Family wants me to give up my social house and I'm not - wwyd?

[spicy2001]

I currently rent a three bedroom social housing property and I live on my own. Most of the rent is paid for by universal credit and I have to pay 25% bedroom tax which is very affordable to me which is for two rooms and a shortfall of £30.55p.

I did speak to a housing officer and they said I am legally allowed to occupy it, and as long as I pay the rent on time, tax and shortfall, then everything is fine. I don't feel guilty for occupying this three bedroom house, it's been my home since I was born.

Recently, I noticed that my family were talking a lot about me downsizing. I asked why are they talking about me downsizing? They said because I don't need this property and have to downsize.

I explained I'm legally allowed to stay here, this is my property and not yours. I get that I don't need this property but I'm staying here because I'm allowed too. I found out that they actually joined a site called "home swapper" and a site called "glass bob" my sibling set up an account using her email address to advertise my property. If I'm correct, I've never joined these so I don't know 100% but they're platforms where you can do mutual exchange and advertise your property.

I phoned my housing association and explained the situation, they've started an investigation and they are speaking to various departments to see if they can do it from the end to see if they can do anything as they approved it but they don't know if they can disapprove it.

The other day a tenant from another part of my cul-de-sac came round and told me she knows I'm downsizing and she has a friend whose currently living in a one bedroom flat with his wife and they've got a one year old daughter and another baby on the way. I explained to this person my family have been trying to get me to downsize to a one bedroom flat and I'm not actually looking to downsize so I won't swap with them but told her I do sympathize with their situation.

She told all my neighbours about her friend and now all the neighbours are peed off at me because I'm not downsizing. My family are also peed of that I'm not downsizing. As far as I'm concerned I don't care as I have the legal right to stay here for as long as I like or want.

I just wanted to know though what would you do if you was in my situation?

OP, I sense you are aware of your family's motivations and for whatever reason aren't sharing why they have done this. But on the surface, pretty despicable.

There seems very little to be gained in moving in the short term given your future plans.

Also, I think plenty of social housing is under occupied. The problem is far bigger than your 1 house. You have just stick your head out the parapet on this MN thread.

Don’t swap your secure tenancy for private. I’ve had 40% rent rises with a months notice. I’ve had to move with 6 weeks notice. I’ve lived with roofs leaking, 60 year old kitchens, no double glazing, no central heating. Damp so bad my carpets covered in slugs.
i have spent thousands maintaining other peoples properties and spent £250,000 upwards in rent.
move when your ready.

as for downsizing. There’s no harm in looking and being picky, but I wouldn’t be swapping out of guilt. Don’t under estimate the cost in moving though. I’ve known people in similar positions swapping for fantastic properties because the HA need the house.

Fucking hell it gets even worse. @Trying42023 comparing SH tenants to Philip Schofield now. FUCKING HELL

I think this too. It’s really not cool of you to have a 3 bed social housing house as 1 single person. It’s people hogging resources like that are causing issues in our society

I was thinking exactly the same thing!

Just out of interest the people criticising the op.
do you hold the same views of landlords?
do you have spare bedrooms?

I'd argue that people with large privately properties ought to look to themselves before condemning others.

I think the people slagging off social housing are usually struggling with money and jealous. Private rents are obscene. Sheer greed because of the housing shortage. If you’re looking for immorality that’s where it is.

OP, make your own plans at your own pace. Do what's right for you. It sounds as if you might want to move long-term, so follow your own timescale with that when your financial situation allows. I would be very attached to a home I'd had all my life too, but it's also really satisfying to chart your own course. Good luck.

Haven't read everything but your family are idiots for doing what they're doing!

However, you should downsize (morally). People are crying out for council housing and living on top of each other.

There is a programme on at the moment called '60 days on the estate'. You should watch the first episode.

But that aside, the way your family are behaving isn't right at all.

If it was me I would think YABU for occupying a space that you don't need because council housing is supposed to help people and you do not need three bedrooms when some families are living in one. But after expressing that I'd leave you to it because it is your choice, not make up fraudulent accounts to try and force you.

So it's not ok to have spare bedrooms, even if you've bought a private house outright with no social help? That's not even relevant to the OP. Or do you mean people in social housing having spare bedrooms? Sorry, just want to be clear.

The houses aren’t “free”. Rent is paid by tenants. Some of those tenants could be working 40 hour weeks. Because the wages may be so low they are topped up by Universal Credit. Not everyone on UC is unemployed

The system is wrong for letting a young, single person occupy a 3-bed family home (paid for by UC) when there are so many families struggling for suitable property. When I was 21, I worked for minimum wage (straight out of uni) and privately rented a small one-bedroom flat for myself. My wage just about covered bills and food but I managed. You are obviously living beyond your means, as UC pays the rent for a property you couldn't otherwise afford. Morally wrong.. and I don't blame your family for thinking the same.

People are crying out for social housing because of government financial mismanagement ie not building any and everyone screaming “not in my back yard” not because one young girl doesn’t want to lose her home

My MIL used to deliver meals on wheels to old people. These were typically people living in 3/4 bedroom social housing homes and only living on the ground floor. Nobody seems to criticise them.

Because all the singles and couples without DC living with them have entitlement to a one bed place only. There's not enough one bed places to go around. Nowhere to move these underoccupying people to. Nowhere to move the single and couples in temporary homeless accommodation to. Nowhere for the singles and couples on the waiting list to move into. Social housing is like hen's teeth full stop. Demand way outstrips supply. Social housing was originally designed for ordinary working people to have a habitable home. Then it got sold and at the same time population keeps expanding, house prices keep rising so one average income can't buy a family home. All this equals more people needing social housing.

Whoever said if OP has a family after downsizing she'd be entitled to a bigger property, yes she would, but entitled to doesn't mean she'd get it. There's not enough social housing to go around.

It's not your fault successive governments haven't built enough properties and when they have it's been mostly 1-2 bedroom flats. We don't live in a communist country where the collective decides what you should do. Oh and don't move to a flat where you will have to pay extortionate service charges on top of everything. It is a disgrace.

It's also immoral for someone to be forced out of their home that they've made their own.

Very well said. I have lived in social housing in the past paying full rent and I had to correct people who thought it was free!

This has to be a complete wind- up of a post.
Too many things don’t add up.

If I’d have not had to pay my rent out of my minimum wage earnings at 23, I’d have considered it free

@Fireandflames666 this would be a fair comment if OP actually paid her rent in full and didn't reply on UC. If I failed to make my mortgage payments, I'd have my home repossessed - how is this any different?

You are obviously living beyond your means, as UC pays the rent for a property you couldn't otherwise afford

UC is based on income and bedroom need. UC would be paying the OP the exact same amount if she lived in a one bed as what she's getting paid now. She's topping up the rent for the 3 bed herself from her wages

It’s not free. The HAs are not for profit organisations. The rents go towards maintenance etc.

Obviously privately owned housing is different, but I absolutely think there should be incentives for people to downsize and future homebuilding ought to focus on allowing that to happen.
And BTL should be banned. Almost all rentals should be affordable social housing, allocated and reassessed regularly, based on need.