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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be pissed off at ''no dss, working people only'' when finding a house...

178 replies

juicychops · 17/03/2009 13:10

i do f-ing work for gods sake!! just cos im a single parent and cant possibly work full time due to my situation and so need housing benefit to help me out with PART of the rent, why am i being turned away for anything decent?
it really pisses me off

OP posts:
FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 18:36

Londonne - well it sure as hell wasn't going to be me - my kids are worth more to me than a bit of "irritation" from someone I don't even know..

Nametaken - yes we moved from that area a few years ago which was much friendlier (ironically it was less racially diverse that the area we'd previously lived in but had no troubles at all). And I've just moved again (into rented this time), only been here a month and a half - but seems like a nice area

laweaselmys · 17/03/2009 18:36

I can't believe you've said that Sorrento! That's the lamest excuse I have ever heard and I hope you're ashamed. Who cares if somebody else takes them on, that's their own twattery - it's not an excuse for you to condone their behaviour.

londonone is clearly farkin' nuts and I can only hope I never have the misfortune to meet let alone rent off you.

londonone · 17/03/2009 18:38

Sorrento-Actually sorrento you are wrong on several counts and but if you want to have an argument about whether there is a need for rented accomodation I am more than willing.

Peachy · 17/03/2009 18:39

'makes sense, to me. ' and technicaly to the government I would guess: better someone claims benefit as a prop for a few years than needs props- such as CA, WTC- for their lifetime..... our youngest is 11 months, that would be a lot of WTC if dh chose to take a low paid job then just sit in it).

Sorrento · 17/03/2009 18:39

That's life, you're very naive if you don't think it goes on.

laweaselmys · 17/03/2009 18:39

Peachy we are in a similarish situation where in order not to become dependent on the state we are going to have an endure a certain amount of financial chaos (and HB) so that DP can finish training - yours sounds much worse than ours though and the mess already terrifies me! Good luck, and hope it pays off.

wotulookinat · 17/03/2009 18:40

Londonone, we're stuck, I'm afraid. We have no income available to save for a new deposit and cannot afford moving costs. Catch 22.

londonone · 17/03/2009 18:41

Great argument laweaselmys - I am nuts because I don't believe people should use the state as an alternative to paying for themselves.

laweaselmys · 17/03/2009 18:41

Sorrento Of course it goes on - I know that very well. I have stood my ground and refused to work for people before. It's not impossible.

londonone · 17/03/2009 18:43

wotu - Just out of interest, surely if you moved somewhere cheaper the deposit would be less than the deposit that is already held for you at your current home.

FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 18:43

well londonne - surely social housing is also the "state" paying for them??? And even if they start earning 100k a year they'll still be paying a tiny rent if they choose to stay where they are.

Sorrento · 17/03/2009 18:43

Of course there is a need for rented accomodatino - NOW
8 years ago I bought a house on three times my salary for my DD and I to live in.
That same house would now cost 8 times my salary.

There shouldn't be the need for the numbers of private landlords, the majority of which are extremely unprofessional and have no idea of their legal obligations and get very upset when you ask them for £400 for a new washing machine. We actually lived in one house paying £1350 a month rent and he seriously thought he'd give me a 2nd hand washing machine.
Not to worry though rising interest rates will see a return to normality with a bit of luck.

laweaselmys · 17/03/2009 18:43

londonone Erm, I would've thought it was fairly obvious that's not an argument. I am just aware before we even start that there is no point in even discussing this with you, you will not change your mind I will not change mine. Fine, go live your life and I will live mine.

FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 18:44

yes londonne - but she won't get the deposit back until she's moved will she. So she's still got to find the deposit for her new home before she gets the deposit from her current one.

wotulookinat · 17/03/2009 18:44

Yes, it would, Londonone - but we wouldn't get the deposit back from our current house until we actually moved. The deposit for the 'new' place would be needed before that.

Sorrento · 17/03/2009 18:44

Laweaselmys - good for you, you should be proud of yourself, I mean that. I had targets to meet.

Peachy · 17/03/2009 18:48

laweasel good luck - we wont have chaos as such, we've survived on a low income before. Luckily most peopleaccept carers and their famillies are on a lower income so nobody much questions it. I know when I was working i'd have preferred my tax contribution was supporting someone who was trying to change things or a crer than someone who didn't care less about taking.

IYSWIM

FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 18:48

I got this place with a no deposit scheme, but I still needed to have £1000 saved for my move - 1st months rent, agents fees, van hire, no deposit scheme insurance cost, money for the final bills for my old house, a pub dinner for the friends that helped me move (ok that was optional - but was still cheaper than paying someone else £400 to move for me)......

londonone · 17/03/2009 18:48

faq - No because social housing should be temporary, you should not be allowed to stay in it.

sorrento - The majority of private landlords are not unprofessional and strangely enough you are not entitles to a brand new washing machine if a secon hand one would work fine! Not sure where you have come up with rising interest rates from!

FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 18:50

ok - so they don't stay in it, they've got a job - but it's a minimum wage job that leaves little left over at the end of each month once bills are paid........certainly not enough to pay for rent even in the least desirable areas - they shouldn't be allowed to get HB to help them - so then what????

londonone · 17/03/2009 18:51

faq - What are you on? You just referred to people earning 100000

Sorrento · 17/03/2009 18:52

Give it time London, you'll find all about rising interest rates.
And I hope you are declaring your rental income too, the Inland revenue have just recruited an additional 170 staff to look into the affairs and tax returns of landlords

I am sorry but if one is paying £16,200 a year in rent, one does not accept a shitty 2nd hand washing machine.

FAQinglovely · 17/03/2009 18:53

yes and you said well social housing should be temporary. So that means there's a time limit........so therefore whether you're earning 100k or 10k you're only allowed to stay so long before you have to move out and pay your own way............what happens to those that end up on the lower paid jobs?

Peachy · 17/03/2009 18:53

Londonone, what if they cannot get a job? Or a ecent apid one anyway. DS3 will never work; ds1 i think unikely to manage more than part time (both autism, ds1 less severe but lots of additional issues including poss. anorexia)

Lulumama · 17/03/2009 18:54

gosh, londonone , in a time of great economic uncertainty and recession, repossessions, job losses, let's hope you don;t become one of the parasites you look down on.

it is so easy to say, save for the deposit/retrain/move somewhere cheaper, but if you had an ounce of imagination oyu would know with a family, especially as a lone parent, or as a parent of children with SN, or perhaps SN yourself, with children settled in schools with family/friend support networks around, it is just not that easy

try some compassion and empathy, it will get you a lot further