Pensioners to be encouraged to downsize

Sorry nadateurbe I have been away since Thursday with no access to the internet and I went weak at the knees at the thought of reading 11 pages of posts before posting.

And as I mentioned previously too, the minister who actually said this doesnt appear to be married or have children, so assuming that's correct, I hope he is setting a good example by living in a suitably-sized house for one!

M0nica

Sorry nadateurbe I have been away since Thursday with no access to the internet and I went weak at the knees at the thought of reading 11 pages of posts before posting.

Sorry Monica. I didn't mean to offend you.
I don't always read all the posts. I know we should but I don't have the energy.
How lovely to have a break from internet!

MamaCaz

And as I mentioned previously too, the minister who actually said this doesnt appear to be married or have children, so assuming that's correct, I hope he is setting a good example by living in a suitably-sized house for one!

For the x hundredth time he didn’t say it !!

Please read what he actually did say, reported word for word, in his answer to a question in Parliament.

This seems to have become my (unsuccessful) one woman campaign for fact ?

I gave up ages back, and left you to it.

I really don’t know why it’s getting my goat so much?

Hellogirl1, our street is exactly the same. 3 houses in our street are owned by landlords, inc next door. Fortunately, the tenants are ok. Mind you, I dread everytime anyone moves out. I think there should be a cap on how many homes private landlords can own. So many young people cannot afforď to rent/buy something needs to be done. Nobody needs ten houses. There was a young couple after a house near us, they were refused the mortgage(no idea why). That house also went to a private landlord. The sense of community is being eroded.

Peasblossom

MamaCaz

And as I mentioned previously too, the minister who actually said this doesnt appear to be married or have children, so assuming that's correct, I hope he is setting a good example by living in a suitably-sized house for one!

For the x hundredth time he didn’t say it !!

Please read what he actually did say, reported word for word, in his answer to a question in Parliament.

This seems to have become my (unsuccessful) one woman campaign for fact ?

What are you saying that "he didn't say", Peasblossom‽

I agree that he didn't say that pensioners would be forced to downsize, no, but from what I have read, he certainly did say what the OP states, albeit paraphrased.

I did read what he had said, and felt that what he said raised points that are well worth discussing.

For example:

The challenge is that in the early 1990s, something like 31 per cent of properties were under-occupied: They were too big for the numbers of people rattling around inside
'And now that percentage is 38 per cent. So it’s a very significant number of properties where we see under-occupation.’

This raised the issue of what he might mean by 'over-/under-occupation.

In terms of social housing, any couple (or single occupier) with two or more bedrooms would be deemed to be under-occupying, so there's no reason to believe that he doesn't think that the same applies across the board.

This is relevant because it is an indication of the size of homes that he wants to see built with older people in mind, the homes that they might be 'encouraged' to move to.

He continued: ‘So I think there is an opportunity to encourage downsizing, encourage the growth of the later living sector in order to free up homes in the middle of the market, those two, three-bedroom semis, so that those properties can be moved into.

That's a very clear indication there that he sees one-bedroom properties as the goal for pensioners, and many of the responses on the thread have been directly related to the size of property that Gransnetters feel they 'need'.

I could go on (especially over the frequent misuse of the word 'encourage' by the government), but won't. I hope that if nothing else, my post shows you my own reasons for contributing on this thread.

So far we’ve had comments on:

Pensioners shouldn’t be forced to move. He didn’t say that.

These homes would be too big for first time buyers. He didn’t say first time buyers would be buying them. He said families already on the housing ladder could then move into larger properties which would free up smaller properties further down the chain.

Nobody wants to live in developments just for old people. He didn’t say that. He wanted to ensure the very opposite. That developers must include properties suitable for later life living in their developments.Not just large, maximum profits ‘luxury’ housing.

Pensioners need just as much room. He didn’t say they didn’t. And he said nothing about one bedroom.

In fact he didn’t mention pensioners at all. Certainly not those posters who are still in couples and have family visiting or living with them, Several posters commented on this.

What he did suggest (or want to make possible) was that people ( and he specifically mentioned those on their own) who in later life wanted to move to a more easily managed home should be able to do so. That developers should provide homes with features that enable older people to stay in those homes for as long as possible. And that every development should include homes that are suitable for those who want to make that move.

As I said in an earlier post, when I was widowed and was “rattling around” sadly in my empty house I had to move from the area where I had friends and family because no smaller properties were available.

I think his stance is a good one. Nobody is forcing anything on anyone.

