Retired Renters A Time Bomb for Councils?

Retired Renters A Time Bomb for Councils?

0:00 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago 4

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The numbers behind the problem:

The average 50- to mid-60-something single person retiring in Romford (and Havering as a whole) is likely to rely on a monthly income of around £1,208. That includes the state pension of £756 per month, perhaps a modest private pension, topping it up. This leaves very little breathing space once rent is paid.

Let us do the maths:

£1,478 monthly rent over 20 years = £354,720 per household.

Multiply that by 3,314 Havering renters aged 50-65 years, and we’re looking at a combined cost of £58,777,104 a year or £1.17 billion over the next 20 years.

That money comes either from these tenants’ monthly income or savings or is subsidised by the taxpayer through housing support.

It’s not sustainable. And it’s not talked about enough.

Andrew


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AT

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11:24 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago

Now add displacements due to AI. What happens to a renter who has lost his/her job and can't find other work for a while or ever (the ever will come too).

Initially the landlord will not get paid and then the long process of eviction.

When layoffs happen at an accelerated scale, then what.

UBI is the way but it's not effective yet.

Now protract AI 10 to 20 years ahead, we have Robots with dexterity, even manual jobs are going.

As negative as I sound, these are the facts and the abundance that is promised will be limited to corporations and possibly governments, more than likely hindered by governments.... But don't let UKs extremely cheap gas and electricity prices fool you... Oh wait.

DPT

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11:29 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago

But isn't the housing allowance now almost exclusively paid by DWP as part of Universal Credit? It shouldn't cost the Council anything other than that of finding increasingly scarce rental properties for them.

AT

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12:55 PM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by DPT at 02/07/2025 - 11:29
DPT, yes kind of but not exactly. We are ahead of the game with UC compared to many countries, it's also misused but that's another conversation.

UBI is different, in that it will provide an income for a person to do nothing and after they are displaced. If people are not working and corporations are now saving the bottom line, how is UBI funded. There is an impact with Millionaires leaving UK, 16,500 this year, along with them goes the money to pay for services and perhaps employees. A chunk of tax, vat etc is sacrificed too when they leave UK.

The shortage of money with councils is being felt with services cut back; filthy unclean streets, bumpy roads, grass uncut, new projects halted or slowed down.

There is still hope all this can be turned around and London becomes a Singapore !!

Judith Wordsworth

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8:33 AM, 5th July 2025, About A week ago

Reply to the comment left by AT at 02/07/2025 - 12:55
Not with the current Mayor

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