EU - in or out?

Look at your statement before that, Ana. That came across as being rude to me, and as if you knew about housing policy. Do you always have to criticise Labour?

www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jul/07/britains-biggest-buy-to-let-landlords-sell-entire-portfolio

At least you didn't have these as landlords, felice.
If anybody complains to them, they give you notice to quit, and they do not have to have a reason.

Can't believe you're so rude, durhamjen.

What's the point of a discussion if everyone knows everything already? I've never felt the need to study the history of the sale of council houses, that's why I asked the question.

The labour party decreased the discounts and said the right to buy was only available to those who had lived in their council houses for over five years.
The right to buy discount was increased again by Cameron in 2012 to 60% of the house's value. He has also allowed Londoners to have a discount of £100,000.
Over a million council houses were sold by Thatcher in the 1980s, but councils had to use the money to reduce debt, and were not allowed to build more houses. They were also only given half the proceeds of the sales, the rest going to Thatcher's government.
By the time Blair, who was well known as Thatcher's heir, came into power, it was impossible to reverse what she had done.
Can't believe you know so little about housing, Ana.

Yes Durhamjen, but at least it enables me to stay near DD and DGs, here, for other reasons she needs her Mum.
when you rent a property here you have to have your ID card, non-Belgians have residence permits as i posted earlier, you go to the local Commune to register the change of address, then the local police come to the house look around to check how many are living there, I have known of them looking in wardrobes to check if there are male, or female clothes there. then you sign the paper and your Domicile is registered, then you can get gas, electricity, telephone, water etc. previous to the inspection the utilities are the responsibilities of your landlord. Don't get me wrong i have had a couple of really shitty landlords, the worst was from Sicily, he seemed to see his tenants as cash cows and came up with the most amazing ways to get money out of us, not me dear, too savvy for that.
Those who work in the EU institutions, Parliament, Shape, Nato Eurocontrol have different agreements, do not pay taxes, or health insurance, or anything into the Social fund, which pays for schools etc, they really do not contribute much to Belguim other than hiking up the cost of housing in the outlying areas of Brussels.
So please everyone remember, Brussels is a city not an institution.

Couldn't Labour have reversed that rule? I wonder why they didn't...

Thatcher started it, and told everybody how good it would be. Then she would not let the councils use the money to replace them which is why we are in the sad situation we are now with housing.

Thatcher did not sell them all off. Various governments since hers have all been selling them, and it's still ongoing.

Well done, felice, you won enough to keep you below the poverty line. Bet that made you feel good.
Actually, there aren't that many council houses in the UK anymore. Thatcher sold them all off.
Interesting what you say about rented property in Belgium. A couple who bought a large property portfolio in Kent, mainly, are now selling it off to the highest bidder as they've had enough now property prices are rising again.

Yes dear, they did, there is no soft touch society here, why do think all the asylum seekers and economic migrants always want to go to the UK. They pass through, France, Belguim and The Netherlands, desperate to get to soft touch UK. A nice free meal ticket, free health care, perhaps even a Council house too.
Yes there are extreme cases in the UK, as I posted on another subject, renting propery here is very different from the UK, with many more checks and rules involved in private renting, there is limited social Housing here, and Commune Housing is only for those in full time employment and means tested. Also tends to be reserved for those in occupations such as nurses, teachers etc.
When you are spouting of about the EU you really should have all your facts.
it is almost automatic here to go down a legal route for invalidity benefit, i saw 5 doctors, before the hearing which i 'won'.

The medical examinations were thorough, took 2 years to go through and had to go to court eventually.

The Belguim authorities made you take them to court?

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/11/nhs-safeguarded-european-commission-eu-us-trade-deal&sa=U&ei=aOC_U_bEGYKb0wXcz4GwDA&ved=0CAoQFjAC&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGyPgh7hlqzG3q1Kju-2K0B17aUPQ

Sorry, gave you the whole page before. You can read it if you want.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theguardian.com/politics&sa=U&ei=bd2_U8-RDOeX1AWugoFQ&ved=0CAYQFjAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHTulXf-2v6vqiJigy3Za8UnPhmqA
Would this have happened if we were not in the EU?
I think not.

Wrong, I said my Child benefit was changed from the Uk one to the BELGIAN one as soon as we registered here, I have never claimed any benefits at all from the Uk. get your facts right.

Yes, felice, you did say that later but in light of that, the earlier quote of yours that I gave makes no sense.

I was trying to get the facts right, I can't be held responsible if you don't make something you say clear. I still think it's unclear.

I care little if you feel unhappy about what is being said because I have said nothing insulting - I asked for clarfication of something you actually posted but if you want to have a strop, feel free ....

I receive invalidity benefit here, it is below the poverty level and there are no other top up benefits. that was the reason a friend told me to apply to the UK. The medical examinations were thorough, took 2 years to go through and had to go to court eventually.
Now it is automatic and as I have conditions which will deteriorate does not need to be re-assessed.There is no housing benefit here and I still pay my health insurance and medications, although those classed as essential for life i get a discount for.
I would say the only real benefit, is knowing I will have an income every month, and a free landline phone and my cable TV is paid for.

He was transferred over from the old IVB without examination.

Galen, that just seems wrong, I suppose they would say they are not a drain on the health service by living abroad but surely the UK would still have to pay for any health care there, I do not know exactly how it works, we need to have health insurance here.

I've just had to deal with an expat residing in Spain, who is in receipt of ESA.

Just re-read my first post I meant I got benefits here, not from the UK, as pointed out in another post. I have the right to claim but would never do so, first was a typo error, to many dos.

Do not accuse me of something I have not done i do not like that, and it IS insulting.

Wrong, I said my Child benefit was changed from the Uk one to the BELGIAN one as soon as we registered here, I have never claimed any benefits at all from the Uk. get your facts right.

felice - you did state:

a lot of people born in the the UK can claim benefits and pensions in their countries of residence, I do, I also got Child Benefit here when my DD was still at school.

From your post, it would appear you claim/have claimed more than one benefit since leaving Britian. I always find it surprising that people choose not to llve in Britain (thereby not contributing to its coffers throughout their working lives) but feel okay about claiming benefits.

Have I lumped all expats with pensioners in Spain? If I have inadvertently posted that, please do let me know where and, once I have checked and then find the offending comment, I will apologise profusely; I'm sure I would never tar all pensioners in Spain with such a sweeping statement.

If you wish to feel offended about something I haven't said, there really isn't much I can do about that.

I do not recieve any 'benefits' of any kind from the Uk and did pay into the British tax and NI for many years before leaving, I have been told i could claim some invalidity benefit from the Uk as I receive that here, but to me that would be immoral.
Please do lump all Xpats with the pensioners in Spain, I find that offensive.

Well, felice, it seems that it doesn't directly affect you at all so I'm still puzzled by the 'we' and 'us' but I can see it must be frustrating for you regarding your family members. Maybe if people who haven't contributed for decades to the British tax system didn't claim pensions and other benefits to be spent in other countries (thereby boosting that economy instead of the British one), there would be more money to be spent on the things you have listed.

As a point of reference, I didn't ask you for personal information; I asked how you can use the term 'we' and 'us' when you don't live in Britain, all you needed to say was 'I have close family still living there'.

Mishap

Apparently the working time directive costs the NHS one billion pounds a year because agency staff have to be employed

That's interesting to hear.

There was an item on BBC news yesterday saying that the amount of unpaid overtime that British workers are 'expected' to perform is a cost saving of £30bn per year! I was shocked at that. I'm sure there will be some medical staff who do still work (even if only a little) past their official time - it would have given a more rounded picture if staff had been asked about that and those figures included.