40,000 families homeless due to benefit cuts - and no money saved...

[pointythings]

story in today's Guardian

I am just .

So what can we do to keep people in their homes, especially given that the majority of these families will be working families? How are low-paid jobs in places like London going to be done without penalising the people earning this low pay by forcing them to move away and incur huge travel costs? Are we ever going to have the house price readjustment that is needed so that people can live where they work, have sensible mortgages they can afford and are able to save a bit too?

Aaaargh, I wish I had some answers, I am feeling really depressed about this...

So in other words, two pages of utter drivel that only someone as clueless and out of touch as Lord Frued. What a twonk. £190m on advice? FFS. They really don't give a monkey's, do they?

"Rates in the private rented sector have increased to unmanageable levels"

Easy solution: bring back rent control.

paul88 - end result no places to rent. 6 years ago when interest rates were higher we were just about covering our costs (assuming that we didn't get a doggy tennant who trashed the place or left owing rent) - ok now they are at record low rates we are making a small profit.

I haven't read through the whole thread so apologies if someone has already said this.

I can't understand why the government doesn't take some measures against those who can well afford to live in expensive property in London. Where a household are under occupying a property there should be some kind of financial penalty.

For example my DH and I have two teenage sons and a daughter. If we were bound by LHA rules we would be deemed eligible for a three bedroomed house. We live in a four bedroomed house (which we own) so perhaps we should pay a tax for under occupation? Turkey voting for Christmas I know, but perhaps we need a nudge to encourage all households to adjust their housing to more closely meet their needs and help to share, more fairly, the limited resource that is housing in this country.

lorn - i think it would be a good idea to stop the single occupant reduction thats given on council tax.

my husband snores like hell, so the spare room is the only way i can get any sleep - so not sure it should be done quite as keenly as you say

this is also one of the reasons i was so against the bin tax as it penalises lots of people living in 1 house compared to single occupancy

but to be honest if someone has worked hard i have some sympathy with them wanting space. its where people haven't worked and are on the dole in very expensive houses where it stinks

I guess what I would be hoping to achieve would be a better use of space (or a increase in the tax paid) by occupiers of those really enormous, luxury properties so perhaps only those in the higher bands for council tax purposes could have my new tax imposed?