Shelter couple’s “punishment”: self-imposed exile in Cornwall

Shelter couple’s “punishment”: self-imposed exile in Cornwall

8:55 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago 63

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Shelter has produced a video, which you can view below, as part of its futile campaign against No DSS adverts.

Comments can be left below the video if you Click here

“Krystyna and her husband Geoff had to return to private renting in their 50s after being home owners when they were made redundant. When they tried to find somewhere to rent they faced DSS discrimination and struggled to find a place to live. They were forced to move from the West Midlands to Cornwall just to find a home.”

Krystyna describes this as a punishment – which is self-pitying nonsense. If these are real people – and not actors – it shows that a strong sense of entitlement is not confined to the young.

They are of working age, but do not work, so they earn no income. They feel it is beneath their dignity to ask someone to be a guarantor, even if they could find one. Nonetheless they feel entitled to the right to apply for properties in the private rented sector whose landlords would not accept them because they would have to bear the loss if the housing benefit/universal credit was not passed on, or was stopped or was clawed back later.

Why should a private landlord take these risks? The PRS is not part of the Welfare State.

The No DSS campaign page that Shelter links to, click here, is aimed at the PRS. There is no mention of housing associations which apply the same risk-avoidance policy to applicants on benefits. Krystyna and Geoff do not say whether social housing providers turned them down. Maybe social housing is also beneath their dignity.

Joe Speye is a commentator on social housing. He is no friend of the PRS, but he wrote:

“The position from the National Housing Federation that NO DSS is exclusively a private rented sector matter and is not operable by social rented sector landlords is deliberate and known lie and hypocrisy. That same charge can be applied to Shelter who also know full well that social (sic) landlords operate NO DSS policies as a matter of course. The use of this knowingly false and wafer-thin superficial premise that only private landlords operate the emotive term of NO DSS renders Shelter’s charge that the practice is discrimination to be worthless and a campaign unworthy of a junior school debating society. It also is one of many incompetent campaigns and articles and outpourings from Shelter that is errant, lazy and frankly fake news.” (Emphasis added) Click here

One outpouring was so misleading that it was withdrawn from Shelter’s website after one day, following David Smith’s demolition of Polly Neate’s claims on the RLA’s website, and on Radio 4. Well done David! Click here

 


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Comments

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

10:03 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Great article, I agree with everything Appalled Landlord has said.

And Shelter wonder why Private Landlords have so much contempt for them? !!!

JohnCaversham

10:31 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

I dream of moving to Cornwall! To escape these unfounded attacks on my PRS rentals!
I contacted a debt collection agency recently to enquire about chasing the debt of a non paying UC claimant who'd we'd evicted with significant arrears trashing the flat out of spite on the way out- (have full video evidence etc etc) the agency said don't even bother with a UC claimant debt, just write it off put it down to experience and move on., Good grief these morons from Shelter!

Dylan Morris

10:32 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

“They were forced to move from the West Midlands to Cornwall just to find a home”. I know where I’d rather live. Poor dears. (Looks like a lovely cottage as well).

Chris Clare

10:37 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

I would have sympathy with them if they were forced from Cornwall to the West Midlands (no offence to the West Midlands) Quite frankly these entitled people seem to have landed on their feet!

I was brought up in Cornwall and I can't even afford to go back. So sad for them!!!

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

10:43 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

I could very easily argue that the tax attacks on landlords, which Shelter support, have forced me to live in exile in Malta and to begin a process of selling off my rental properties. I doubt I will be getting too many sympathy votes either!

Puzzler

11:01 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

"Let them eat cake"

Chris Clare

11:03 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander at 19/06/2019 - 10:43
Oh Mark Malta! How on earth do you manage haha

Mike D

11:07 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Two Questions:
What's their back story here, how did they get into this situation?
In a time of highest employment since 1970s, why are they struggling for work?

The rest is conjecture, no income, no jobs, no savings, what have they done with there last 30 yrs?

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

11:15 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris Clare at 19/06/2019 - 11:03
It's a hard life, but I must accept my punishment for doing what I thought was right and making provisions for later life apparently.

Old Mrs Landlord

11:56 AM, 19th June 2019, About 5 years ago

My heart bleeds for this couple who "through no fault of their own" are allowing themselves to be used as propaganda material for Shelter's mendacious anti-private landlord campaign while apparently living in early retirement in a privately rented cottage in one of the most desirable parts of the country! It seems the irony escapes Shelter if this is the best their campaign can come up with.

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