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News

Social 'cleansing'? What are the implications?

382 replies

Solopower1 · 14/02/2013 16:34

Camden Council wants to move 750 poor families north to places like Bradford and Leicester. They say that because of the new benefit caps (which limit total welfare payments to £500 a week for families, no matter how many children they have or how much they have to pay for rent), some families are not going to be able to afford to live in London. So they're shunting them all up north.

I don't think this is a new idea, btw, but I still find it shocking.

When the govt were discussing these benefit cap plans, they must have worked out the implications for the families that would no longer be able to afford to live in their houses. And they will have realised that this would happen more in the poorer, Labour-run (?) councils. It's inspired, it's so clever. In one fell swoop they free up all the lovely expensive properties being wasted on poor families, and the Labour councils get the blame for it. It's absolute genius, don't you think?

So what sort of place will London be, when the heart is ripped out of it, and all the children go? Perhaps a tad melodramatic, but the Pied Piper springs to mind - not that I am blaming the Mayor and Corporation of Camden, particularly (don't know enough about it, tbh).

money.aol.co.uk/2013/02/14/council-to-export-poor-familes-to-north/

OP posts:

Report

Auntmaud · 15/02/2013 19:13

A message of whining entitlement .

JakeBullet · 15/02/2013 19:14

"Generous welfare"

Wanna swap and see how generous it is?

The article was very vague and many here are jumping to conclusions. Perhaps the message the mother is imparting to her kids is "when the chips are down nobody gives a fuck and will find a way of blaming you".

Nobody knows her circumstances

Maybe one of her children is disabled and she needs the support structure around her?
Maybe she is mentally ill and has family who help
Maybe she just does not want to uproot her children and send them elsewhere if they are settled in schools.
Maybe she was affording the rent and her partner walked out

Who knows....it doesn't say and an awful lot of you are jumping to conclusions and blaming her.

Nice.

nkf · 15/02/2013 19:16

She didn't sound that moany to me. More sort of I'd rather not but if I have to then I have to.

nkf · 15/02/2013 19:19

I wonder if it's one of those doom is upon us stories that never quite happens. Like the one about the millenium bug. I'm sure I've read it before.

morethanpotatoprints · 15/02/2013 19:20

I think the lucky people on this thread need to count their blessings and show compassion for other people.
I am not in this position either, but how do you know who all the people are, who may end up being forced from their homes.
Shame on You. I really do hope someday that you will see where all this started.

2old2beamum · 15/02/2013 19:22

As morethanpotatoprints said I am staggered at the nasty uncaring comments made in this thread. Don't judge these people until you have walked in their shoes.

Floggingmolly · 15/02/2013 19:24

You know what, morethan? It's a strange phenomenon, but the harder I work, the luckier I get. Nobody ever told me I was "lucky" when I was working 12 hour days to save for a deposit...
And I still couldn't buy a house in Camden.

morethanpotatoprints · 15/02/2013 19:30

Floggingmolly.

And that means other people shouldn't? Oh you are better than everyone else I forgot. That's what its all about isn't it. Work and money and more work and more money. I think the poor people are probably a lot happier than you on your boring old treadmill.
You know this and you are so . Why should somebody have something you can't.

JakeBullet · 15/02/2013 19:31

Floggingmolly, nobody ever said that to me either when I was working 12 hour days and saving for a deposit. Not everyone affected or claiming any kind of benefits is an idle no hoper you know. Plenty of them work hard for shit wages which have to be topped up so they can keep the essential roof over their head. Maybe you could swap with one of them eh?

I've had the mortgage and the private rent in my time so I have an experienced perspective in all this.

i am over 20 years on from my mortgage days and I am in social housing and in the south east and on HB. How you all must hate me. I couldn't afford to live here on a mortgage that's for sure.....or even privately rent here.

And I am not in Camden either.

