Only in the UK - benefit abuse goes on and on
And you thought Doha rents were high!!!!!!!!!!!!
A MUM of seven is being paid £170,000 a year in benefits so she can live in a £1.2million mansion.
Taxpayers hit by the credit crunch fund the swish seven-bedroom home enjoyed free by Afghan migrant Toorpakai Saindi and her family.
And her landlord is raking in rent of more than £12,000 a month from a local council — funded by taxpayers.
That’s DOUBLE the normal market value of the seven-bedroom property, located in a swish West London street peppered with the Mercedes and BMW cars of private owners.
Yesterday Saindi, who also gets an estimated £400 a week in child and local tax benefits, said: “It’s a lot of money, but the council pay it.
“This is their problem. I don’t know why they pay so much.”
Landlord Ajit Panesar, who is acting within his rights, also referred The Sun to Ealing Council.
They blamed the Government, saying it set the rate.
But Whitehall insisted the council could have put Ms Saindi in a cheaper home.
The root of the potty payouts lies with the Local Housing Allowance — rolled out nationally on April 7.
It enables tenants and landlords to find out the maximum amount of LHA available before an agreement is reached.
In July Ms Saindi, who has four sons and three daughters aged eight to 22, approached the council after being made homeless. They had a legal obligation to find her a seven-bedroom home.
But they did not have one big enough on their books and so turned to a private landlord, Mr Panesar.
He fixed a price for his Acton property which the council checked with the Rent Service — an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions.
They then advised the council what they should pay.
It turned out to be a staggering £12,458 a month — partly because under boundary changes implemented in April, Acton is crazily lumped in with mega-rich Westminster.
Yesterday estate agents Foxtons said similar properties in Acton command rents of around £6,000 a month, top whack.
Ms Saindi, who came to the UK from Afghanistan seven years ago, said: “I always thought the housing benefit was a lot, but I’m told that is what it is for homes like this here.”
Mr Panesar said: “I can’t help it if the law says I should get paid that amount of money.”
Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The system has gone seriously wrong when one family is costing taxpayers so much.
“The people running the welfare system seem to have forgotten money doesn’t grow on trees. This family could be helped without the need for such a huge bill.”
Anne Windsor and Britexpat, I totally agree with you...it hurts deep to hear this kinda news. me too i left london to try to have a decent living because every pounds i worked hard to get, the taxman took it before it goes in my bank...i will definitely vote for Conservatives...This labour govt has done nothing for hardworking people like you and I.
We do have a problem though as Brits...we kept complaining about Ian Blair, but when the looney blond sacked him, the papers make a lot of noise...i sometimes dont know what we really want...I will stop saying God Save our Queen...I will say God Save us from these bunch of morons running such a great country as ours....
Agree with vignale, same with Australia, if you are on welfare benefits you get practical free medicines, transport and rental assistance and many other free servcies/concessions, whilst the working force pay a lot to their taxes and all other services they pay through the roof and end up with nothing left of their wages. Its become almost attractive not to work for the lazy ones...Also a lot work cash in hand and claim welfare money, now thats very low and greedy.
I do believe in the welfare system especially for the eldery, disabled and people who genuinely cant find a job but unfortunately people always take advantage and ruin it for the ones who need it most..
Britexpat, this is not unique to the UK, just have a look at the Welfare System in Scandinavia and you would find thousands of examples like this - sad but true
I don't think so, but we do share the same ears.We had our surname first and I believe they stole it from us.God save our Queen!
legaly obliged to find a 7 Bedroom place is a bit much for 7 kids, I always had to share with my brother and I knew familys a lot worse off 3 or 4 kids with bunks in 1 room, even if they were in council places, and it is unfortunately coz they were British and not foreign.
I don't know how a mother of 7 can work and look after kids but over 18 they should be able to work and look after themseleves and the family, bet they don't though.
Any relation to THE WINDSORS ??:)
This government has fostered a sponger society, probabaly to ensure future votes. Obviously, they would not want to vote in a government which may do away with the numerous benefits.
It hurts when hard working people like us have to leave to make a living outside the UK and we have spongers living there and enjoying themselves on our hard earn money.My husband and I both worked very hard for our house and never have we used public funds for anything in our lives.We paid for our child to be looked after by someone else,so that we could earn enough to pay the government for the taxes that they demand from us.I agree that we should look after the children and the aged,but to give money to people who are to lazy to work is so wrong...!It's such a great country and could have so much going for it,but it's spoiled by those who have no pride in themselves.The United Kingdom of old is gone and there is a degeneration of it's civilisation.
welfare has a definite need, but its these people who abuse it that just make me want to go choke someone...
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
I am all for the welfare system, but its the abuse that really gets me.
The morons at DSS need to put into place checks and balances. If a claimant is driving a flash car or dressed to the nines, then that should trigger a warning..
and my friend from the UK who has been fighting with the child welfare agency for her court appointed 5 pounds per week, per child(2), and never received it, has to work 2 jobs to make ends meet! Gotta love the inequality of it all!
Happens in all countries, unfortunately. I remember teaching school and some of the children came to school dressed to the teeth in designer clothes, parents drove mercedes and huge house...and on welfare...go figure.
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.
a 22 year old "child"?
"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"
Remember Newton's Third law
I agree about the spongers, but the morons at the council should take most of the blame..
... or F off back to Afghanistan!
Spongers!!!
Did you Google it first?