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?

Tell them to fuck off, and enjoy your modest home.

Explain to me how someone working full time on minimum wage is a benefit scrounger ? Are you one of her family, because you sound as though you could be. Instead of blaming benefit claimants for not being able to make ends meet on minimum wage, blame the employers who pay shite wages and expect the tax payer to subsidise them via UC.

How about employers pay a decent wage so that employees can make ends meet and pay their own rent ?

If you are uni age why can't you move into a houseshare? I lived with friends for many years until I saved up to buy with my husband. You are very entitled if you think it's right to live in a 3 bed council house as a single teen/early 20's (I assume). People who have kids in flats make choices yes, but unfortunely their kids don't. I'd rather my taxes subsidise a family with kids struggling than a single person who thinks they are too good to houseshare.

Tick off another one - someone’s already been along to tell her she’s a benefit scrounger even though she works full time for minimum wage !!

I’d be very surprised if any young people, without children, working full time, were entitled to much financial assistance at all.
This whole thread is a wind up.

the Private rental sector needs more regulation. It should not be the case that a move into private rented is so risky. The private rent sector in this country is appalling. It’s a licence to print money. If your mortgage increases or energy bills increase they at least have to give you a breakdown the increase. Landlords can just bung on whatever increase amount they like with no explanation. If the country is going to rely on more on private landlords for housing then then it needs to be some regulation in place so that people are allowed to feel comfortable and safe in their home that they pay a lot of money per month for. There’s this thing in this country that tenants are not as worthy as home owners, you see it a lot even in here when when a op feels they have to say they are an “owner occupier” as if that means something. Private tenants are paying vast amounts of money for their homes and should not have to feel great full for the small amount of protection they get under UK law

I do currently live on benefits and was homeless for 2 years as a very young single person. That's why I have the empathy that I have for those in need. I would never suggest the OP gives up her home for nowhere to live, just if they can put themselves out for a swap to help a family then it's the right thing to do. And if they can afford to get somewhere smaller that's not SH then they should because social housing is for those in need.

This I agree with - I think everyone should have to live on the equivalent of JSA for a single person for at least 6 months of their adult lives.

No, because she’s being nasty about a family she doesn’t know for no reason saying they don’t deserve a house because it’s their own choice, yet expects everyone to say she deserves her space.

You must be in cloud cuckoo land if you think that somebody with a 3 bed house and an assured tenancy should give all of that up to house share at uni! Good lord.
If it’s not a wind-up then she has met the criteria to be given this tenancy following the death of a parent.

who do you suppose acts as guarantor for her in her uni house share????

She is milking the system by house blocking social housing that is clearly more than she needs. As for paying 300 tax a month, that is not how the tax system works. It is not as if the OP is not also consuming other public services which costs more than 300 a month. We all do.

But I can see why the OP is doing this, assuming she is a genuine poster. Nice position to be in. Enjoy.

Great to see everyone on here rallying round in aid of those caught at the sharpest end of the housing crisis. I'm guessing you'll all be handing your own homes over to the collective cause?

The private rent sector in this country is appalling. It’s a licence to print money. If your mortgage increases or energy bills increase they at least have to give you a breakdown the increase. Landlords can just bung on whatever increase amount they like with no explanation.

If only!

Why would I? I paid for my house with post tax earnings and a mortgage. I actually own the title deeds.

I never had a guarantor with any of my uni rentals or post uni rentals, it's a 12 month contract so a few grand max if there's 5/6 sharing.

YABU to occupy a 3 bedroom social house when there are probably families stuck in 1/2 bedroom properties

Honestly? I think it’s very selfish to hold onto a three bed property when so many families need it. As a child me, my brother and my mum were living in bedsits and hostels for nearly 10 years waiting on a property to come up in our area. If you can give this family a chance for a garden etc why wouldn’t you? Especially if there is now an actual family interested.

I do think your HA are most at fault and should move you on. Aso your family were out of order doing it behind your back. But you should not have a right to hold up a whole 3 bed house just because you were born there.

Guarantors are standard procedure now.

The OP has just as much right legally to her house as you do to yours, so why should she altruistically give it up and you shouldn't?

Yes, we had to sign something to act as a Guarantor for my sons Uni accommodation

At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, because she does not own it.

Eh?

Blueshoes has paid for her own house with her earnings and a mortgage.

The OP is paying her rent with money given to her for free by the likes of Blueshoes via taxation.

I'm not sure that having a legal right to rent a property is the same as legally owning it, either.

Why should you downsize if you dont want to, that's mad on your family's part.

There you go OP Live in a house share just because you hevent got living proof that you have had sex without contraception

I am in a 3 bed with my children,this house will be the longest house any of us have lived in by the time the children leave but I fully intend to swap the 3 bed for a 1 bed when the time comes,there is a massive shortage of 3 beds in my area and one of the reasons is because there's now woman who lived there with children but are now on their own and won't move