Floggingmolly · 15/02/2013 19:38

Why should somebody have something I can't? No, the real question is why should somebody have something I can't for free. So tell me, why?

usualsuspect · 15/02/2013 19:42

Do some of you mean to sound so bitter and jealous?

When did so many people get so bloody horrible on here.

morethanpotatoprints · 15/02/2013 19:43

Er, because some people haven't got as much as you, nor the means to get what you have got. They may have been dealt a rotten blow in life. They may be suffering.
There are plenty people who can have something I can't have, for free. However, I'm so glad I don't think like you.

usualsuspect · 15/02/2013 19:44

And why should my LA have the extra costs to provide services for these people because you want their houses?

JakeBullet · 15/02/2013 19:45

How do you know she is getting it for free? Does it say she gets full housing benefit? How do you k ow she doesn't work?

Perhaps you'd like MY house.....currently I get that for free as I can't work. Rent or mortgage both out of my reach, dunno about your reach.

To buy it ...about £160k in the current market I reckon, to rent probably a good £800 a month in the private sector. Obviously I pay less when in work as its social housing.

Why should I get such a luxury when you don't I wonder?

Could it be that everybody has different circumstances? Who knows what this woman's circumstances are....the article doesn't say. But you are all quick to judge.

usualsuspect · 15/02/2013 19:46

Ok for my city to suffer is it? ok for our housing waiting lists to increase?

freetoanyhome · 15/02/2013 21:11

so is it only single mums who attract ire? How about pensioners in expensive London council/private rented on housing benefits. If they were being shipped out you'd all be hoicking bosoms like mad. But it could be argued why didnt they save/work/take advantage of the free education/cheap housing etc.
Workers could be in them houses...

LineRunner · 15/02/2013 21:33

freetoanyhome, I wonder if a lone parent father would be defended, too.

Viviennemary · 15/02/2013 21:35

And in any case the decision is made. The cap on housing benefit has been brought in. The situation should never ever have been allowed to develop in the first place. And there is now an attempt being made to put it right and not before time. How on earth can it be any way fair that people are living in expensive accommodation subsidised by the taxes of the very people that could not dream of affording that accommodation themselves.

A lot of people with mortgages also have the problems that JakeBullet lists. They too have to live within their means.

alemci · 15/02/2013 21:38

exactly Viv, that was my point earlier in the thread.

usualsuspect · 15/02/2013 21:48

Would someone like to answer my question?

LineRunner · 15/02/2013 21:50

usual and there will be more young people and families 'farmed out' to B&Bs in south coast seaside towns, putting more pressure on services there in a time of cuts.

usualsuspect · 15/02/2013 22:01

That doesn't seem to matter though, line.

As long as Camdens alright.

Fuck the other LAs budgets.

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JakeBullet · 15/02/2013 22:35

....and often they then have to forgo their mortgages and rent Vivienne.

Experience of that. ...no way could I afford the mortgage alone. I moved to be near support (near family) in an area where I cannot afford to buy or rent except in social housing.

As my DS is disabled I need that support. I also would not relish the idea of sorting out the Statementing process in a new area. Thankfully this cap will not affect me though.

If it stops some LL getting rich off the back of HB then great.

Liklihood is that it will also affect people living in much less salubrious accommodation though.

LineRunner · 15/02/2013 22:40

It would have been much fairer, easier and cheaper (for the tax payer) to have reintroduced area rent tribunals.

frustratedworkingmum · 15/02/2013 22:46

Line runner - you are probably right but sadly, those are already full :(

This bloody shit heap government screwed it up the last time they were in power when they sold off all the council properties - my MIL lives in lewisham, council property. Lived there all her life - her neighbours childeren bought the house from the council for a song to a piece of shit landlord who will rent it out to just about anyone - my MIL has had to put up with so much crap because the landlord doesn't care who lives there, just so long as she gets the rent. So the council made a pittance on selling the property, only to have to subsidise it now with HB, its madness.

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