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?

Its not YOUR property.

You're using MY tax money to pay YOUR bills.

I can see why people think you should leave.

This is entirely your decision and no one else's. If you are happy in your current home, then do not be pushed to downsize or swap. You are the one that lives in it, so only you can know what suits you best. Balls to everyone else, including family members.

I'm going to continue living in my three bedroom social housing property so boo hoo! I don't feel guilty or upset. And as from September I will be paying the full rent from when I get SFE.

OPs own words are "Most of the rent is paid for by universal credit"
I can read just fine thanks.

OP - if you’re going to university is this going to impact your universal credit eligibility?

What an absolutely vile response.

How is she morally wrong?

What's morally wrong here is the system, not the person!

Where all these smaller properties that the council and the houding associations are quickly, efficiently and seamlessly helping tenants to downsize?

I haven't seen any sensible answers about that on this thread! Easier to blame the OP and accuse herbof being morally wrong instead, eh?🙄

Do you get single person discount for Council Tax?

I pay tax, £300.00 a month. I only get UC which covers the rent! It's MY property because I rent it. Yes it's owned by a HA but it's my property because I rent it!!!

What's vile about it?

Is anything I have said not true?

If this is real and not some sort of bait or reverse, then your family shouldn't be going behind your back, but you're also very selfish to be staying there.

No I made a mistake in a previous comment saying I only pay £300.00 I was meant to say I pay £300.00 a month which adds up to around £3,000.00 a year.

If its YOUR property, why don't you try to sell it, or access some equity?

Oh yeah, because you can't. Because it's NOT your property.

Well clearly you can't as the op clearly states she pays herself in full from her own money for bedrooms 2 and 3.

Its your home, you have the right to live there as long as you want. Even once you finish uni and get a better paying job that is still your home. Don't feel pressured into moving into a private rental. Live in that house till you buy, or for the rest of your life, or until you swap to a different HA house that you love just as much.

My guess is your family is jealous, and tbh if I had a sibling in a lovely, affordable, 3 bed house I would be jealous too! But its not you that is the problem, its Britain's broke housing system that has forced people into expensive, insecure, privately rented properties.

Good luck at Uni!

The reason you are in that house and have universal credit is because at one time, other people made the decision that it would be morally right to provide social housing and money. If everyone thought like you, these things might not exist. However, I would be annoyed at my family for doing what they did.

Confused. Your AIBU asks WWYD? Why did you ask when you have made up your mind that you're staying where you are or was the WWYD around the fact your family are interfering? Sounds as if they are jealous.

If you have assured tenancy nobody can do anything anyway. Only you can make the decision to leave.

In such cases the government should downsize you to house those poor families in need.

It is morally wrong.

It’s not your property. You are borrowing it.

"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" so she pays a quarter of the rent plus £30 herself.

Your family are out of order but over occupying social housing is just wrong when so many need homes.

I think posters need to be realistic, depending on the area the OP is in there may not be any smaller properties to swop to.

I agree