The government’s clampdown on benefits is forcing up, rather than cutting, the cost of housing low-income families in wealthy areas, as people are shifted into hotels and bed and breakfasts, according to new figures obtained for the Observer.
Charities are also reporting a chain of misery and chaos as children are forced to move schools, and parents have to spend much of their time ferrying them large distances to classes.
Data obtained through freedom of information requests shows that at Westminster council – one of the wealthiest areas in the country – the bill for homelessness has shot up by 63.5% since last year as new temporary accommodation has had to be found for those hit by cuts. The figures show that it has cost Westminster more to place thousands of people in temporary accommodation, including hotels, than the council has saved through the government’s welfare clampdown.
The council says it cut “around £40m” from its costs, thanks to the introduction in 2011 of restrictions to housing benefit. However, replies to FOI requests obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism show that it has cost the council £135.83m to rehouse homeless people since 2009.
The council’s bill for housing vulnerable families in temporary accommodation this financial year alone is estimated to be £41.8m, compared with £25.5m last year.
Austerity!
Because the cost of labor is generally the largest expense in any Capitalist enterprise it is the first thing to be cut. The newly unemployed will go on welfare. As more people become unemployed the greater the need for tax dollars to support them. The 1% couldn’t care less how many people are unemployed. As property owners they will either collect their rent from the workers paycheck or from his/her government unemployement or welfare check (Section 8). All of those “temporary accommodations” are also owned by the 1% so they will collect their rent directly from the taxpayer. In a Capitalist economic system the workers is always expendable. A communal economic system equalizes wealth inequality and takes care of everyone. The motivation in Capitalism is greed. “The person with the most toys when they die, wins.”
LMFAO! The side bar ad to this story is sponsored by Americans for Prosperity. I am supposed to tell my Rep in Congress that “I can’t afford a carbon tax!” Yup, I’ll get right on that! Susie I sure hope that there is some trickle down revenue involved.