To think that there is a misunderstanding about social housing.

[Bitchesbelike]

On social media, lots of people assume that people in social / council housing are getting a free house and don’t work.

i grew up in social housing: my dad worked from age 15 to 65.

my brothers have worked since they were 16 and both live in social housing.

its not “free housing”: it’s rented, affordable accommodation.

This is the problem. I’ve no issue with social housing for those that need it. I don’t think it’s right if someone gets social housing then gets a good job and can still stay in social housing.

What you are quoting literally refers to the subsidy. Tax payer money contributes to the construction of new social housing. And tax payer money, in the form of benefit does cover some or all of the rent for SOME social housing tenants.
And yes, some HAs do make a profit but it’s referred to as a “surplus”. I think it was £87m last year for Clarion, biggest HA in the UK.

There’s very few smaller properties though…

I think London is different... It's like an economy of its own compared to most of the UK.

I grew up in council housing. My Dad worked three jobs, then had to retire early due to poor health and my Mom died so he had to look after me on his own. He still had to pay some rent although he got benefits. Then I left home and he lost some of them. As a very old pensioner he was still paying rent until he got very poorly and needed specialist dementia care. It’s not necessarily the golden ticket some people say it is. The golden ticket is being lucky enough to get on the housing ladder and pay a mortgage off by the time you’re not working anymore. I know this is slightly off topic but my point being that it’s not that great in later life.

I think that’s fine for you to keep - it’s a 2 bed flat, not a 4 bed house. If there are loads of singles/couples rattling round in bigger houses (having brought up children) and loads of families without homes, then it’s a problem.

Correct. Single children or carers. Can’t remember if there are any other exceptions

Even if she were in a 4 bed, she can only downsize if there is somewhere to downsize to. This is the issue.

Absolutely this! I'm rattling around in a 3 bed HA property. I asked to downsize and was told there's no option to in my area. I can't transfer area without finding someone else to do a swap. There's nobody seeking to do this in my area who are in a suitable swappable position. I've tried that twice before.

I've always worked and paid the full asking rent so I'm effectively regenerating money back vs HB covering my rent and effectively taking money back out of the system. If I move area (which isn't an option offered anyway). Then I'd be further away from disabled DM & away from DD and DC.

I'd say I've paid my dues back into the lower priced rental system, as I can tally up that I've paid over the current asking price of houses sold within my street across the years I've rented here.

I'm always amazed by the assumption that everyone in a larger house should "just move to free up space" 😄 It's not that I disagree! It's just where exactly am I suppose to be moving to? A property that doesn't exist? Or should I just not be selfish and go and live in a hole I've dug in the ground somewhere so somebody more "deserving", can live in my current property?... It's not that simple!

What’s a ‘good job’?

most people in social housing work you know

Imagine that there’s a single mother out there with 2 children, just like you were when you got your flat. Because of the housing shortage there is no social housing for this mother, and she has to rent a private flat that she definitely cannot afford.
So why should you (on a good wage and with no childcare responsability) be allowed to rent a cheaper housing association property whilst this single mother is forced to rent a privately rented flat?
How would you feel if, when you were applying for social housing for yourself and your 2 children, the council told you that none were available as all the properties were occupied by healthy individuals with grown up children?

Sorry, I don’t want to be mean, just to show you a different perspective.

I’m in a 4 bed. I’m not going anywhere

mutual exchange is very stressful…. Just done it myself.

That ‘single mother’ Will be entitled to housing benefit (amongst other benefits)…. The person in the 2 bed flat works so gets nothing

everyone has a roof over their heads

exactly, very well said.

I live in a 2 bed housing association for £750 pcm. Private rents in my area around £600- 950. You probably wouldn’t get a flat as nice as mine for the same price though.

I work full time, actually work two jobs and indeed it was a requirement of the housing association back in 2021 when it was built that anyone living in this building has an income above 24K. Most people here are young professionals or young families who work and a few middle aged and older people. It’s very quiet here during the day, I know this as I WFH but most are out.

Not all social housing is designed for the unemployed/extremely poor etc nowadays. Housing associations are recognising a range of people need more affordable housing.

Why should I move to private and pay a couple of hundred more because I’m not on any benefits? Pfft!

Err, because unlike the poster the single mother will probably be likely entitled to some additional working tax credit or similar that will assist her in renting that property unlike the poster?

