How to get a £500k house free

[Judy1234]

www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23405477-details/Jobless+couple+with+12+children+are+give n+a+%C2%A3500%2C000+home/article.do

Stopping at two here as well for financial reasons.

OMG...did xenia start this thread?this is the first thread ive ever seen her start

i too am about the 'accident'.

I thought I was going to be the only person to bring that up, diva, about the 'accident'.

I thought that too - very suss!

We've stopped at 2 as well for financial reasons - this type of story gets me on so many levels. I understand what people are saying that this is an extreme example but it's happening commonly on a smaller scale with individuals caught in a system where they're better off not working even if they genuinely want to. The whole system is just broken and needs a radical overhaul IMO. I like expat's suggestions, sounds very sensible on the face of it.

I just thought I'd quote from the original article before any more alarmist bigotry rears its ugly head again...
--
"Mrs Gillespie, 36, added: "All our kids are in school and they want to make something of themselves and not just scrounge and live off the dole.

"My oldest son Craig joined the army last week and we're doing our best to make sure the others have careers as well.

"If we were scroungers we'd be telling them to either have babies or get straight on the dole, but we're not.

"Before we were offered this house we lived in a three-bedroom house which was temporary accommodation.

"There were seven boys in one bedroom and five girls in another. In the boys bedroom we had three sets of bunk beds lined up next to each other and you could hardly move".
-----

Before being rehoused they had 7 children in one room. Is that privilege only reserved for Eastern European immigrants????

Wonder what the school catchment is like?
Bet it's "sought after"...

Yes, there's a strong sense of envy in this thread.

No surprise, given that most people on here actually work for a living and would expect to have to support their children themselves rather than expecting the state to do it for them.

perhaps they shouldn't have burned down the 5 bedroomed house in Purley...also a very nice area as I recall.

I can guarantee you 100% that there was not one hint of envy in my posts.

Not of the parents or of the children.

according to that report they recieve £1500 in housing benifit which is about £375 a week in rent, surely its not a council house!!!

We are obviously going about things the wrong way with this "work" business ...

I always suspected it was flawed...

Bit puzzled as to why the house was carpeted etc for them. I live in a HA house and have done for 3 years. I got a decorating allowance of £80 and that was it. No money for flooring here.
Thankfully lovely mners sent me vouchers and I got flooring for downstairs, but the stairs and my room remain uncarpeted even now.

I am rather like these people in that I got pregnant with Ds (3rd child) whilst living in 2 bed flat. In the end though my main reason for wishing to move was the state of the flat and my neighbours not the over crowding.
Difference was, that xp worked full time and had done since 15 and we paid our way.
Xp then decided he didn't want to work anymore, because he had seen others not working and having more things than him. I found this unnacceptable and was one of the many reasons we split.

I do feel guilty for having a 4 bed house and there only being me and 3 kids here, and would be willing to swap to a 3 bed in the same area, but my hoiuse needs alot of work doing to it in order for me to be allowed to swap, and I just cannot afford it.

Oh and as for people staying in houses after their kids leave, well tbh that does pee me off, just do not see the point. Once my kids have left home, i'd be more than willing to swap to a 1 bed flat.

I don;t think it is a council house.. the rent is too high..

7 children in one room, 5 in another. Can't you guys just see that this is an exceptional case and that if you had the same number of children (all with hospital appointments, illnesses, sports days, not forgetting meals for 14 EVERY night, washing up for 14, cleaning, laundry, tidying.

Their son is in the army FFS - you guys have got blood - what more do you want?

I agree.. I think that some people on this thread just like looking down on us 'dole scum'

I am on benifits BTW, but having 2 disabled kids is my 'excuse'

But they had 12 kids with no intention of working at all. Or am i reading it wrong.

I would give my right arm to be able to work at the mo, because oddly I want to pay my own rent and council tax.

he did work, though, but lost more money than he was earning.

Exactly. I believe that they do too. She's a bookkeeper by trade. But let's get real - a family of 14 - how many nannies would you need - Xenia I'm sure you've got an equation handy!

the house isn't theirs.

they will have no equity. their children will have no foot on the property ladder when they die.

"blacklisted" xenia? as in cardboard box under tower bridge? the council is obvliged to house people in housing need.

so, if this kind of life is great, why arn't we all doing it?

well i would sugest to you that we realise that we will ultimatley - if we do a good job - give out children beter life chances.

the fewer the children - the more money they end up with when we die. We are able to show ou children that working = money = buying nice things and affording a certain lifestyle that otherwise one can't afford. holidays.

i think this is more to do with the council personally. Usually in hese situation the council will shit themselves. - lots of children - no available houses. However i think the purchase of this rather exclusive looking house could and bloody well should be questioned when considering value for money.

it is on that point with which i am annoyed.

the rest of you cannot see that this family are particularly short sighted and their children will be afforded much less opportunity than many of yours

and dont you dare come on here with your fucking mortgage sob stories.... whilst you have your own house

He only worked part time though didn't he ?
Said he was only getting £300 so thats not full time.

I don't think there is anything wrong with people needing council housing, I live in one after all, but I do think this couple are taking the pee. Yep they had to be rehoused and that is fair enough, but they have no reason at all for one of them not working.

well the simple answer is, if you cannot afford to have 12 children, don't! Nobody's saying don't have a family, but this is mad.
Of course it is a rare case, and yes, they aren't rich in terms of cash to spend, but they are living very well for people who don't work and don't want to work.
I actually don't think it is OK to say, 'oh I get more in benefits so I won't work'. It's like saying, 'I like lying in bed so I think I'll live in a hospital' - benefits and hospitals are supposed to be for those who need them, not those who just fancy them, surely.

£300 a week nutty, not a month.

One of them could work, they just don't want to.