Should a council house be a home for life?

[My_First]

Oh my gosh, something is seriously wrong if someone is getting 36k after tax (thats the equivilent of around 60k gross, and they have a subsidised house). And thats not a go at you nugget, but the system. When I have an OH who earns what slighly more than that and we live paying a £1300 a month mortgage, and get NOTHING. No tax credits, nothing, bar child benefit which we will loose next year. Sorry, something gotta give, and because of that houses should definatly be means tested after x amount of time. I'm sorry thats just disgusting.

I also edit to say, I actually dont think we meaning my OH and I should actually have any help either, so I am actually not whinging about not getting any help.

 

[bookreader]

But they are for some people (to use to get on the property ladder), otherwise you would not be allowed to buy them. they dont simply exist just to rent from, however much you may want them too.

Fair enough . That doesn't change the fact that someone on potentially £50k income a year has less need of the low rents council houses offer than some low income families. I won't lie, obviously I am bitter about the way this system works lol but I still stand by my comment. I think the fact council houses can be bought was more aimed at low income families rather than someone with that large an income and I think staying in a council house when you earn that much money is wrong. I get that people don't agree

I completely understand your frustrations. I think the system in this country is crazy, but i can also understand why, if someone has a house which is pretty cheap and the ability to buy it as their only way of getting on the property ladder, then they would. I would probably consider doing the same to be honest. Yes, ethically it is not great, but trying to save to buy when living in private rent is almost impossible.

 

[omfgski]

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[Tasha]

Yes it is the system that sucks.

 

[omfgski]

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[Tasha]

Yeah, true!

I just wanted to comment and apologise to nugget80 for being quite rude with my comments. After thinking it over, it's clear that it's the system I should be annoyed with rather than the people who use it to their advantage. I do think it sucks that people who have a lot of money get to use and buy council houses but I can see that if the system let's them do that, then why shouldn't they take advantage of it! So again, sorry nugget80 for being rude and calling you selfish and disgusting!

That is big of you to apologise

I think lots of people would use the system to their advantage if they had the chance, so it is the systems fault for allowing this to happen.

Personally, I think for now the right to buy scheme should stop. My reason for this is that they are bought at a low price and so the council would need to sell off say four to buy one house on the open market to replace one of the ones they sold and goodness knows how many they would need to sell to fund a new development. At the same time they need to sort the rest of the system so they look at your circumstances every two years or so. The only problem I see is like where I live, we pay £1.5k rent a month, it is a three bed flat on a council estate and was the cheapest three bed place we could find, so even relatively decent wages would just be eaten up by rent here.

 

[nugget80]

thankyou for the apology and yes i don't particularly agree with the system but i have been in it since i moved out at 17 before having kids and i know alot has changed since then and i know i'm lucky to have my house. for pp who wondered oh earns 42k before tax (ish) but what i was trying to say is would it really be fair if we had to move because we earn that amount? like i said before if and when i qualify we can't count on my wages as i am registered disabled and me being well enough to work is not guaranteed...! we are just outside London and rent is v. expensive.
as far as i know councils offer 5 year contracts now and a home for life is no longer the case so things are changing slowly which is good but those of us who are already in the system who signed secure contracts its a way to get on property ladder. no bank Will ever give me mortgage so its down to oh to provide our home...!

 

[My_First]

I'm not getting at you, but what you describe above if what most of us have to do. So my oh bought and pays for our house, mortgage is his name, and many of us don't have a second salary due to either family or bringing up children. We too live in the London corridor and still we manage. It's doable and in answer to your question, yes I do think it's fair that you shouldn't now have a house. And again it's not getting at you personally but the system. Ps 36k net is a minimum of around 50k with tax and national insurance (25% deductions - not taking into account 40% tax bracket).

 

[nugget80]

okay that's fine and you are entitled to your opinion but at the end of the day i'm not going to feel guilty over my housing situation and i do know that im lucky to have my home...
eta... i have been with oh for 2 years and before that was a single mum on a very low income. i am the sole tenant and that is the way it Will stay... my mum gave up her home for a man and ended up homeless 5 yrs later when it went wrong. so in a way its also my security although i do plan on being with oh forever...
ps... the 36k is from p60 so maybe before tax then...? i know his contract is for 42...

 

[My_First]

okay that's fine and you are entitled to your opinion but at the end of the day i'm not going to feel guilty over my housing situation and i do know that im lucky to have my home...

And you shouldn't feel guilty as its not your fault, it's the blooming system

 

[highhopes19]

Me and my oh are currently on the council list we are looking at a 3 year wait most probably! We can't afford to private rent at £500 for a studio flat it's very exspensive.

If we live in a council property the rent will be cheaper we will be able to pay it ourselves but in a council flat we would NEED government assistance to get by!

We both work not on very high incomes....before I found out I was expecting our financial situation was so much better than it is now but I had so many problems from my employer bullying me whilst pregnant causing me to have a break down that I got myself a new job to save my sanity only 8 hours a week.


What annoys me more is people buying there council houses rather than those who work hard having them.... Tbh I'd rather have a working family living in one than a family with about 4 kids never worked a day in there lives sitting at home all day having it all paid for for them!