Lambeth increases the rent of council tenancies by £60-£75 PER WEEK

[editor]

Lambeth has just announced that council tenants in Southwyck House will be expected to pay an extra £60-£75 per week, with just four week's notice given before the huge rent increase.

They're justifying this huge increase on the cost of heating (which is included in the rent) with no option for tenants to opt out and find cheaper ways to heat their properties. This comes a couple of years after Lambeth farmed out the water costs to Thames Water (this was also previously included in the rent), which saw no decrease in rental charges and tenants having to pay upwards of £300/year on top.

There appeals to be no means to challenge this, and I can't see how many people are going to be able to shoulder this immense increase. It's the biggest rent rise I've ever seen in my life.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

And things like service charges aren't covered by housing benefit etc

That's almost going to wipe out someone's income if they are on the dole.

Is it a district heating / communal sort of system?

 

[editor]

And things like service charges aren't covered by housing benefit etc

That's almost going to wipe out someone's income if they are on the dole.

Is it a district heating / communal sort of system?

Yes, communal heating.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

i'm not quite sure what the legal position is.

can find a few news items about it - some councils are using reserves to hold the cost down, some are cutting the hours a day / weeks each year that heating will be on

is there any sort of tenants' association in the borough?

getting local press / councillors / MPs involved might be necessary

Fuel Poverty Action may be a direction

(much of the above may be stating the obvious)

 

[editor]

i'm not quite sure what the legal position is.

can find a few news items about it - some councils are using reserves to hold the cost down, some are cutting the hours a day / weeks each year that heating will be on

is there any sort of tenants' association in the borough?

getting local press / councillors / MPs involved might be necessary

Fuel Poverty Action may be a direction

(much of the above may be stating the obvious)

I've got the local press covered but I'm hoping to get tenants onboard and then start pestering the fuck out of local councillors.

 

[DaphneM]

And things like service charges aren't covered by housing benefit etc

That's almost going to wipe out someone's income if they are on the dole.

Is it a district heating / communal sort of system?

its not a service charge though, it might be covered by te HB depending on the how much the rent is

 

[marty21]

Lambeth has just announced that council tenants in Southwyck House will be expected to pay an extra £60-£75 per week, with just four week's notice given before the huge rent increase.

They're justifying this huge increase on the cost of heating (which is included in the rent) with no option for tenants to opt out and find cheaper ways to heat their properties. This comes a couple of years after Lambeth farmed out the water costs to Thames Water (this was also previously included in the rent), which saw no decrease in rental charges and tenants having to pay upwards of £300/year on top.

There appeals to be no means to challenge this, and I can't see how many people are going to be able to shoulder this immense increase. It's the biggest rent rise I've ever seen in my life.

Technically it is an increase in the service charge, the rent part isn't increasing as much. I'm guessing the bulk of the increase is for heating costs for communal heating - this will be happening in any council block that has communal heating - where I work I've heard the lads in Gas Services talking about the weekly charges for heating going up to £60pw when we have to increase them. It's an issue that hasn't had a lot of media, I thought it would happen when the whole cost of living energy prices thing kicked off .

It needs some sort of government financial intervention - there is some light at the end of the tunnel - it isn't a permanent increase - with energy prices coming down, this will be reflected in the heating service charge next year.

 

[marty21]

its not a service charge though, it might be covered by te HB depending on the how much the rent is

heating costs have never been covered by HB, or the new HB (UC rent element)

 

[editor]

It's worth noting that there's no timers fitted in the flat's thermostats, so residents have no means to take control of their heating. This 'one size fits all' approach means that everyone gets hit with an unaffordable bill and there is no means to reduce their bills. They have to pay full whack because Lambeth says so.

 

[DaphneM]

Technically it is an increase in the service charge, the rent part isn't increasing as much. I'm guessing the bulk of the increase is for heating costs for communal heating - this will be happening in any council block that has communal heating - where I work I've heard the lads in Gas Services talking about the weekly charges for heating going up to £60pw when we have to increase them. It's an issue that hasn't had a lot of media, I thought it would happen when the whole cost of living energy prices thing kicked off .

It needs some sort of government financial intervention - there is some light at the end of the tunnel - it isn't a permanent increase - with energy prices coming down, this will be reflected in the heating service charge next year.

