Under Occupancy payments

It would be crazy for elderly people to downsize into the only properties that first time buyers or renters could afford. What a great idea - vacate your larger family home and free up the more expensive properties that no-one else can afford!

My sister has lived in a former council house (now sold to a Housing Association for 25 years. When she moved into the 3-bedroomed house following divorce she had two sons living with her, who have now moved out. She has spent her own money on decorating, carpeting and has made a lovely, if tiny, garden. She has lots of health problems - she is 75- and has a network of good neighbours who would be round like a shot in an emergency. One son comes from Glasgow to stay with her one a month and over the years several of her grandchildren have stayed for a night or two. I also visit her every few months from my home in France.
She was very worried by the suggestion that she might be forced to move to a on-bedroomed bungalow in a strange area where she would know nobody.
I believe that the demand for people in social housing to downsize is not going to be applied to pensioners. I hope this is correct.

Hello GG -- surely if you and YH need to sleep in different bedrooms due to health problems you would be counted as needing 2 rooms --- and maybe you at times need someone to stay the night to help you --? Should this go through no-one has any idea how it would be implemented. Maybe Citizens Advice could offer help.

I totally agree Greatnan. Labour used to be a choice for the working class - not anymore! I think what we need on any future ballot papers is a
'NONE OF THE ABOVE' choice as there is not an honest, caring party among the lot of them.

It was a dreadful, cruel attack on vulnerable people, but I believe (hope) it has been dropped. This government is taking Britain back to a pre-Welfare State position, where the rich and powerful can get away with thieving, bribery, corruption and fraud whilst the poor, ill, disabled, unemployed and elderly are treated with contempt. Not that Blair's lot were any better.