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Original poster

Anyone watching how to get a council house on channel 4?

222 replies

cleoteacher · 06/07/2015 21:35

Is this a repeat or another new series ? I remember this sort of programme being on before.

Can't believe Emma. How entitled is she? People are on the streets and she's refusing a flat because it's too high up and not a great place to live. Surely with four kids anything is better than the streets!

She says she wants to get what she deserves. But it's not explained why she's unemployed. Surely you wouldn't risk yourself and four kids on the streets for a dog either.

OP posts:
SurlyCue · 07/07/2015 12:30

Am I right in thinking gordon's flat was actually a private rental and not council? Perhaps that's why he got it so quick. They did say it had just become available and i would be amazed if gordon was 1st on the list (although could have been i suppose) but i know the lady did ring round some private landlords on gordon's behalf with no joy so perhaps one of the private LLs got back to her and said it ha just come up.

Toughasoldboots · 07/07/2015 12:39

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Toughasoldboots · 07/07/2015 12:40

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SurlyCue · 07/07/2015 12:47

Ahh my mistake, with the speed with which he got it i assumed private.

Yes Emma didnt do herself any favours with her agression however desperate people get panicky and angry. Also, having a dog that is like a third child to me i would also refuse to rehome him so i can totally understand her decision but i also fully accept this would mean my options were vastly limited because of my choice. I know there are people who will never understand that decision.

cunningplans · 07/07/2015 12:54

That Emma women was graceless and charmless. She tried to blame the council lady for all her problems. She said if she killed herself because of the flat it woudl be her fault. Vile.

I cringe watching these sort of programmes. So many Brits are lazy, enttiled and downright 'orrible.

Mypubesarestraight · 07/07/2015 12:57

My great gran inlaw buys up cheap properties on the coast and rents them out at practically triple the rental price for holiday often.

Over winter they are empty. It's practices like this that need to stop. All these empty homes all over the country with the amount of homeless we have is immoral

SurlyCue · 07/07/2015 13:02

She said if she killed herself because of the flat it woudl be her fault. Vile.

Yes i thought that was disgusting and unforgiveable. I wonder if the housing officer has a duty to report a threatened suicide to SS?

Really thought people can feel as entitled as they like and try it on but as long as housing officers stick to the same rules and dont bow to the pressure then the entitled behaviour does no-one any favours. Emma got the message eventually i.e throw your weight around as much as you like love, your options are still the same.

cunningplans · 07/07/2015 13:20

I am in awe of those housing officers. They were professional, kind and calm.

Seffina · 07/07/2015 13:31

I imagine waiting for social housing is quite stressful, and I can understand why someone might get worked up, especially if they have been waiting a long time and have been offered unsuitable properties numerous times.

There are also a lot of urban myths around social housing. I still hear the one about teenage mothers being given free council houses. Perhaps she was throwing her weight around because she's been told that she has to do that to get something better, or maybe she's just frustrated with the system. As someone else said, people do desperate things when they're desperate. Or she might just be a twat, we don't really know.

With things like this, we're shown what they want us to see. It's a shame that what seems to have come out of this more is how awful and entitled some people can be rather than how awful the system is and what can we do to change it.

SurlyCue · 07/07/2015 13:49

Perhaps she was throwing her weight around because she's been told that she has to do that to get something better,

Oh i can totally believe it! My own mum is adamant that if i were to apply for a council house i would get one of the brand new ones straight away and that they all have some sort of "hut" (her word!) in the gardens! Despite both myself and a family member who works for the local housing authority telling her this is bollocks and there is a very long list she insists it just requires a bit of foot stamping and staging a sit-in in the housing office to show i'm no pushover Hmm there is a huge amount of ignorance regarding the current state of the social housing system. Lots of myths need putting to bed.

One thing i did think came through in last nights programme was that the rules are being adhered to and people arent just being handed keys to 10 bed houses because they stepped off a boat from wherever.

sugar21 · 07/07/2015 13:50

I saw some of this programme and like PP's I thought that Emma was a nightmare, funny how she lost her fear of heights when it sunk in she would be homeless. Did she have a job? Her children seemed old enough to go to reception at least. So she could possibly have found part time work
The young couple were unbelievable, at first the girl seemed fairly well spoken but the horrors of their home made me think Why just Why do you put children at risk by living in shite. Angry
The older man was lovely and seeemed like he had been dealt some rotten cards, so pleased he was given a roof over his head he was so grateful bless him.
As for the spitting man words fail me, well they don't but not sure I can spell obscenities correctly!
Wonder how Emma and young couple will cope when supposed cuts are enforced.

Turtlefeet · 07/07/2015 13:58

Saw most of it, missed the start.

At first I thought Emma was very entitled and grabby but towards the end of the programme, especially after seeing the flea and mould ridden shit hole they offered her, bearing in mind I am sure she said she had lived in that block before, I could understand why she was so aggressive. Would any of us choose to live in that flat she was offered??

