

I’d like to see what sort of people are getting to move into those. Probably not hardworking couples with a kid or two. It’ll be those classified as having “most need”. Which is debatable.

One in ten children in this country claims DLA. I fail to see how all those claims are genuine.

Some MNers (and hairy handed visitors) would still think the disabled were being spoiled if the State paid for them to sleep standing up every night at the Workhouse (happened in the Victorian era).

Disability could happen to any of you tomorrow.

These days it is easier to get prioritised for council housing if someone in the household has a disability. Especially newbuilds as modern housing requirements include wider hallways and doorways and bigger downstairs loos as standard.

The same group of people also may be more like to qualify for mobility component of DLA and use that to lease a motability car. Often the monthly cost of a more expensive brand is not much less than a cheaper brand to lease from new. With leasing you essentially finance the vehicle depreciation. A more extensive brand car can hold value better making them cheaper to lease.

And it’s generally cheaper as there are no 0% deals on 2nd hand cars.

This in spades. The champagne socialists love to be perma-offended but never the ones to actually want to move to these areas eh?

Bad idea. What incentive would anyone have to improve their financial situation if doing so would mean loss of security of tenure and getting kicked out on the street into the housing crisis where they'd quite possibly end up losing more in rent than the extra they're now earning, or having to move so far away they can't keep their job, and potentially face homelessness the whim of a private landlord?

Hahaha that’s a great list but none of the amounts are giving people cash to buy brand new cars. Think harder.

Means tested every 3 years😂.

how would that work then?

It may explain to you why working incredibly hard doesn’t always translate into the ability to save a deposit and get a mortgage as a single person.

Do try using your brain and imagination instead of punching down for sick enjoyment.

Just as well you don’t need to then.

Cost a bit in Council resources too, wouldn't it!

I don’t understand why if someone works for the NHS (a choice they made and get compensated for, it’s not a charity) it gives them a ring of protection to ever say anything whatsoever they may disagree with?

the NHS is the biggest employer in the country- are we really not past the ‘NHS Heroes’ trope?

Sweetheart, you know nothing about my situation :)

I wasn’t aiming my post at you. Of course you're entitled to your home, especially if your dc cant live independently.
It’s more the couples who pretend to be single parents and fiddle the system in order to get a council house. I know of one immigrant family in a council house who also have a huge home in their home country!