Hasn't there been financial help for the unwaged for energy costs?

 

[marty21]

Hasn't there been financial help for the unwaged for energy costs?

There has been some support via the DWP, but not enough to cover these sorts of increases.

 

[marty21]

It's worth noting that there's no timers fitted in the flat's thermostats, so residents have no means to take control of their heating. This 'one size fits all' approach means that everyone gets hit with an unaffordable bill and there is no means to reduce their bills. They have to pay full whack because Lambeth says so.

I know that in some boroughs , there is more control over communal heating , instead of 1 weekly charge the same for every resident, heat meters are being used , and residents are then charged for actual usage.

 

[Pickman's model]

I know that in some boroughs , there is more control over communal heating , instead of 1 weekly charge the same for every resident, heat meters are being used , and residents are then charged for actual usage.

Yeh, this would be how I'd challenge it, that they're assuming uniform usage but this will vary by flat. But one for the lawyers I think

 

[editor]

There has been some support via the DWP, but not enough to cover these sorts of increases.

The financial help has been handy for my huge electricity bill, but this is another massive increase that's going to really cause hardship, and I can't imagine how many people are on my estate can be expected to find all this extra money just to have a place to live.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Is Lambeth having Council elections in May? If so, getting an E-mail campaign going, to every Councilor, stating that if this goes ahead, they will be voted out.

 

[editor]

Is Lambeth having Council elections in May? If so, getting an E-mail campaign going, to every Councilor, stating that if this goes ahead, they will be voted out.

It won't make any difference. Labour get voted in every time despite their long record of treating council estate residents appallingly.

 

[Sasaferrato]

It won't make any difference. Labour get voted in every time despite their long record of treating council estate residents appallingly.

I'm not having a pop here, but that is plain stupid, why vote for people who serially fuck you over?

 

[Tricky Skills]

Is Lambeth having Council elections in May? If so, getting an E-mail campaign going, to every Councilor, stating that if this goes ahead, they will be voted out.

We're stuck with this shower for another three years.

 

[emanymton]

I'm not having a pop here, but that is plain stupid, why vote for people who serially fuck you over?

You've voted Tory in the past, right?

 

[Pickman's model]

You've voted Tory in the past, right?

He's learned a bit from that

 

[marty21]

The financial help has been handy for my huge electricity bill, but this is another massive increase that's going to really cause hardship, and I can't imagine how many people are on my estate can be expected to find all this extra money just to have a place to live.

Generally the service charge for heating costs is calculated once a year based on the previous years costs , so it is likely to be a lot cheaper next year . I know that doesn't help this year . Some councils in London are doing cost of living payments , see if Lambeth are doing them. They are separate from payments from the DWP or the Government, between £200 and £500 .

 

[editor]

Generally the service charge for heating costs is calculated once a year based on the previous years costs , so it is likely to be a lot cheaper next year . I know that doesn't help this year . Some councils in London are doing cost of living payments , see if Lambeth are doing them. They are separate from payments from the DWP or the Government, between £200 and £500 .

With some people's rents going up by nearly £4,000 over a year those grants aren't even going to plaster over the cracks,

I've started to stir the pot to get residents involved in this. It seems fundamentally to impose a blanket heating fee and give residents no option to control how much they want to spend on heating. I'd certainly be turning mine off a load more if I had a timer.

 

[bimble]

It's worth noting that there's no timers fitted in the flat's thermostats, so residents have no means to take control of their heating. This 'one size fits all' approach means that everyone gets hit with an unaffordable bill and there is no means to reduce their bills. They have to pay full whack because Lambeth says so.

That in particular looks crazy from the outside. No meters and no thermostats on your radiators at all so some unknown person in an office decrees the temperature and timings the same for every resident ? I think if i lived there thats where i'd focus to try to force change.
Initial outlay for installing controls for each flat would be their pushback but still longer term it would be better for them as well wouldn't it. And its environmentally stupid as well.

 

[weltweit]

That is a massive increase.

I bet a lot of tenants will struggle to meet the new demands.

 

[domestos]

You'd wonder why we'd vote them in again but have a look at Croydon's Tory increases. How the hell are people supposed to cope with rises like this. Time for can't pay won't pay. Sort of worked once before

 

[Gramsci]

I'm not having a pop here, but that is plain stupid, why vote for people who serially fuck you over?

