Publications Index | Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’s Internet Archive
Socialist Review Index (1993–1996) | Socialist Review 172 Contents
From Socialist Review, No. 172, February 1994.
Copyright © Socialist Review.
Copied with thanks from the Socialist Review Archive.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
The Briefing on housing (January SR) was good, but I thought I’d say a few things about housing benefit. Firstly, the local council never pays out the amount needed to cover your rent. For instance, if your bedsit costs £45 per week excluding bills they would probably only pay out £35 a week. A tenant usually has to fork out a tenner from his or her dole money to top up the rent.
Secondly, because of understaffing local councils always have a big backlog of housing benefit claims. In London it is not uncommon to find people waiting four months for their ‘rent’ to come through. Even in Inverness it takes at least five weeks. My advice for readers who haven’t yet experienced the marvels of the housing benefit system? Don’t!
You are right about empty Ministry of Defence housing – I lived throughout my childhood on RAF estates teeming with unoccupied homes.
|
|
Philip Wilson |
Socialist Review Index | ETOL Main Page
Last updated: 7 March 2017