Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

[Wombats]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

HB is paid directly to the tenant now, so we're seeing increasing numbers of people on HB being evicted as their HB is diverted to other purposes. This was another stupid move by the government.

In the past three weeks I've filled in three forms for illiterate, vulnerable people asking (successfully thankfully) for their HB to be paid directly to their landlords. The form states this option will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. Why?

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Yes, I recall someone who is a landlady saying it was due to insurance that HB tenants were often not welcomed. :tinysmile_twink_t2:

Round these parts, HB doesn't cover most rents. I guess it's all to do with the fact that there are less employment opportunities in Wales, while these are the outer reaches of the London commuter belt.

[MissFM]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

]HB is paid directly to the tenant now[/B], so we're seeing increasing numbers of people on HB being evicted as their HB is diverted to other purposes. This was another stupid move by the government.

In the past three weeks I've filled in three forms for illiterate, vulnerable people asking (successfully thankfully) for their HB to be paid directly to their landlords. The form states this option will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. Why?

That's news to me, Wombats.

Why indeed?

But I suspect it's akin to prescribing more medication to counteract the side effects of other medication - everything just goes more and more off piste...

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

I completely agree with the housing benefits being paid directly to the claimant rather than direct to the landlord, unless there are issues with mental health, or previous history of poor money management. It shouldn't be so bloody hard to ask for it to be paid direct though if needed and that side of things does need sorting, majorly.

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

LHA (hb) is different area to area - see https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx For private rental it really is the claimants choice whether to pay extra to have a larger / better / on a better street etc property or one that the rent would be covered by the lha.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

HB is paid directly to the tenant now, so we're seeing increasing numbers of people on HB being evicted as their HB is diverted to other purposes. This was another stupid move by the government.

This is hardly new, I recall HB being paid directly to me in 91, the only difference was back then I'd get a cheque every two weeks and I had to go put it in the bank.

In the past three weeks I've filled in three forms for illiterate, vulnerable people asking (successfully thankfully) for their HB to be paid directly to their landlords. The form states this option will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. Why?

As far as I know, that option only applies when the tenant is in arrears with their rent, I'm not sure exactly how much in arrears they'd have to be.

As ever, there's two sides to everything. :decision: One reason I can think of, for not having the HB paid to the landlord, is not to make the landlord aware that you are claiming it. As discussed on posts above, things are different in different parts of the country. Round here most landlords and lettings agents don't want HB tenants. In many cases, people had a job and/or other means to pay the rent themselves (i.e. a partner) when they moved into the property they occupy. Then one day they find themselves having to claim benefits, in which case they wouldn't want the landlord to find out, and as long as they pay their rent, there's no reason to inform them.

I know someone who's been claiming on and off since 2008, and knowing about his landlord and where he lives, etc., he'd probably have been kicked out if the landlord knew he's been on benefits. :rant: :rant: :rant:

There's a very wide range of HB claimants, many are well educated, literate, articulate and capable of making intelligent decisions. Obviously when they have drug or alcohol problems or other addictions, or are not capable of making their own decisions, paying it directly to the landlord would make more sense. The real problem is the "one size fits all" approach.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

LHA (hb) is different area to area - see https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx

Of course it has to be, to reflect the actual rents in different areas. When you read in the papers that people get, say, £50k a year in benefits, they may it sound like they're living the high life, :wof: when in reality, they probably live in an expensive area. For example, in certain parts of London, the 2 bedroom allowance is £300/week, and that probably wouldn't be enough to actually rent a two bed house suitable for a family with one or two children.

For private rental it really is the claimants choice whether to pay extra to have a larger / better / on a better street etc property or one that the rent would be covered by the lha.

Not when you're already living somewhere you could previously afford on your own or with someone who no longer lives with you, as I posted above. There was that lady who was going to be evicted from her one bed flat because she could only get the shared rate as she was just under 35. :rant: :rant: :rant:

You could, of course, move somewhere cheaper if there was anything available, which is not always the case, there are also added costs associated with moving, not to mention the fact that many don't want HB claimants to start with.

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Lol, you mean when you read the Daily Mail

[Wombats]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

I completely agree with the housing benefits being paid directly to the claimant rather than direct to the landlord

I don't disagree with it, but if it's going to go to the landlord anyway, I'd have thought it would be less admin etc... to pay it direct AND it stops vulnerable people having to fill in forms they may not even understand, and thus run the risk of hitting problems. It also ensures those with addictions pay their rent rather than divert it elsewhere.

I understand the argument of people having responsibility for 'their own' money, but this isn't theirs as such, it is always intended to go to the landlord, so why not just pay it direct?

We have a tendency to take in homeless people on a regular basis. The three recent forms have all been for illiterate people with issues which are to do with them performing at a level more akin to a child in many areas, but definitely not their fault, they're lovely people.

I had a phone call with the council housing department this morning re someone who is homeless. They're single and I was told that they would only EVER be allowed a one bedroomed property, even if the 'bedroom tax' was guaranteed to be paid (we would have paid it for them in this case). To me that is madness. There's at least 7 one bedroom flats in our village that I know of which have been empty for in excess of 6 months. There's people crying out for one bedroom properties to escape the dreaded 'bedroom tax'. Then, when you get someone who would take a two bedroom property AND pay the 'tax' the rules forbid it. In reality, this means unless they go private, they're stuffed and stuck on the streets.

What ever happened to common sense?

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Stupid isn't it. Lack of common sense is rife at the moment and to be honest I blame too many years of handholding by the previous government and not enough financial education in schools, media and at home.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Lol, you mean when you read the Daily Mail

Nope, the free copy of the Sun I got yesterday! msl: msl:

Shame I haven't got a cat...

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

That's aimed at council staff and claimants equally btw xx

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Nope, the free copy of the Sun I got yesterday! msl: msl:

Shame I haven't got a cat...

Mine went in the bin, after checking there weren't boobs on page three... there weren't thank goodness else they'd have been even more annihilated than they have been for it.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

I don't disagree with it, but if it's going to go to the landlord anyway, I'd have thought it would be less admin etc... to pay it direct AND it stops vulnerable people having to fill in forms they may not even understand, and thus run the risk of hitting problems. It also ensures those with addictions pay their rent rather than divert it elsewhere.

I understand the argument of people having responsibility for 'their own' money, but this isn't theirs as such, it is always intended to go to the landlord, so why not just pay it direct?

Much the same reason you'd rather not pay a CCJ through an attachment of earnings and make your own arrangements instead, you wouldn't want your employer to be aware of your debts, or your landlord of your being on benefits.

I had a phone call with the council housing department this morning re someone who is homeless. They're single and I was told that they would only EVER be allowed a one bedroomed property, even if the 'bedroom tax' was guaranteed to be paid (we would have paid it for them in this case). To me that is madness. There's at least 7 one bedroom flats in our village that I know of which have been empty for in excess of 6 months. There's people crying out for one bedroom properties to escape the dreaded 'bedroom tax'. Then, when you get someone who would take a two bedroom property AND pay the 'tax' the rules forbid it. In reality, this means unless they go private, they're stuffed and stuck on the streets.

It could well be because two bed properties are meant to be allocated to families who couldn't live in a one bed property. The bedroom tax was intended for those who already live in properties that are 'too big' for them, for example, because their kids have flown the nest.

What ever happened to common sense?

When it comes to government and red tape, it's always been in short supply!

[Wombats]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

When it comes to government and red tape, it's always been in short supply!

It's crazy! Even more crazy in Welshland:

"Pan ddaw i lywodraeth a thâp coch, mae bob amser wedi bod yn brin!"

See - I told you!