Im in the same Council Ward. It is a ward with a large amount of social housing. Was in the top ten percent most deprived in Country. Now in top twenty percent due to partial gentrification.

For many I can see Labour is only choice in reality.

The right of Labour party run Lambeth. We did have a very popular Ward Cllr - Rachel-. She became to supportive of her constituents so the Lambeth Labour group leadership got rid of her. Some of us did try to get her elected as independent.

But that failed. Up against a well resourced Labour party machine was difficult task.

After election some people thought they had voted for her. As they assumed voting for all the Labour candidates meant voting for her. A lot of people dont look at names they just tick the labour party candidates.

As for issue of these high increases in heating charges I do not see either of the two Ward Cllrs is going to stick their head over the parapet over this. Would destroy their careers.

One would wring their hands about how awful it is. Its due to Ukraine/ Tory government etc. The other would just support the Labour group whatever the leadership says. That is how they kept their job all these years.

The bigger picture is that Starmer thinks he can go back to the Labour attitude "you have no where else to go" So Labour party can treat a lot of people with contempt knowing they do not have any other realistic options.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Im in the same Council Ward. It is a ward with a large amount of social housing. Was in the top ten percent most deprived in Country. Now in top twenty percent due to partial gentrification.

For many I can see Labour is only choice in reality.

The right of Labour party run Lambeth. We did have a very popular Ward Cllr - Rachel-. She became to supportive of her constituents so the Lambeth Labour group leadership got rid of her. Some of us did try to get her elected as independent.

But that failed. Up against a well resourced Labour party machine was difficult task.

After election some people thought they had voted for her. As they assumed voting for all the Labour candidates meant voting for her. A lot of people dont look at names they just tick the labour party candidates.

As for issue of these high increases in heating charges I do not see either og the two Ward Cllrs is going to stick their head over the parapet over this. Would destroy their careers.

Which of course is representing their constituents.

 

[Gramsci]

Which of course is representing their constituents.

From what Ive seen in Lambeth the Labour group regard themselves as managers. You get to vote every four years. After that you should shut up and be grateful. You vote at election time on the manifesto. They get in and do the manifesto ( in theory)and that is that.

Its also what my Polish friends would call the "Red Bourgeoisie". In later part of Communist period if you were ambitious you joined the party. Loyalty was rewarded. Same with the Labour party. Loyalty to the party comes first. Working up through the party to be a Cllr/ MP. In my experience a lot of "grown up" politics is really a form of management. The last few years with so called left or right "populists" surfaced. Now its back to the sensible people.

 

[Gramsci]

Lambeth has just announced that council tenants in Southwyck House will be expected to pay an extra £60-£75 per week, with just four week's notice given before the huge rent increase.

They're justifying this huge increase on the cost of heating (which is included in the rent) with no option for tenants to opt out and find cheaper ways to heat their properties. This comes a couple of years after Lambeth farmed out the water costs to Thames Water (this was also previously included in the rent), which saw no decrease in rental charges and tenants having to pay upwards of £300/year on top.

There appeals to be no means to challenge this, and I can't see how many people are going to be able to shoulder this immense increase. It's the biggest rent rise I've ever seen in my life.

Citizens advice might give you some advice on how to contest this. Or question how its been formulated.

If your home is on a heat network

Find out what a heat network is and check what to do if you have problems with your heat network supplier.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

 

[Gramsci]

Lambeth has just announced that council tenants in Southwyck House will be expected to pay an extra £60-£75 per week, with just four week's notice given before the huge rent increase.

They're justifying this huge increase on the cost of heating (which is included in the rent) with no option for tenants to opt out and find cheaper ways to heat their properties. This comes a couple of years after Lambeth farmed out the water costs to Thames Water (this was also previously included in the rent), which saw no decrease in rental charges and tenants having to pay upwards of £300/year on top.

There appeals to be no means to challenge this, and I can't see how many people are going to be able to shoulder this immense increase. It's the biggest rent rise I've ever seen in my life.

This looks like good advice. Not chance to read it all. But looks like good suggestions.

Advice for people on heat networks (“District Heating”) having trouble with outages, high prices, or both – Fuel Poverty Action

www.fuelpovertyaction.org.uk