it was a stroke of genius by the previous government
to change the system so that housing benefits were paid to the tenant instead of directly to the landlord. here, you've got no money. have a massive cheque, we trust you to cash it and pay it to your landlord, not spunk it on plasma screen televisions and designer clothes that you deserve when you don't work for them.

also to change the law again, as a consequence of low council-housing stock, so that there is a statutory formula that landlords can use to squeeze much more cash out of councils who are paying to house these families than they would get if they let their houses on the private market. eg foxtons valued my flat at £850 a week. allow for foxtons' wild exaggeration, and it's probably worth £750 a week on the private market. i then go to the statutory calculator and realise i can get £1,000 a week if the council put tenants in there at the tax-payers' expense.

ridiculous!
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:24, 1 reply, 15 years ago)

What? Really?
But, but, but...!!!

Oh, the day had started so well and I'm so upset now!
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:29, Reply)

i know
that's why you now see stories about non-working families with hundreds of children living in 8 bedroom mansions at £3,000 per week. well done gordon/tony, that was a truly special piece of legislation.

the problem is, that sort of benefit relies on people being honest and hardworking, and only claiming when they need to/are genuinely disabled. but far too many people aren't like that and will rape and milk a system that should only be there for those in genuine need.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:39, Reply)