Housing benefit cuts are on the way

[discodown]

Why do you say that with so much confidence?

 

Cutting 40% of the LHA maximum I would have thought would affect significant numbers. Whilst bedsits for £50 a week or less are available most one person accomodation costs more.

Because I work in housing benefit and there has not been a single instruction, change in protocol, memo, staff meeting, email, procedure change or anything about HB changing in any way apart from what was mentioned in the budget.

 

There is no cutting of 40%.

 

There is no magic rent figure that LHA is pegged against so that it can then be cut in relation to it. Its all nonsense.

[Tony]

I get the feeling that you're banging your head on a brick wall discodown. You being an expert doesn't matter when the Sheffield Star has printed a made up story. Scaremongering people about the roof over their head is very irresponsible journalism.

[Wildcat]

Because I work in housing benefit and there has not been a single instruction, change in protocol, memo, staff meeting, email, procedure change or anything about HB changing in any way apart from what was mentioned in the budget.

 

There is no cutting of 40%.

 

There is no magic rent figure that LHA is pegged against so that it can then be cut in relation to it. Its all nonsense.

 

P40:

 

29 Local Housing Allowance: set at the 30th percentile of local rents from 2011-12

 

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_complete.pdf

 

It is currently set as the median (ie 50%). ie 40% cut

[Greybeard]

1/3 of Housing Benefit, LHA, whatever you want to call it is paid to private landlords. A very lucrative business for those renting to the poor in receipt of state benefit. Especially so in Sheffield, with the largest council housing waiting list in the country.

 

Not sure what you're saying here....is it any less 'lucrative' to rent a property to a tenant not in receipt of state benefit ?

[discodown]

I get the feeling that you're banging your head on a brick wall discodown. You being an expert doesn't matter when the Sheffield Star has printed a made up story. Scaremongering people about the roof over their head is very irresponsible journalism.

I wouldn't say I was an expert

[Swan_Vesta]

Scaremongering people about the roof over their head is very irresponsible journalism.

 

That's the Star. I've emailed them numerous times about their frequent inaccuracies and have never received as much as an acknowledgement or correction.

 

Far easier to churn out sloppily researched pap.

[discodown]

P40:

 

29 Local Housing Allowance: set at the 30th percentile of local rents from 2011-12

 

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_complete.pdf

 

It is currently set as the median (ie 50%). ie 40% cut

So what is the figure? I don't know it and I work in benefits. Showing me a coppy of the budget doesn't find it or say what it is

[Tony]

P40:

 

29 Local Housing Allowance: set at the 30th percentile of local rents from 2011-12

 

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_complete.pdf

 

It is currently set as the median (ie 50%). ie 40% cut

 

Go on then - explain.

 

(gets popcorn)

[Wildcat]

So what is the figure? I don't know it and I work in benefits. Showing me a coppy of the budget doesn't find it or say what it is

 

What is what figure?

[chem1st]

Not sure what you're saying here....is it any less 'lucrative' to rent a property to a tenant not in receipt of state benefit ?

 

Consider HB for property X at levels A and B.

 

For property X, HB is either A or B. B is 50% greater than A.

 

If HB is at level B, then it pushes up the average rent, disproportionately affecting the lowest paid workers (often those whom are entitled to HB but whom do not realise they are, nor do they have the time to claim).

 

The cost of housing affects us all.

 

If HB is at level A, the council can charge rent ~ £A

If at B, then £B

Just like the BTLer/private landlord/HA

 

The level of HB artificially dictates the cost of housing.

 

Housing and the cost of it are artificially controlled and it is being used to extract from us our wealth/the opportunity of gaining it.