Have you not read the bit where they stated they cannot afford to move into a different property themselves? The housing shortage is a government issue not anybodies personal one!

If the government hadn't sold off all the council property in the first place, and/or used funding from it to build new property then we wouldn't be in the current mess in the first place! It's bloody daft to try and guilt trip individuals who can't do anything much about it... It's shaming the wrong people 😒

Completely agree @Poppyseeds79

Everyone needs to ensure this and future governments starts to replenish the housing stock thatcher sold off but that’s not on Individuals - many who are working hard - to put themselves in a worse position for the “good of others”.

I paid private for years and struggled to save or even find stable housing while seeing many friends who weren’t working and had kids very young get housing benefit to pay for most of their rent and/ or get social housing .

I didn’t begrudge them that but I’m not going to pass up on a chance to give myself a leg up either just because I’ve always worked or studied.

I only wish I had been in social housing earlier. No-one will guilt trip me out of it.

The Housing benefit/ ie local housing allowance in private accomodation is capped and, especially in London, it doesn’t always cover the actual rent. So that single mother who cannot work will have to cover the rent shortfall from the little benefits she gets to feed herself and her kids.

https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/

Rents in social housing don’t have the same cap (I am not talking about the ‘benefit cap’ here).

Yep, the development I live in actually generates a small profit for the council. The problem is inflated private rents.

I remember paying £750 back in 2013 to live in a Brixton flatshare. My now former Landlord who lived abroad and had bought this ex-council home heard rents were rapidly increasing in my area in Brixton hurried to raise the rent as well. I know this because the landlords dad who lived local told me. They had no additional costs and weren’t planning any renovations, it was just a money grab, they seen an opportunity to get more money so they did. Thankfully I had a friend who was travelling for a year and I was able to sub-let her flat at mates rate.

Sad to think a couple of decades back that Brixton home was social housing and now a landlord who bought it for super cheap under right to buy, was raking in 750+ per tenant. Not their fault but the government really messed up with selling off all the housing stock in prime areas!

Social housing comes with the bedroom tax, which private rental does not. So, depending on the age/sex of the single mothers kids, she wouldn't be necessarily any better off in social housing.

I am not trying to guilt trip anyone, just showing a different perspective for people who feel that they are ENTITLED to social housing once they stop being vulnerable and in need.

If the poster can’t afford private rent then nor can the single mother with children. If she cannot work due to childcare responsabilities, she wouldn’t be entitled to working tax credits, and any child tax credits received are for her children, not to top up her rent shortfall

They are more easily able to make a profit than private landlords because they don’t have to pay taxes and they get government grants, often quite generous grants too

Don’t be silly- you only get benefits for the size of housing you need in the private sector

This is a completely pointless post. Who says the single mother should be offered a 3 bed council house if she is only entitled to 2 bedrooms?

Anyway, I have worked in housing, homelessness, benefits and other areas of social welfare law for close to 20 years so I do have a pretty good idea of what’s happening at an individual and policy level. There are different points of view and I can only speak of mine, from all the experience I have gained

The government now states that single parents are expected to seek employment once their children reach the age of 3yrs old. So unless either the parent/child is disabled in a way that would prevent the parent from gaining employment. Then it's highly likely that as a family they would be in receipt of some element of WTC, and some HB if they are eligible based on income.

So essentially the actual criteria/length of timeframe for a single parent in the UK to be expected to not be able to work is supposedly quite low. If you look at it from that perspective. Then supposedly there shouldn't be that many people in desperate need?

I know of course there are, and I'm not downplaying the fact at all. But in theory shouldn't we then be moving along these single parents/families out of social housing as soon as work is gained to free it up for those who cannot?... The point is the argument doesn't work because not everyone neatly falls into the boxes of "who is most deserving"? The point is that the UK is screwed in regards to there not being enough affordable housing to go around. Which again isn't an individual problem it's a government one.

The point is there aren't enough two bedroom properties to go around because very little new social housing is being built. Plus once the children reach the age they shouldn't really be expected to be sharing a room anymore comes. Then they're not just going to magic up a 3 bedroom house for them to move to instead. So you still end up with families placed in an overcrowding situation. Or moving into a property where they need to pay the bedroom tax from the offset... For someone who apparently works in the housing, homeless, benefits sector you don't seem to actually gained that much knowledge from it.