Just read front page of Sheffield Star,the headline is about council rents to increase by up to 8%.
I have a problem understanding why this should be headline news or such a big deal.

The property I am about to move to is a 2 bed semi,it needs a little work but I have made a contract with council to carry work out myself (so it gets done right) also with the view to buying it for next to nothing.
The current rent is 37.00 per week,thats also includes water rates,and for a little extra contents insurance.

I work the increase out to about 2.96 per week (please correct if wrong),now im no economist but even 2.96 a week is not going to put me out on the streets.
Nor will it result in men with white transit comming for my worldly goods.
At the end of the day Im getting a 2 bed semi for what I consider to be a very low rent,granted in a area that most people wouldnt want to live in but it suits me fine.

The Sheffield Star likes to make drama out of everyday events...nobody would be bothered to read it otherwise.

Someone on this forum wrote there simply wasn't enough news about Sheffield to fill the papers / TV news bulletins.

I have to agree with them.



(edited for grammar)

Yes I agree,Im too tight to buy it anyway I just read front page on counter,,,lol

I suppose a headline of £3 a week rent increase just wouldn't work.

BTW, their website is slowwwww...probably less hassle to buy the paper!

Originally posted by Abdul
The Sheffield Star likes to make drama out of everyday events...nobody would be bothered to read it otherwise.

Someone on this forum wrote there simply wasn't enough news about Sheffield to fill the papers / TV news bulletins.

I have to agree with them.



(edited for grammar)


That is so spot on about the Sheffield Star. When we first bid for the World Student Games, I can remember how they were billing them as 'the second-biggest sporting event on the planet'.

Do you remember ever reading about someone's attempts to save a bit of money and put a stop to cream biscuits served during tea breaks in the council chambers or somewhere? One of the councellors threw a wobbly cos he liked his custard creams.
Mind you to be honest, I don't have any grief from the council but when it comes to Liberata that's a different kettle of fish. After my son left college in 2001 half way through a computer course (aged 17) to seek paid employment some bright spark put us on full rent when he was on JSA. He's worked since then and we paid our rent after getting someone from our local area office to work out how much we should pay and provided umpteen opportunities for Liberata to photocopy documents proving our incomes (which were promptly lost or just filed away and never checked). To date (Jan 2004) after somehow incurring debts that reached an unbelievable amount, this problem still hasn't been sorted and it's only after approaching the local advice centre that I'm getting any help. The housing advice place went when the eggbox was closed and there is no advice service in Howden House. So if you know of anyone who is struggling to pay rent arrears and aren't quite sure how they came about - tell them to get down to their local advice centre.

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
That is so spot on about the Sheffield Star. When we first bid for the World Student Games, I can remember how they were billing them as 'the second-biggest sporting event on the planet'.

The student games IS the second biggest sporting event except maybe the winter olympic games (I still think it has less events than the student games).

The Student games is basicly the Olymoics for students. It took 4 NEW sites to be built to host the games (Sheffield Arena, Don Valley Stadium, Hillsbrough Leisure Centre, and Ponds Forge International Sports Centre) as well as Norton Tennis Centre being used. Not forgetting the Marathon.

I did security at the Games and it was covered by the worldwide press. NBC (very large US TV Channel) had the TV rights and they were cameramen everywhere.

Originally posted by jubby
The student games IS the second biggest sporting event except maybe the winter olympic games (I still think it has less events than the student games).

The Student games is basicly the Olymoics for students. It took 4 NEW sites to be built to host the games (Sheffield Arena, Don Valley Stadium, Hillsbrough Leisure Centre, and Ponds Forge International Sports Centre) as well as Norton Tennis Centre being used. Not forgetting the Marathon.

I did security at the Games and it was covered by the worldwide press. NBC (very large US TV Channel) had the TV rights and they were cameramen everywhere.

Oh, not you again!! Argh!!

Now that is nonsense! I could name dozens of sporting events which carry more credibility than the WSG. You are actually saying that it's bigger than even the football World Cup!

I mean, come on. They didn't even televise the thing live on TV, did they.

What about Wimbledon, The other continental Footballl Championships such as Euro, all the other various international athletic championships, The Commonwealth games, The Rugby World Cup, The World Snooker Championships....need I go on?

Originally posted by tiffy
So if you know of anyone who is struggling to pay rent arrears and aren't quite sure how they came about - tell them to get down to their local advice centre.

we had the same problem with liberata,but unlike yourself,it has taken us a year to pay off the rent arrears that built up because after all the lost paperwork and the so called proof that they kept demanding,we got absolutely nothing from them.

we were both unemployed after the company we worked for went bust and we went onto income based jsa,we filled in the housing benefit forms and waited,and waited,and waited.

even a signed letter faxed direct to them from the job centre staff, wasnt enough proof, they just kept demanding more and more proof until they sent a letter saying we hadnt provided the proof they wanted and so we were not entitled to anything.

we had a batch of yellow receipts from the council offices but to no avail,we had fallen foul of some clause that allows them to disqualify you if you dont comply with their requests within 28 days.

then the council moved in,wanting all the arrears and closely follwed by the council tax people.

we now only owe £54 in rent arrears after a year of paying over the odds rent, the council tax is going to run into next years bill and is probably going to be never ending.

all we did was lose our jobs and claimed what we thought we were entitled to.