£7,000 free to council tenants in Sheffield

[gpsy 10]

I've yet to verify this, so if anyone can do please do so, but I heard recently that the council are knocking down some social housing in the Gleadless area and paying the people living there to move house.

 

The person I heard about lives on East Bank Road in Sheffield. They don't work and their housing is paid for along with their benefits. The property they live in is owned by a private landlord, but paid for by the benefits.

 

The houses are due to be knocked down very shortly and this person will be moved to another rented property paid for by the council. No problem so far, there are many in Sheffield in social housing situations, fair enough.

 

My concern is that they are apparently due to receive between £7,000 - £7,500 simply because the house they rent is being knocked down and they are being forced to move. This doesn't appear to be a loan or any form of payment that they'll ever have to pay back, it's simply £7,500 they will receive and can spend as they wish!

 

I've been fortunate enough to never have needed social housing so I don't know if this is the norm, but that seems a bit excessive to me and a tad on the unfair side. As someone who's worked pretty much all their life since leaving school and someone who's always paid tax I feel a little cheated here if this turns out to be true. Times are hard for us all and I'm seeing less in each month despite going to work full time and yet someone who doesn't work is about to be given a big payment for having to move to another house they won't have to pay for? It's not a massive upheaval, they have all their own furnishings to take with them and it's not like this move will affect their job or anything as they don't work.

 

I accept there are moving costs and maybe they'd like to change the wallpaper when they get to the new home, but all that can be done for hundreds, not thousands. Surely £7,000 is over kill? Especially when it comes from public money at a time when many of us can't afford such a luxury bumper payout ourselves?

 

If I was to sell my house and move tomorrow I'd have to find the fees to move, to decorate and whatever else I wanted to do. I don't think I'd be getting that sort of money.

 

If this person owned this house or they were being caused problems with a job or some other situation I could accept some sort of payment. In fact I'd even accept a few hundred to cover moving costs or to keep costs down the council moving their stuff for them. I just don't feel too happy that this is one house of many on this road that's being knocked down and it appears there's a good chance that quite a few of them may be getting this payment.

 

Does anyone know anything about such a situation or anyone going through this right now?

[fox20thc 10]

During the pathfinder programme there were various compensation packages put together to assist with relocation costs, I would guess the landlords will be compensated for the CPO and tenants assisted to some extent.

 

Interesting reading here http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/1965-demolition-relocation-rehousing.pdf

 

I'd like to see it in writing where they get £7000 and where it is coming from.

[gpsy 10]

I accept the landlord will get money from a CPO, it just seemed odd that the tenant would receive such a payout.

 

The person in question in this situation is rather excited at the prospect of having a large amount of money to spend. They are young, single and unemployed. Suddenly dropping £7k on them means they're looking at holidays, TVs and the like rather then investing or moving costs.

 

I suppose it just felt a little bitter than I'm working hard and can't afford such luxuries and on the other hand this person who recently chose not to work or attend courses is now being presented with the equivalent of a small lottery win funded by myself and other tax payers. Certainly very little encouragement for them to look for work.

[kidneystone 23]

I've yet to verify this, so if anyone can do please do so, but I heard recently that the council are knocking down some social housing in the Gleadless area and paying the people living there to move house.

 

The person I heard about lives on East Bank Road in Sheffield. They don't work and their housing is paid for along with their benefits. The property they live in is owned by a private landlord, but paid for by the benefits.

 

The houses are due to be knocked down very shortly and this person will be moved to another rented property paid for by the council. No problem so far, there are many in Sheffield in social housing situations, fair enough.

 

My concern is that they are apparently due to receive between £7,000 - £7,500 simply because the house they rent is being knocked down and they are being forced to move. This doesn't appear to be a loan or any form of payment that they'll ever have to pay back, it's simply £7,500 they will receive and can spend as they wish!

