One way to look at this is that housing benefit is artificially inflating private landlords' rental income. In the medium to long term, lower rents will be preferable to voids for many landlords. Furthermore, I have some sympathy for those in work on incomes that preclude housing benefit who still have to pay mortgages or rent at this level. I cannot see why those who are earning modest incomes should subsidise expensive housing costs for those who are not earning at all.
-----Original Message-----
From: GP-UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Geoff Schrecker
Sent: 29 October 2010 19:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: £400 cap on housing benefit - and London's contingency plans
I think the cap is at £400/week rather than per month, but for a
family in London this is still a challenge, and I agree that commuting
costs will actually make the benefit trap worse rather than better.
Cheers Geoff
On 29 October 2010 18:42, Mary Hawking <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I live in Dunstable – next door to Luton, - one of the areas mentioned as
> being the target for re-housing Londoners unable to afford London rents.
>
> I looked at the Rented Accommodation section of the local free paper (covers
> Dunstable and Luton): in the £400/cm or less category there were 4
> advertisements – 2 studio flats, one double room and one not stated.
>
> Will displaced Londoners be able to afford Luton?
>
>
>
> Second question about populations being shipped out by their boroughs to
> cheaper areas: does the money follow the patient?
>
>
>
> After all, many of the displaced population will be families receiving other
> benefits and with children needing education and services: does the funding
> for benefits, healthcare and education follow the recipients, or are the
> additional expenses for the receiving Councils a benefit for the London
> Councils who no longer have to pay them?
>
>
>
> If the families affected by being put into B&B in Luton or Hastings remain
> there, how long does the deporting borough have to support them, and is the
> legal obligation to house children one for the original or the receiving
> borough?
>
>
>
> Anyone got a URL with the answers?
>
>
>
>
>
> Mary Hawking
>
> PS workers on minimum wage won’t be able to afford to commute to London –
> especially with the planned rise in fares…
>
>
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