Rise in Sussex families living in B&B (From The Argus)
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Rise in Sussex families living in B&B
3:00pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter
Nearly 1,500 homeless families have been forced to live in temporary accommodation in the past year in Sussex.
New figures have revealed that there were 1,482 households living in temporary accommodation in 2012 – up from 1,197 in 2011.
In Brighton and Hove alone the number of homeless families living in temporary accommodation rose from 502 in 2011 to 752 this year – a rise of 49.8%.
It means of the 285 extra homeless families in Sussex living in temporary accommodation, 250 were in Brighton and Hove.
The National Housing Federation has warned the situation is getting worse and said they feared Government benefits caps could leave even more families needing to stay in temporary housing such as bed and breakfast.
A Federation spokeswoman said: “The number of homeless families living in temporary bed and breakfast accommodation in the South East has risen by nearly three quarters in the first few months of 2012.
“Alternative temporary accommodation to B&Bs, in the form of houses or flats leased by local authorities and housing associations, provides short-term homes to around 26,000 homeless families.
“This accommodation is more stable and secure than B&Bs, with the space and access required for children to live a normal life and for parents to work their way out of homelessness and towards a better future. But from April 2013, families living in these crisis homes could be hit by the new universal benefit cap, which will limit the total amount of benefit they can claim to £500 a week.
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Homelessness is an increasing problem both nationally and locally because of the economic climate, new benefit restrictions and sharp local rises in private sector rents in the city of around 7% each year which is higher than the national average.
“We helped 496 homeless people last year, have an outreach team that offers support to rough sleepers and our joined-up homelessness services have been cited by the government as an example of best practice. “Our housing needs assessments are robust and fair and while there is a serious shortage of affordable housing in the city we have a duty to make sure the accommodation that is available goes to the people who need it most.”
Are you living in temporary accommodation in Brighton and Hove? Tell us your story by calling the Newsdesk on 01273 544519 or emailing news@theargus.co.uk
Comments(16)
simon smith
says...
3:50pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Just like our Conservative Party!
If there was any justice in this world, the punishment for the likes of Osbourne and Cameron, for what they, and their rich banker friends have inflicted on the people of this country, then it is to make them homeless!
Make them live on the minimum wage!
Make them live on the state pension!
Make them live on the pittance you get on Benefits!
For the rest of their lives!!!
That - would be justice!
lordenglandofsussex
says...
4:07pm Tue 18 Sep 12
a person
says...
4:09pm Tue 18 Sep 12
If I cleared that on benefits or working I would be happy with that.
rayellerton
says...
4:50pm Tue 18 Sep 12
lordenglandofsussex wrote:Indeed it has.....of the 5 or 6 properties which have become vacant in my road over the last few years 4 of them have been let to non british families....
Around 5 million immigrants (at least) have settled in Britain over the past 15 years. Now if that hasn't put a serious strain on housing I don't know what has.
lillylou
says...
4:59pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Goldenwight wrote:there not getting 500 the greedy landlords is landlord gets 300 and 200 for a family to live on ,come on dint you know thats how cameron is making everyone hate unemployed people
But from April 2013, families living in these crisis homes could be hit by the new universal benefit cap, which will limit the total amount of benefit they can claim to £500 a week.
Now, I'm a rough sleeper through choice and perfectly happy with that. I don't claim benefits and I don't bother anyone.
But I can't help thinking that £500 a week represents an (earned) wage of around £35,000 a year after tax NI and travel. Which is a fair chunk of money to earn. So even I find it difficult to have any sympathy with someone who is claiming state benefits of that amount.
lillylou
says...
5:03pm Tue 18 Sep 12
a person wrote:again the landlord is getting most of that why dont people think before judging a single parant with one kid gets £140 week the other £250 GOES ON LANDLORDS HOLIDAYS and the rest on council tax will people please not get their facts right
I don’t think £500 a week is a pittance .
If I cleared that on benefits or working I would be happy with that.
lillylou
says...
5:08pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Fercri Sakes
says...
5:40pm Tue 18 Sep 12
What's that? They're not bankers? The bankers still live in their big houses? They're still getting large bonuses that are ten times the average wage? So these homeless figures consist of normal people who have been unlucky during the downturn?
