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Generation Rent demands more public cash for renting families

Activists in Generation Rent claim that a fifth of families in the lettings sector suffer a shortfall between benefits and rent.

Using selected data from a range of sources the campaign group - led by Baroness Alicia Kennedy - claims 51 per cent of families in the private rented sector rely on government support to pay their rent. 

It calculates this by stating that Local Housing Allowance covers the whole rent for the cheapest 30 per cent of homes in an area - but it says 21 per cent of privately renting families live in more expensive homes.

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The group says these tenants are “forced to make devastating choices between putting food on the table and getting into debt.”

It continues: “To make matters worse, many families will not get the full LHA because of the household benefit cap. Many new Universal Credit claimants have been exempt from the benefit cap, but this grace period only lasts for nine months, and people who applied for Universal Credit in March will be nearing the end of it around Christmas.”

And then - in a criticism of landlords and letting agents as well as government - the activists say: “Renters in this position may try to move to a cheaper home, but discrimination against benefit claimants remains widespread, shutting this option off to many.”

Baroness Kennedy says: “Coronavirus has had a devastating impact on the finances of families living in private rented homes, with over half now reliant on benefits to pay the rent.  

“After the country went into lockdown, 169,000 families claimed Universal Credit for the first time, and found that it doesn't cover the cost of average rents. With thousands more about to be hit by the benefit cap in the run up to Christmas, rent arrears will keep on growing. 

“Savings have already been bled dry by the first wave, forcing many tenants to rely on credit. Without further support, families are being forced to go without essentials, take out a loan to pay the rent, or risk eviction.

“With so many private renters now reliant on it, the government must ensure the benefits system covers housing costs. Everyone deserves the security of a home they can afford while we recover from the economic impact of Coronavirus.”

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    There used to be time, long long ago when people did not get married unless they were sure they had good prospects (a trade and a job for the man). Young ladies very much sought such young men and did not dare to have children unless such a young man could be safely "captured".

    My comment is a generalisation, accidents did, do and will always happen but accepting them as the norm leads to problem we have now. People are relying on other people, via taxation, to give them a comfortable life. It works to an extent because most of us accept a few family mistakes of others as part of society. There has to be limits and we are already exceeding them.

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    For too many women now children = a free ride, I saw this a few yrs ago with a tenant, her daughter came of school age then the job centre started chasing her to apply for jobs and attend interviews, she disappeared off to Spain for the summer and came back pregnant , it's called '' working the system '' now it's no to single mums for me.

     
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    That exactly what Ive witnessed Andrew. Young girls were 'deliberately' getting pregnant because their friends were saying they got a LHA allowance so that means a house.

    Not anymore from me I can say

     
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    It doesn't have to be a choice between getting into debt or putting food on the table. It could be choice between paying the rent or cutting back on fancy mobile phone contracts, subscription TV, smoking, and trips to the pub or buying alcohol, meals out, pandering to spoilt children or even making do with second hand things until they are able or prepared to, dare I say it, find a way of making or earning some money for themselves.
    I was a child in the 1950s my parents were poor and my brother and I were clothed in second hand clothes mother bought via a clothes bank. Yes, they still had to be paid for. My first bike was salvaged from the tip and we made our own entertainment. I left school just turned 15 old and worked for £3.75 a week, of which my mother took over half for my keep. I grew up fully understanding the value of money, worked hard, two jobs, one full time the other part time and made every penny count. I was just 21 years old when I bought my first house. I am now retired with several properties and am financially comfortable, but only because I continue to watch what I spend, I have never had a high income. If I can do it with no education or inheritance, then so can others. The "must have it now" expect everything for nothing generation has to change. The problem is caused by the state making things far too easy for those who prefer not to pay thier own way in life. It is long overdue for people to take responsibility for themselves. Sure there are times when some of us need help but this should be for the short term (unless they are disabled) and certainly should no longer be a lifestyle choice.

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    • 16 November 2020 10:51 AM

    Very well said and all so true.

    Underlying it all of course, is that the current generation expect to have it all and have it now for nothing.

    But be sure for me, I will give them nothing, because rent defaulting is actually thieving.

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    • 16 November 2020 11:03 AM

    Also - Generation rent can just s*d off. If they don't pay the rent according to the contract they signed, then they should be removed from my properties as soon as possible despite the problems this will give them.

    In fact, the harder it is the better.

    They must realise that this is not a charity business.

  • Jay Spence

    The misogynistic comments on this thread are an absolute disgrace and give ALL landlords a bad name. It takes two to tango. Where are the fathers?? It's sickening to see the women targeted like this from this article which isn't even related to what you are insinuating!!
    @landlordtoday has become a breading ground for self righteous pompous men who know nothing of poverty and how TODAY'S constraints effect the poor. I've been in the property industry for nearly 10 years and I've never seen any girl deliberately get pregnant for the benefit of income. It's disgusting you make these judgements on women when you know nothing of their circumstances and tie it into low income families. When you've walked a mile in the shoes of someone who does have to make a choice between eating and paying rent then you can perhaps make a qualified judgmental comment. Until then please keep your misogynistic comments along with slating the poor to some low end chat on Facebook. You're giving the rest of us landlords that do actually help and care for their tenants a bad name.

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    Clearly many would disagree with you, maybe you haven't experienced these types, I and many others have, so you rent to your single mums, but don't expect me to.