 

I've been fortunate enough to never have needed social housing so I don't know if this is the norm, but that seems a bit excessive to me and a tad on the unfair side. As someone who's worked pretty much all their life since leaving school and someone who's always paid tax I feel a little cheated here if this turns out to be true. Times are hard for us all and I'm seeing less in each month despite going to work full time and yet someone who doesn't work is about to be given a big payment for having to move to another house they won't have to pay for? It's not a massive upheaval, they have all their own furnishings to take with them and it's not like this move will affect their job or anything as they don't work.

 

I accept there are moving costs and maybe they'd like to change the wallpaper when they get to the new home, but all that can be done for hundreds, not thousands. Surely £7,000 is over kill? Especially when it comes from public money at a time when many of us can't afford such a luxury bumper payout ourselves?

 

If I was to sell my house and move tomorrow I'd have to find the fees to move, to decorate and whatever else I wanted to do. I don't think I'd be getting that sort of money.

 

If this person owned this house or they were being caused problems with a job or some other situation I could accept some sort of payment. In fact I'd even accept a few hundred to cover moving costs or to keep costs down the council moving their stuff for them. I just don't feel too happy that this is one house of many on this road that's being knocked down and it appears there's a good chance that quite a few of them may be getting this payment.

 

Does anyone know anything about such a situation or anyone going through this right now?

 

Your title for this thread implies they are council tenants, they are not. You state the properties are owned by a private landlord.

 

No, don't know anything about it and don't care

[mjhal 10]

Your title for this thread implies they are council tenants, they are not. You state the properties are owned by a private landlord.

 

No, don't know anything about it and don't care

 

why post then ?

[Gleadly 11]

Presumedly because the title is misleading!

[redrobbo 10]

The council's cabinet committee recently approved the demolition of the remainder of the 5M (flat-roofed) properties in Arbourthorne, (located off East Bank Road and Eastern Avenue).

 

As a councillor for the Arbourthorne ward, I chaired the numerous public meetings back in 2004 which eventually led to the Arbourthorne Masterplan being adopted. These properties were built to last for approx 20 years, but have lasted much longer than that. The brick-built houses in Arbourthorne have been improved to the government's Decent Homes Standard, but these properties don't muster the test, and will therefore be the last major-scale demolition scheme in Sheffield.

 

A number of the 5M properties have already been demolished, but the Tory-Lib Dem coalition pulled the plug on goverment funding to complete the demolition work. The council has now found a way to secure that funding and so the remaining 5M properties have recently been declared for demolition.

 

If you are to be made homeless - because the house you live in is going to be knocked down - then you are legally entitled to compensation. The council will also give you priority for rehousing.

 

Private owners, that is those occupants who have bought their own council homes, will be compensated for the market value of their properties and also have their legal costs met. Council tenants will be eligible for disturbance payments, for example to cover the cost of new carpets and curtains when they move.

 

I'm not sure what private tenants might be compensated for though. But as it happens, I'm in the process of setting up the first of a series of monthly meetings with those residents affected by the demolition scheme, and thanks to the OP raisding this issue, I'll make enquiries with council officers as to their eligibility for compensation.

[1fish2fish56 10]

Has anyone else heard the rumour that when they first discussed the scheme some Sheffield City Council employees bought some of the houses in order to gain financially from the CPO compensation? Sounds a bit like insider trading to me.

[Funky_Gibbon 42]

Has anyone else heard the rumour that when they first discussed the scheme some Sheffield City Council employees bought some of the houses in order to gain financially from the CPO compensation? Sounds a bit like insider trading to me.

 

Are there any other rumours we should comment on?

 

My neighbour leaves his house at odd hours and looks shifty. I think he's up to no good. Discuss.

[Bypassblade 10]

Are there any other rumours we should comment on?

 

My neighbour leaves his house at odd hours and looks shifty. I think he's up to no good. Discuss.

 

Is that morning shifty, afternoon shifty or night shifty

[gpsy 10]

Your title for this thread implies they are council tenants, they are not. You state the properties are owned by a private landlord.

Unfortunately my knowledge of the benefits system is very limited due to being lucky enough not to have had to rely on it so far thankfully.