Well thank God that the government are working hard to reduce tax avoidance by large companies and rich individuals. Now we'll be able to afford to provide homeless services for those caught up in this credit crunch and get them back on their feet.
What's that? The government aren't pursuing this money? And they've given the highest earners a tax break?
The people in charge seem very nasty to me.
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
6:44pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Before the benefit system came in, people were far more careful about when and how many kids they produced.
The UK has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the world, despite having a free health service with all manner of free contraception on offer, yet still young women get pregnant knowing that their children will be supported by the state.
That is selfish, that is wrong. Benefits should be for those people who find themselves unemployed or disabled, or unfit for work through no fault of their own, not through bad choices.
Morpheus
says...
8:31pm Tue 18 Sep 12
simon smith wrote:Why not give them a dancing bear to look after as well? The issue you miss is that nodody is forced to live as you describe. These are the benefits that others generously provide from their own hard work.
Like the Conservative (sorry - Republican Presidential candidate said), I don't care about the 46%!
Just like our Conservative Party!
If there was any justice in this world, the punishment for the likes of Osbourne and Cameron, for what they, and their rich banker friends have inflicted on the people of this country, then it is to make them homeless!
Make them live on the minimum wage!
Make them live on the state pension!
Make them live on the pittance you get on Benefits!
For the rest of their lives!!!
That - would be justice!
davyboy
says...
10:00pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
11:12pm Tue 18 Sep 12
These were only supposed to be used for a few years but my aunty and uncle were still living in the 'prefabs' in the 1970s and loved their little temporary home they had been in since about 1946.
My first home was a static caravan as it was the only home I could afford to buy. I stayed for ten years while saving for a house. The mobile home was fantastic.
ourcoalition
says...
8:51am Wed 19 Sep 12
DWP FACT - 2% of the Benefits budget each year is mis - spent. 0.5% is fraud (still too much, I agree), 0.7% is mistakenly, but genuinely, misclaimed (this is recovered), and 0.8% is DWP errors.
Even with my poor maths (CSE Grade 4!!!), I can see that less than 1 in 100 claimants are defrauding the system.
And, I have to say that I suspect that a much larger proportion are abusing the tax system - especially, those, like me, who have a Luxembourg, Swiss and Cayman Islands bank account.
Now, where did I put that Bollinger.
Must check out the FTSE later, and sell my Greek Bonds..............
redwing
says...
10:05am Wed 19 Sep 12
Goldenwight wrote:But bucketfuls of sympathy no doubt, you fool, for the private landlord who's living it up after collecting most of said benefit as rent money.
But from April 2013, families living in these crisis homes could be hit by the new universal benefit cap, which will limit the total amount of benefit they can claim to £500 a week.
Now, I'm a rough sleeper through choice and perfectly happy with that. I don't claim benefits and I don't bother anyone.
But I can't help thinking that £500 a week represents an (earned) wage of around £35,000 a year after tax NI and travel. Which is a fair chunk of money to earn. So even I find it difficult to have any sympathy with someone who is claiming state benefits of that amount.
Somethingsarejustwrong
says...
9:42pm Wed 19 Sep 12
redwing wrote:Its nice to see people who deserve income receiving income (i.e. the private landlord) rather than the workshy, benefit grabbing populous.
Goldenwight wrote:But bucketfuls of sympathy no doubt, you fool, for the private landlord who's living it up after collecting most of said benefit as rent money.
But from April 2013, families living in these crisis homes could be hit by the new universal benefit cap, which will limit the total amount of benefit they can claim to £500 a week.
Now, I'm a rough sleeper through choice and perfectly happy with that. I don't claim benefits and I don't bother anyone.
But I can't help thinking that £500 a week represents an (earned) wage of around £35,000 a year after tax NI and travel. Which is a fair chunk of money to earn. So even I find it difficult to have any sympathy with someone who is claiming state benefits of that amount.
Goldenwight says...
3:16pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Now, I'm a rough sleeper through choice and perfectly happy with that. I don't claim benefits and I don't bother anyone.
But I can't help thinking that £500 a week represents an (earned) wage of around £35,000 a year after tax NI and travel. Which is a fair chunk of money to earn. So even I find it difficult to have any sympathy with someone who is claiming state benefits of that amount.