     
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    Call it misogynistic if you wish to turn it that way. I prefer to call it reality. Maybe you rent to a different part of the market if so then you aint walked a mile in our shoes havent you!
    FYI the fathers cannot spend more than a certain amount of nights at the property otherwise the benefits are reassessed. So this reduces the benefit income. They normally find somewhere else to sleep on the spare nights. (You can work out where) This causes inevitable trouble resulting in damaged upvc doors experienced LL's will know what I mean. Then its people like me that have to put the damage right when they eventually leave.
    Then again an experienced LL like yourself would already know this or have been really lucky. If you are some sort of masochist & prefer renting to this tenant type please drop your contact details as I can pass on loads of potential business to you

     
    Daniela Provvedi

    @Jay Spence - as a woman LL, with a few properties in central London and self managing them for quite a few years now, I must say that I agree with the comments made by the guys on here. I haven't personally experienced being taken for a ride by a single mum, but I know of a few LLs who have.
    I don't take offence with these comments; all women are not the same.
    Some of the guys on here have been commenting for years. I've not noticed it to be a misogynistic forum. And please hover your mouse on the "x people like this" section and you'll notice that, besides me, other women have clicked on "like" too.
    You're new on here - it's your first post. I've not noticed you here before?
    Before making these big statements, get the gist of the clientele. This forum is not a "breading ground for self righteous pompous men". There's a lot of women on here too. And we're all in the same boat - we're sick and tired of tenants taking the p*ss. I suggest you go and read some of the previous comments made on here. You'll note that most of us LLs do help and care for our tenants. But because the system has let us down so badly, it's obvious that we're all being extremely careful who we rent to.

     
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    Thank you Daniela, and well said, I very much doubt Ms Jay Spence is truly a landlord at all, more likely a plant from GR or Shelter.

     
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    Back in the day ...

    People knew if they wanted something they worked hard and paid for it. No-one expected something for nothing. It's a shame today's snowflakes don't have the same ethic. They want it and they want it now, never mind that it's costing someone else not only their livelihood, but possibly also their own home and putting someone else's family out on the streets.

    No-one's allowed to take out a mortgage without credit checks and proof that they can afford the repayments. If you don't repay the financial institution will take your house off you. Same goes for buying a car on tick. Why should someone renting have additional protection that a home owner doesn't have? What makes them so special?

    If you can't afford it you can't have it. Simple. Life's not fair, some people fall into a deep hole through no fault of their own (partner's death perhaps) and it's only right that they get support where possible. But the lazy lay-about people we have today don't feel that they should work and everyone else should pay for their enjoyment.

    Give up the costalota coffees, top of the range mobiles, flash motors on the never never, holidays abroad. Stop living in the now and think about your future. If you can't afford one area look elsewhere, you don't have a God given right to live where you want, rather you should live where you can afford. Save your money and who knows, one day you may be able to buy a house of your own!

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    Laura

    Well said! BTW you forgot about sky tv, wear it once fashion and daily Amazon Prime deliveries!

    Since the lockdown, with no visits to pubs or restaurants and non need to buy other clothes or non-essentials, I have found my bank balance grow and grow.

    I really don't understand why anyone can't get through a lockdown on 80% of normal salaries, which can be around 90% after tax.

    The tax payer:, and disproportionately the Landlords, will bear the brunt of this extravagance!

     
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    Jay, you have a very valid point unfortunately the System is not the Solution its the cause. Where are the Fathers but we all know its a requirement to be single mother with kids to avail of all the free housing & hand outs. Thant's what broke up the stable family unit, the Government designed the system to smash the traditional family unit all those mad ideas about rights and entitled Society. I would like to thank Alicia for hi-lighting that more than half the free loaders are milking the system & the tax payer that's what's disgraceful. So you are all clambering for more from Government as if they have a bottomless purse, driving up taxes causing more Businesses to Collapse notwithstanding the huge number gone already, what then ?, (cut Benefits). There is no shortage of Homes just a shortage of people willing to pay their way, hence very long Council waiting Lists you still have potentially another 49% available if the list shortens.

  • Fredy Jones

    The entire system rewards scrounging

    Being responsible and planning to take care of your retirement is being punished

  • Jay Spence

    @andrewtownsend I'm an investor with a portfolio of properties in Scotland. @daniela Whether I'm "new here" or not makes no difference to what comments I have especially to the worst kind of women who slate other women. I saw your personal comments to Baroness Kennedy.
    Oh how to be so privileged all of you. It sounds to me like the business has moved on and left you all behind with it. It's time to sharpen your pencils and stop complaining and pointing the finger.

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    Jay, I'm not complaining at all, becoming a landlord 30 yrs ago was the best move I ever made, I'm hands on and love it, what I don't do however is the workshy scroungers that take the P***, and in my 30 yrs experience this mainly applies to single mums breeding to avoid work and live off the tax payer, truth hurts, but that's the way it is, FACT !!

     
    Daniela Provvedi

    @ Jay Spence And you think the hate speech Baroness Kennedy had about us LLs was acceptable?
    You being new on here DOES make a difference - as I said above, get the gist of the clientele. You haven't got a clue who we are and what hardship some of us have, and are, going through. You come on here with such awful accusations and being so judgemental.

     
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    Jay, sorry that you have been offended and nothing to do with women sticking together but I agree with Andrew on this one although not that happy for being a LL and far less in recent years being a targeted by anyone that wants to have a go from the Press to Shelter and Generation Rent. Baroness Kennedy can expect to get slated while fronting Generation Rent continuously knocking private LL wrongly, a new batch statistics every day by every other Digital Academic to suit their purpose that living off us and driving us into the ground, no I don't feel privileged at all but despised & burdened.

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