Hi im looking for 1 bed property i get full universal-credit benefit aswell as cares benefit as well as I would get housing benefit to aswell as I do work self employed just started out myself
I’m in a similar situation. Unfortunately don’t hold out for much sympathy. Most of the landlords who post commonly are quite discriminatory on this site.
what a coincidence. that you should post today. Look back thru a few of the posts to see what not to do. This may be helpful in your situation… Just remember Jayke not to be like some applicants who slate landlords but want a property off them
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Which area are you looking in?
You are applying for properties you prefer not what you can actually afford. The logic of this is baffling to everyone.
You are foolish to think you can survive on c. ÂŁ200 after the landlords rent has been paid. It would be sensible to seek property types that are actually affordable, in different areas, albeit less desirable to you. You have this option yet it seems you would rather be homeless, and paint yourself as a victim.
You need to realise that you don’t have any leverage.
What is the nature of your self employment Jayke?
There is another article in the Telegraph today
And it’s nothing to do with Thatcher !!!
Social housing scammers costing taxpayers ÂŁ1bn a year
Up to 50,000 council properties in London are illegally being rented out
Social housing tenants illegally [renting out their council properties on websites such as Airbnb] are costing taxpayers ÂŁ1bn a year, a report has warned.
Local authorities’ failure to crack down on illegal subletting means there are now believed to be 50,000 social homes in London being used for some form of tenancy fraud, the Tenancy Fraud Forum (TFF) campaign group found.
The study found detection rates among London boroughs had fallen by more than 40pc in the past decade, in part because of funding cuts from central government.
The report estimates taxpayers are spending almost ÂŁ1bn a year on additional temporary housing accommodation for people who could be living in these social homes instead of the fraudsters.
Alan Bryce, who authored the report, said: “Tackling this type of fraud is quicker and more cost effective than building the new homes needed to accommodate the approximately 70,000 London families in temporary accommodation or the over 300,000 families on the London housing waiting list.
“We call on the Regulator of Social Housing to provide leadership in this fight against tenancy fraud.
There are different types of tenancy fraud, but it often takes the form of a tenant illegally subletting their property either on a long-term basis or in the form of short-term holiday lets on popular sites such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
While authorities are often able to claim back any profits made by the fraudsters if they are prosecuted, this dwarfs how much they are forced to spend in additional temporary accommodation for people on social housing waiting lists who could live in these properties instead.
On average, it takes slightly more than three years for tenancy fraud to be detected, in which time it has cost the taxpayer ÂŁ66,000 in temporary accommodation costs in London for someone who could have lived there instead.
In November, The Telegraph reported how one fraudster conned the taxpayer out of ÂŁ24,000 by illegally renting out their social house for years.
The fraud was uncovered after the local authority informed the social housing provider that another person had registered for council tax at the property.
It triggered an investigation that found the claimant was in fact a homeowner who had relocated for work, but was still renting out their old social home.
The tenant was ordered to pay ÂŁ24,843 in unlawful profit and rent arrears, as well as ÂŁ2,500 towards legal costs.
While social housing providers and local authorities are increasingly working together to try and uncover fraudsters, the report called for much greater cooperation between online holiday letting platforms and authorities.
It identified 1,000 tenancy frauds in London that “could be easily prevented” if these sites adopted better fraud prevention practices before listing properties.
Joanna Marchong, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group, said: “Londoners struggling to find housing will be outraged to learn that social homes are being exploited.
”While fraudsters rake in cash from illegally subletting, detection rates are down, and taxpayers are footing the bill for the growing costs of temporary accommodation.
“The Government must get a grip, this fraud is not only costly but fundamentally wrong. It’s time to crack down and ensure social housing goes to those who truly need it.”
It comes after the TFF revealed last year almost 6,000 social homes nationally are being marketed on online platforms as short-term lets.
Despite tenancy fraud being the second-largest cause of local government fraud losses, the study found the majority of London boroughs have cut back on the number of investigators being employed to clampdown on the practice.
Last year, of the 29 London boroughs that took part in the study, they detected 1,028 tenancy frauds between them – a fall of 43pc from 10 years ago. This was in large part due to funding cuts, according to the report.
The study found on average they detect 12 tenancy frauds per year. Given the average tenancy fraud in London costs taxpayers ÂŁ66,000, each investigator saved the taxpayer more than ÂŁ790,000.
At the three boroughs that were most successful at detecting tenancy fraud, investigators averaged 22 detections each. That equates to a saving of ÂŁ1.4m per investigator.
A spokesman for Airbnb said: “Hosting in social housing is often illegal and has no place on Airbnb. We have created a clear, expedited process for local authorities to alert us to social housing fraud, and we swiftly remove these listings from our platform.
“We are committed to partnering with local authorities to tackle social housing fraud and have also worked with the Public Sector Fraud Authority to pilot an initiative to further help local councils identify and remove illegally let social housing properties.”
A spokesman for Booking.com said accommodation providers must confirm that they are legally permitted to rent out their property at the point of listing.
The statement added: “We take the process of verifying accommodation listings very seriously, including checks performed by our security, local partner services and customer service teams. If we are ever made aware that a property on our site may not be operating in compliance with local regulations, we investigate immediately and will remove the property if that is indeed the case.”
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “The unauthorised sub-letting of a social home is a criminal offence, depriving those in genuine need of a home. We expect all councils and housing providers to take action to prevent the deplorable practice to ensure social housing is allocated fairly.”
Entitlement is the logic.)) So many who feel they deserve a certain standard of life but can’t afford it. I blame too generous benefits system. It spoils people.
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Jayke i have been self /employed for many years . May be able to help
What did the flagged post say ? Anyone . I was outside and missed it
I’m wondering if he thought my comment was directed at him.
Well not replied to me
Your post was clear who to ,in the top corner
Jayke do you know s-155 ? So similar a post …Just uncanny timing?