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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 24, 2013 13:08:53 GMT
It says a lot about politics, that someone sticking to their principles is newsworthy. Andy |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 28, 2013 10:49:41 GMT
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Post by blueshift on Jan 28, 2013 12:01:41 GMT
No, but come on, is there any excuse why ANYONE would be getting £1000 a week in housing benefit? That's insane. |
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Post by legios on Jan 28, 2013 20:55:04 GMT
No, but come on, is there any excuse why ANYONE would be getting £1000 a week in housing benefit? That's insane. Insane but not entirely unbelievable. The rents in Council Temporary Accommodation can sometimes be at levels which would make your eyes water. Karl |
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Post by blueshift on Jan 28, 2013 21:13:41 GMT
No, but come on, is there any excuse why ANYONE would be getting £1000 a week in housing benefit? That's insane. Insane but not entirely unbelievable. The rents in Council Temporary Accommodation can sometimes be at levels which would make your eyes water. Karl I'd understand if it was down to some sort of internal bookkeeping rather than literally being £1000 a week. But c'mon, you could live in a top class hotel for that! |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 28, 2013 23:15:59 GMT
No, but come on, is there any excuse why ANYONE would be getting £1000 a week in housing benefit? That's insane. in Edinburgh, many folk who go through the homeless route can end up dumped in PSL 1 bedroom flats where the monthly rents are an eye-watering £800 ish a month (more than double social housing rents or around £300 more than the private rented sector). Someone is making a lot of money out of getting the Housing Benefit for these flats and it isn't the tenants. This situation goes unreported by the media. One upshot of it is that folk in such flats cannot move into work as it is impossible to earn enough to pay the rent. -Ralph |
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Post by blueshift on Jan 28, 2013 23:17:59 GMT
in Edinburgh, many folk who go through the homeless route can end up dumped in PSL 1 bedroom flats where the monthly rents are an eye-watering £800 ish a month (more than double social housing rents or around £300 more than the private rented sector). What the hell? Are these houses made of gold? That's insane! How do they get away with that? |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 28, 2013 23:18:06 GMT
No, but come on, is there any excuse why ANYONE would be getting £1000 a week in housing benefit? That's insane. Tenants do not get that money. It goes to the housing provider. -Ralph |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2013 23:36:23 GMT
No, but come on, is there any excuse why ANYONE would be getting £1000 a week in housing benefit? That's insane. in Edinburgh, many folk who go through the homeless route can end up dumped in PSL 1 bedroom flats where the monthly rents are an eye-watering £800 ish a month (more than double social housing rents or around £300 more than the private rented sector). Someone is making a lot of money out of getting the Housing Benefit for these flats and it isn't the tenants. This situation goes unreported by the media. One upshot of it is that folk in such flats cannot move into work as it is impossible to earn enough to pay the rent. -Ralph haud on! if they're homeless & end up dumped in PSLs, how can they afford £800ish a month? |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 28, 2013 23:39:21 GMT
They don't. You don't get paid housing benefit into your bank account, it goes to the housing provider.
Which is what Ralph said above.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 28, 2013 23:51:23 GMT
Their rent is paid for by Housing Benefit. They do not pay the rent themselves as they are homeless and are generally unemployed (not always though: many homeless people are working full or part-time jobs). Gaps in available accomodation means that sometimes folk are placed in these 'PSL' flats. Folk are only entitled to one housing offer and turning down a PSL flat on account of the rent charge is not considered acceptable.
Currently, folk do not have their Housing Benefit paid to them. It goes to the housing provider. However, that will be changing this year and rent money will be paid directly to claimants who will then be legally responsible for forwarding that money to their housing provider. I am sure anyone can imagine the chaos that will result.
-Ralph
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2013 23:56:06 GMT
Their rent is paid for by Housing Benefit. They do not pay the rent themselves as they are homeless and are generally unemployed (not always though: many homeless people are working full or part-time jobs). Gaps in available accomodation means that sometimes folk are placed in these 'PSL' flats. Folk are only entitled to one housing offer and turning down a PSL flat on account of the rent charge is not considered acceptable. Currently, folk do not have their Housing Benefit paid to them. It goes to the housing provider. However, that will be changing this year and rent money will be paid directly to claimants who will then be legally responsible for forwarding that money to their housing provider. I am sure anyone can imagine the chaos that will result. -Ralph aye! they'll be spending it on Buckie instead |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 28, 2013 23:58:43 GMT
That's a pretty sweeping and inaccurate generalisation.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 28, 2013 23:58:49 GMT
Edit: this is a reply to Fortsu's last post.
I've been working in a Housing Support section of a homeless charity since November 2010. I also have five years and two months experience in a Housing Support project for a mental health charity, which encompassed housing and homelessness issues.
Hi! How are you?
If you have any specific questions regarding the issues surrounding the points in the last few posts please do list them here and I will do my best to answer them!