Honestly, just read all the threads full of indignation about things he never said?

Now this is where it gets interesting. What is the definition of a bedroom? Many people (of all ages) who have a two storey, or more, house use one or more of the upstairs rooms in their house for all kinds of other purposes - as offices and studies, as gyms, as sewing and craft rooms, therapy rooms, music rooms. You name it and someone is using an upstairs room for that purpose. Are these rooms still bedrooms because they are upstairs? What if you live in a bungalow or a house with rooms that can be used as bedrooms on the ground floor.

This is the whole absurdity of any of these stupid things ministers say to deflect attention from the failings of their housing policies.

I have noticed recently that some retirement home providers are building retirement homes with three bedrooms because that is many older people want. Properties like these www.audleyvillages.co.uk/retirement-properties?field_number_of_bedrooms_value%5B%5D=3

He really didn’t say anything about just one bedroom ?

People are leaping to false assumptions that are seriously detracting from a move that would benefit many.

My guess is that the vast majority of those who have commented here are not living alone, have family to stay, have the means to keep up their large houses and are still fit enough get upstairs go from room to room.

It may not always be so. Then a warm, easily maintained home with wide doorways, walk-in shower, ramp to the front door and other helpful features might start to appeal. And if we rubbish his suggestions there won’t be any?

For the purpose of the bedroom tax, the rules on what constitutes a bedroom were strict.
The was someone using a "spare" room to keep their dialysis equipment in - nope!
That was a bedroom, although a bed wouldn't have fitted due to the equipment.
The size had to be just a fraction bigger than a cupboard to be counted.

It’s no good Peasblossom, you’re banging your head against a brick wall.

Peasblossom

He really didn’t say anything about just one bedroom ?

People are leaping to false assumptions that are seriously detracting from a move that would benefit many.

My guess is that the vast majority of those who have commented here are not living alone, have family to stay, have the means to keep up their large houses and are still fit enough get upstairs go from room to room.

It may not always be so. Then a warm, easily maintained home with wide doorways, walk-in shower, ramp to the front door and other helpful features might start to appeal. And if we rubbish his suggestions there won’t be any?

Peasblossom
He really didn’t say anything about just one bedroom

He talked about freeing up two and three-bedroom semis. Couple that with the words 'down-sizing', and it only leaves one bedroom properties.

In reality, he was probably just outlining vague ideas here, but I don't think it is unreasonable for us to run with that assumption on this thread and share opinions on how much space we older people might feel we need.

A discussion about how much space a single person (and he did specifically refer to single people) needs is a debate worth having. I don’t disagree with that. Perhaps if we support his proposal to make more properties available for those who want to downsize builders will consult on what is needed.

What I was protesting futilely about was the pages of posts about being forced to move, areas full of just old people, first time buyers not being able to buy big houses etc.

A whole wave of comments that bore no relationship or fact to what was actually proposed. The ease with which false information spreads really worries me.

I won’t give up. This is a good idea. Good housing for later life that enables people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.

Actually, I think I will give up on this.
On Gransnet anyway.

OK - is he going to supply removal fees and solicitor's fees and provide help for an elderly person to undergo the traumatic process of buying and selling and clearing out their home? It is such simplistic thinking .... but no surprise really.

Peasblossom I get your point, but we suffer too much from ministers opening their mouths before they engage their brains and who, if pressed to the point, could not exactly say what they meant.

The housing needs of 'older' people are as varied as the needs of any other age and family group and nobody is permanently in any group.

If any particular group has shown a high demand for a particular type of property, I am sure the builders will be quick to start building those properties and Housing Associations will be lobbying government for special funds for specialist housing.

^I have noticed recently that some retirement home providers are building retirement homes with three bedrooms because that is many older people want. Properties like these www.audleyvillages.co.uk/retirement-properties?field_number_of_bedrooms_value%5B%5D=3^

At around £600,000 for a "cottage" or an apartment I don't think many retired people will be rushing to buy the ones in Bristol unless they're moving from the London area.

A monthly management fee and deferred management charge apply to all properties. For properties being sold by an Audley owner or where Audley is acting as agent for the vendor, a monthly ground rent will be charged. More information about fees
Unrealistic for many
?

If government ministers want to help those who want to downsize one of the first things they could do is investigate the many restrictive conditions and charges anyone buying a property in a retirement development has to sign up to.

I actually had friends who decided against moving into one of these developments because of these conditions and charges.