 

The person I know living in the house in question is receiving housing benefit. While I appreciate they are living in a private house I tend to see them as being in social housing as it's totally paid for by the state. Coincidently the house is owned by a council employee, although I appreciate that doesn't make them a tenant of the council.

 

It wasn't an intentional attempt to deceive, it was perhaps a misunderstanding on my part.

 

No, don't know anything about it and don't care

Lovely

 

---------- Post added 16-05-2013 at 23:53 ----------

 

The council's cabinet committee recently approved the demolition of the remainder of the 5M (flat-roofed) properties in Arbourthorne, (located off East Bank Road and Eastern Avenue).

 

As a councillor for the Arbourthorne ward, I chaired the numerous public meetings back in 2004 which eventually led to the Arbourthorne Masterplan being adopted. These properties were built to last for approx 20 years, but have lasted much longer than that. The brick-built houses in Arbourthorne have been improved to the government's Decent Homes Standard, but these properties don't muster the test, and will therefore be the last major-scale demolition scheme in Sheffield.

Having been inside one of these properties I think I'd have knocked them down a while back. Very cold and requiring a good bit of work.

 

A number of the 5M properties have already been demolished, but the Tory-Lib Dem coalition pulled the plug on goverment funding to complete the demolition work. The council has now found a way to secure that funding and so the remaining 5M properties have recently been declared for demolition.

 

If you are to be made homeless - because the house you live in is going to be knocked down - then you are legally entitled to compensation. The council will also give you priority for rehousing.

That's fair enough, however the person in question already has a place secured to move in to. I wouldn't class them as being made homeless. They have their housing currently provided for them by the state and because the council want to demolish the poor state house they're currently in they're being moved straight to another property funded by the state. And in the process they're getting quite a bit of a windfall to enjoy as they see fit.

 

Private owners, that is those occupants who have bought their own council homes, will be compensated for the market value of their properties and also have their legal costs met. Council tenants will be eligible for disturbance payments, for example to cover the cost of new carpets and curtains when they move.

The case I'm speaking about is a private landlord renting to a person who has their rent paid for by benefits. The landlord is clearly getting money for their property - no issues there, but the tenant as pointed out above is getting quite a large amount of cash and it's this decision I cannot understand and find hard to swallow especially in the current climate.

 

I'm not sure what private tenants might be compensated for though. But as it happens, I'm in the process of setting up the first of a series of monthly meetings with those residents affected by the demolition scheme, and thanks to the OP raisding this issue, I'll make enquiries with council officers as to their eligibility for compensation.

The person in question is apparently receiving between £7,000 - £7,500. They do not own the home, they rent it from a private landlord and their rent is paid for by the benefit system. I can accept that if they move to the new place they may want to spruce it up, but again £7,500 free seems overly generous. It's made worse by the fact the tenant in question recently turned down a course while unemployed and has openly decided not to work. With such generosity from the council, who can blame them. Perhaps I am the mug for working a full time job and bothering to pay a mortgage?

 

---------- Post added 16-05-2013 at 23:55 ----------

 

Has anyone else heard the rumour that when they first discussed the scheme some Sheffield City Council employees bought some of the houses in order to gain financially from the CPO compensation? Sounds a bit like insider trading to me.

 

I don't know about that, however I do know that the house in question in this thread is actually owned by someone who is believed to be a Sheffield city council employee. I wonder if they have to declare anything like that while qualifying for this payment?

 

Funnily enough they've known about the fact that they'd have to move out when the place was demolished since around the day they actually moved in. The landlord knew all about the impending demolition coming one day it seemed.

Edited May 16, 2013 by gpsy

[Narden Dee 10]

Has anyone else heard the rumour that when they first discussed the scheme some Sheffield City Council employees bought some of the houses in order to gain financially from the CPO compensation? Sounds a bit like insider trading to me.

 

Highly unlikely with a high chance of b0ll0ks when a scheme like this is mooted as this was many years ago then the chance to RTB is suspended.