The older man seemed lovely and I am so glad he has the opportunity to turn his life around again now. His flat was lovely. It just goes to show, how in next to no time your entire life can go tits up. 18 months ago he was married and had a job and 3 bed semi.

The couple - I fell for them in the first instance but when we got to see the shit state they had let their home get into, I was thinking FFS, no wonder your landlord wants you out.

The Romanian guy. I felt a bit for him but really he chose to come here with no arrangements. I doubt I could rock up in most other countries and get social housing in an instant too. It is shit because he will be on benefits longer and not paying into the tax system for longer now. That Romanian guy was pulling out all the stops to help himself but just needed a little support - he didnt get it and will end up using benefits for so much longer.

I have no doubt that programme was well edited to make us think what we all did but it opened my eyes to a few things.

BrendaBlackhead · 07/07/2015 14:04

As a matter of interest, how do some people get big London houses? I mean the ones that councils own themselves.

Original poster
cleoteacher · 07/07/2015 14:09

I wonder that too Brenda. Husband said that a man associated with the shootings in Tunisia has been found to be living in a desirable area of London in a 5 bedroom house and getting £50,000 worth of benefits a year. In the telegraph apparently. I know this is few And far between and is the view lots of people seem to have of immigrants on benefits but sometimes this is obviously what is happening.

OP posts:
cunningplans · 07/07/2015 14:14

Would any of us choose to live in that flat she was offered??

No. we wouldn't . But I wouldn't choose to have four school aged children and not work, either,

cunningplans · 07/07/2015 14:15

It's changing now with the cap, Cleo.

bgottalent · 07/07/2015 14:21

The programme was not goady. Housing officers have to deal with people like them on a daily basis and it is an incredibly stressful job. It's not the housing officers fault that there is so little social housing available and that it is often of poor quality or in disrepair. The allocation of social housing is governed by what's available and strict criteria of need which is laid down by law.

cunningplans · 07/07/2015 14:27

The racist guy was pure, pure scum.

The ginger chap I am slightly in love with Grin

DirtyDeedsD0neDirtCheap · 07/07/2015 14:41

yes the red haired man was lovely

I thought the woman wasn't that nice though although suppose you wouldn't be after years of dealing with that sort of shit

candlesandlight · 07/07/2015 15:00

Thought the housing officers were brilliant, all of them.they remained calm and professional even when abused. Reality is that there is a limited supply of social housing and it has to be rationed .as an immigrant ( came h e re 25 yrs ago) I thought the Romanian guy had a cheek to come and expect a flat straight away without having ever paid into the system and then getting abusive . Think that if you make a choice to move to a country it's up to you to find somewhere to live , even if you do have children

mistymeanour · 07/07/2015 17:09

cunningplans I don't think it will change with the benefit cap as the "hate" preacher and his wife get DLA so it does not apply. It is relatively simple to avoid the benefit cap and bedroom tax - you register as self employed and claim on forms that you are working 16+ hours (your "business" does not necessarily need to make a profit). In the last series of this show a housing officer tried repeatedly to tell a young mother that if she became "self employed" for example selling Avon then she could keep her privately rented house in London that was costing a shocking amount but she would not listen or accept it and ended up in a B&B. There has been a huge rise in people registered as self employed in the past year or so - you get WTC rather than JSA but can keep your other benefits (WTC, HB, CTC etc) and avoid the cap (your Dc will lose free school meals though)

answersonapostcardplease · 07/07/2015 17:34

Emma was super entitled.
Felt very sorry for older man, glad he got housed.
The couple who were behind in rent with dirty house, i do think you should be able to live how you want as long as no long term damage and left in state moved in when leave. However, dog shit, children not acceptable.
I felt for the romanian man, if he gad a home, he'd have kept his job but he did rock up in yhe uk with no were to live.

lagirafe · 07/07/2015 17:35

I thought they were bringing in rules about this that your "self-employment" had to net you at least NMW for the hours that you claimed to be working?
Not to mention it being fraud...?!

mistymeanour · 07/07/2015 17:52

I think they plan to lagirafe when everyone moves over to Universal Credit

Blondeshavemorefun · 07/07/2015 21:49

Just watched on demand - I'm Terrible with names

Yes course as always these programmes are heavily edited - but they still say/do what we see

As others have said - the couple - if they can't keep another persons property clean /tidy then why should they be given a council house - you think on poor them. LL kicked them out etc - but a good reason for it !!!!

And yes he was a rasict :(

Red bearded bloke. Very calm and rather sexy !!!!

EMMA - a dog is like a child for some and can understand why she wouldn't rehome - but was fussy and yes her kids are of school age so find a job

Homeless man - sad that a tragic accident can cause such a counter reaction /losing home and family - glad he got a place

Romanian man. Sad he had a job but they wouldn't help him as hadn't been in work 3mths - but can understand why - or else any would take a job. Get a house and then leave the job