68,000 homeless in Britain, and it's going to get worse

[Cyclone]

Don't confuse homelessness with "on the street" rough sleepers are a small proportion of the extreme end of homelessness.

[Anna B]

Not minimising, merely pointing out that there are usually immediately available properties. I'd guess lots of people unfamiliar with social housing won't know that. A genuinely homeless family in Sheffield could have a council property relatively quickly if they were prepared to take what's available. Reducing the numbers of street homeless is often far more complex than simply finding someone somewhere to live.

 

Sheffield, like a lot of other northern towns and cities, had a surplus of council properties not so long ago. They took the decision then to demolish some. Others, like Park Hill, went out of council ownership. There was nothing to suggest then that the demand would escalate as it has done. It's about time England followed Scotland and Wales and removed the Right to Buy.

 

---------- Post added 23-12-2017 at 08:06 ----------

 

 

I did, but I didn't think it investigative enough. For instance the mum of three who was really struggling wasn't asked about any financial contribution from the father of her children. She lost the family home after they split. I would have liked the programme makers to speak to both parents.

 

Re: TV programme was a bit of a mish mash, but in 30 minutes I suppose there's a limit in what they can achieve.

 

Re: Sheffield City Council. I never could understand why they demolished all those council houses. Surely they were an asset. At the very least they could have been sold off at a knock down price, rather than demolished.

[spilldig]

I dont think the gap between the poor and rich is the main issue; its that Conservative policies are deliberately causing hardship to force people into work. They see no other way, because work is good.

 

I hope you have no problem with people working who are able to work.

[dutch]

I dont think the gap between the poor and rich is the main issue; its that Conservative policies are deliberately causing hardship to force people into work. They see no other way, because work is good.

 

I hope you have no problem with people working who are able to work.

 

The work these very poor people get, I call it modern slavery. It is not really work, many are barely surviving on bare minimum too poor to put heating on. This is not good and it isn't work, its real slavery in a new modern package.

[tinfoilhat]

England is moving back to similar culture as early 19hundreds. Have read some literature from that time, poverty and people disconnected from social care seems to be part of English culture. It is due to the class system, it separates'. Where I grew up everyone was not judged by income, desperate people were helped at least so they didn't end up homeless.

 

Doesn't sound like things are too great in the Netherlands at the moment. Not sure what the excuse is https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_Netherlands

[Anna B]

I dont think the gap between the poor and rich is the main issue; its that Conservative policies are deliberately causing hardship to force people into work. They see no other way, because work is good.

 

I hope you have no problem with people working who are able to work.

 

Not at all. I do however have a problem with modern working conditions.

0 hour contracts, 'gig' economy, no holiday / sick pay, no opportunity for advancement, no career structure, minimum wage, scam jobs, no job security etc.

 

The working poor are some of the most disadvantaged and put upon people in the country.

[Bob Arctor]

I saw a woman recently who works part time and earns £650 per month and receives no housing benefit, rent on council tenancy a bit shy of £400 per month and liable for a bit less than full council tax. I rang Sheffield Benefits Service thinking it must be a mistake and she must be entitled to some housing benefit but no, it's apparently correct. How are people supposed to manage? She'd have been better off not working.

[dutch]

Doesn't sound like things are too great in the Netherlands at the moment. Not sure what the excuse is https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_Netherlands

 

No idea, left the place in eighties.

Was there last weekend for a brief visit and didn't see one person sleeping begging on street and no street litter where I was. Prices were high, lot more expensive then here, don't understand this pound panicking here. Spoken with one cousin losing her job and she may need their universal credit system but she was not worried like people are here on the system and she wont have to switch off the heating. She may find a little part time work she will be better off in their system. Not like people here who work hard part-time and are worse off.

Edited December 23, 2017 by dutch

[ECCOnoob]

I saw a woman recently who works part time and earns £650 per month and receives no housing benefit, rent on council tenancy a bit shy of £400 per month and liable for a bit less than full council tax. I rang Sheffield Benefits Service thinking it must be a mistake and she must be entitled to some housing benefit but no, it's apparently correct. How are people supposed to manage? She'd have been better off not working.

 

Start by getting a full time job maybe?

 

Even on the absolute lowest levels of minimum wage for under 18s a full time job is equivilent is more than that a month. For the majority of working adults its more than double that a month.

 

If she really MUST work part time hours then take step two. Rent somewhere cheaper. Just a quick search on one property site gives 500+ places to live below £400 a month in that so called profiteering, scummy private sector. Maybe its the council who are the profiteers eh?? .

 

People in similar situations manage all the time. Why is this woman so special.

[gamezone07]

I saw a woman recently who works part time and earns £650 per month and receives no housing benefit, rent on council tenancy a bit shy of £400 per month and liable for a bit less than full council tax. I rang Sheffield Benefits Service thinking it must be a mistake and she must be entitled to some housing benefit but no, it's apparently correct. How are people supposed to manage? She'd have been better off not working.

 

Sheffield Council are likely to charge disabled, sick, and unemployed, the full 6% Council Tax rise/change (pro rata) in the New Year, makes you wonder why poll tax protesters bothered.

 

---------- Post added 23-12-2017 at 19:34 ----------

 

Start by getting a full time job maybe?

 

Even on the absolute lowest levels of minimum wage for under 18s a full time job is equivilent is more than that a month. For the majority of working adults its more than double that a month.

 

If she really MUST work part time hours then take step two. Rent somewhere cheaper. Just a quick search on one property site gives 500+ places to live below £400 a month in that so called profiteering, scummy private sector. Maybe its the council who are the profiteers eh?? .

 

People in similar situations manage all the time. Why is this woman so special.

 

I wonder what the condition of these lets are?