I am a landlady and like all landlords at present we are being battered by the tenants on housing benefits because the government has decided that these people on benefits should have their rents paid to them direct. So they come to us put in the claim and take note they have to get id and stuff in before they pay them so the claimant can hold things up and when they do get it I had one last week they gave them £600 you get none of it some move on to do the next place and others swear they have not had it others use it to clear their overpayments. Most when they do get it are out to buy their whisky and drugs they stink of cannabis by the time you catch up with them. Now this week I found the government also passed a law to say that the building societies do not even need to go to court to take the houses back and can do it, after only 2 payments are behind. the property has gone down and borrowing loan to value is down and interest rate are so the some of my mortgages are £300 more since they have come off the fixed rate. What is the landlord meant to do it seems an impossible time for use and the government is very much against us, we do provide a service for these people, plus taking them off the streets, I went to see my MP about this I go no results’ so far I was pushed to see his case worker as he was too busy helping these down and outs get their dole money. Most landlords have mortgages to pay and we are just getting done by all the tenants, you watch they driving off with your rent money, and all you get from the council is it is your responsibility to collect the rents, and treat you like you are not doing anything to get them. I am now chasing mine every night and usually I do not go out at night as it is not safe. But I now have no choice, they even give the ones straight out of prison money direct , drogues drunks they tell you to get them to write a letter to say they have a problem I have asked them while they smoked cannabis and they will not do this as they want the money for their habits. All our young kids now are running a scan with their housing benefits all they have to do is get a place to stay and they are in clover I have a 17 year old She has had £245 in the past 2 weeks to herself, retail therapy was her problem she had spent it . What about my mortgage , they do not care , Surely some thing should be done to help us landlords , I know of other landlords in the same boat as me , losing money all the time because of it. I just as I am typing this to you had a young couple call me, homeless
and I ask for some money up front if possible, and though they are homeless they are still getting their housing benefits from where they were before, So probably half of them are sleeping rough and getting the benefits paid direct to them for the accommodation they do not have.
I at present have been doing courses to do with social enterprise and working with ex drogues and alcohol abuse and the young homeless, but am getting most of my time now taken with the fact of what the council is doing paying them direct. I t will not work, these people are not able to be able to hold the money long enough to pay their own rent. Temptation is being put in their way, As for taking workers, well what is happening to all the jobs??
Unknown "SWEETY" Adventurous
- 16 years, 13 days ago