-Ralph
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2013 0:08:28 GMT
That's a pretty sweeping and inaccurate generalisation. Andy inaccurate but true! either that, or drugs |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 29, 2013 0:11:56 GMT
That is again inaccurate and reads like the sort of bile spewed by the Daily Mail and other right wing tabloids. The Have Your Say section is for more reasoned debate and discussion than that.
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2013 0:23:48 GMT
That is again inaccurate and reads like the sort of bile spewed by the Daily Mail and other right wing tabloids. The Have Your Say section is for more reasoned debate and discussion than that. Andy tell me sir, how do you know that doesn't go on? just because you have not been made aware of it, doesn't mean that to say that it doesn't happen! |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 29, 2013 0:31:26 GMT
I'm not saying it doesn't, but you were inferring that they all do it. Which is a generalisation and is offensive. So stop.
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2013 0:37:52 GMT
I'm not saying it doesn't, but you were inferring that they all do it. Which is a generalisation and is offensive. So stop. Andy aye ok, I should've been more accurate but in retrospect.......sweeping it under the carpet, isn't going to make such problems go away! |
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Post by kayevcee on Jan 29, 2013 13:07:02 GMT
No-one is pretending it doesn't happen, Fortstu. Dismissing thousands of vulnerable people as alkies or junkies however does a disservice to those who find themselves in their position through no fault of their own. The Doctor and Legios in particular speak from a position of concern and compassion because they work regularly with said vulnerable people and have the opportunity to get to know them. Their word on the subject carries quite a lot of weight for us, so you see why we react as we do when someone reacts so casually to their opinions.
-Nick
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 29, 2013 13:35:03 GMT
Sadly I believe Mr Fortstu has now left us so is unable to engage further in this discussion.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 29, 2013 17:01:38 GMT
That's a pretty sweeping and inaccurate generalisation. Andy Agreed, but I have to say from the things I've learnt in my job, it's not the first that's been made in this thread, and I've had to bite my metaphorical tongue a number of times on account of people I've worked with who I have great respect for. Only difference is, hard-working and sincere politicians can take it and are well compensated for doing so, and for that reason I don't feel so inclined (or able, given my current job status) to say all I could say to correct their shambles of a media image. Anyway, clearly a very emotive subject. Martin |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 29, 2013 18:44:50 GMT
True.
And yes, I dare say some of us, myself included have been less than charitable about politicians.
I dare say many are good people, but to me it is very difficult to understand those that willingly go along with measures that are quite clearly going to have a negative impact on the most vulnerable elements of society, while ensuring that those most well off have their riches protected.
Andy
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 29, 2013 18:54:14 GMT
True. And yes, I dare say some of us, myself included have been less than charitable about politicians. I dare say many are good people, but to me it is very difficult to understand those that willingly go along with measures that are quite clearly going to have a negative impact on the most vulnerable elements of society, while ensuring that those most well off have their riches protected. Andy And I _don't_ find it at all difficult to understand why intelligent people feel the way they do about politicians as a group, not only given the way the media portrays them, but also the way they try to portray themselves (in part driven by the necessarily adversarial nature of party-political representative democracy). Most of what they do is very boring and a newspaper that reported their work in a balanced fashion, ignoring all the surface bluster, would not sell. But... we're all good here. Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 29, 2013 20:02:29 GMT
It is always worth pointing out when I respect something they do, hence why the Tory upthread who resigned has my respect for making a public principled stance.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 29, 2013 20:20:41 GMT
Yeah, that was kind of spoilt for me by Andy's follow-up comment, that "it says a lot about politics, that someone sticking to their principles is newsworthy".
Politicians stick to their principles whenever they speak in debates in accordance with their principles, or vote in accordance with their principles (which, of course, may not be the same as your principles or mine - and may well reflect different economic, social and environmental philosophies from yours or mine). That's their job. But it's rarely newsworthy.
I always have mixed feelings about a resignation on a matter of principle, as it usually means a good person demoting themselves to a less influential position, where they can do less good. But sometimes making the point that forcefully can have an influence for good, so it's really a judgement call.
EDIT: OK, enough, I'm really shutting up now. Promise.
Martin
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 29, 2013 23:14:17 GMT
Oh I know a lot of politicians will do, but it's the frequency of stories about politicians who have been exposed for being inept or ethically compromised who will cling on to their position for as long as possible. Given a lot of what is happening, it's difficult to not be jaded about politics and politicians.
No need to shut up Martin, I think we can all have a grown up debate about politics, I've even created a separate thread, so as not to entirely derail the welfare thread.
Andy
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 30, 2013 18:49:04 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2013 18:52:06 GMT
Oh I've known about that for over a year. Long story short: evictions will be high after April.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 30, 2013 19:27:32 GMT
Oh for God's sake, that's unbelievable. Why don't they see just how much money that can squeeze out of people?! |
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