Welfare recipients can become landlords soon

you really need to read what this is about. it is not about ukranians or single people. I can't imagine there are too many ukranian single people living here who own their own home. it is people on means tested social welfare allowance being able to rent a room in a house they own and the rent received not affecting their social welfare. the same way everybody else can earn up to 14000 by renting a room in their home and not being taxed on the rental income.

But means tested welfare payments not being effected even if you earn 14k yet if your a couple who one or another Loses their jobs and gets a means tested payment they could lose out on getting anything if one is earning 10e over income limits , but someone in a house on the same means tested payment takes in a Lodger and can earn 14,000+ and keep all of their welfare payments and secondary benefits .

No I stating the obvious it's like when someone mentions revenue allowed this ,

Getting welfare payments which are means tested and punishing a family for earning a few euros more as I said above take the same with someone earning 14,000 extra and keep all of their payments

Where does the idea stem from oh yeah taking in Ukrainans without losing any welfare despite earning from it .

It's there in the article it specifically mentions the Shortage of housing for Ukrainian refugees

you thought it was about ukranian single people being allowed to earn 14,000 without it affecting their social welfare. it isn't.

Can you re read the post you're talking about. He didn't say what you think.

In 2019 there were over 2m welfare recipients, and over 3m beneficiaries.

Surely hundreds of thousands of these people own houses?

Recipients 2019

Pension = 650,000

Working-Age income supports = 269,000

Working-Age on Employment Supports = 50,000

Illness, Disability, Caring = 400,000

Most of those 650,000 pensions are contributory and hence not means tested and this doesn't apply to them - they could do what they want.

Not a lot of the rest are going to own their own homes; or be in a position to take in a lodger if they do.

Nope if he gets a job he has the exact same entitlement.

Also it's open to people who avail of welfare not just job seekers.

Nope, renting out a room in your primary residence is not covered by landlord / tenant laws.

Nor would renting out a room in his own home preclude him from "sanctions" whatever they may be if he fails to engage with social welfare.

I suppose he could say he's official job is "Landlord" but then he wouldn't be entitled to job seekers would he?

He has been entitled to this very same scheme for years if he was working.

The point of it is that it allows for a certain amount of spare domestic accommodation capacity to be used by those who need it, while not penalising those who can supply it. It's not intended to fix the housing crisis, it's not intended to make social welfare recipients rich. It's tapping a source for a few extra bedrooms to become available for house shares that previously did not exist.

I think there may be some merit in it if it increases the number of properties available to rent! which has to be a good thing.

it would seem like it could reduce the potential hassle to someone renting out! and add stock to the rental market which would not otherwise come on stream. Maybe it is an idea that if you are availing of this non-taxable initiative, the rent is controlled?

It may also be a case for older people who may be in care or being cared for, with relatives, but are keeping their house/apmt in case they need it for the fair deal, to encourage them to allow their property to be rented out.

There may also be incidents where a person on s/w moves in with an elderly or sick relative as their carer, and could possibly rent out their own property, it may make this easier for them.

I don't like the tone used referring to social welfare recipients! I think I would prefer someone who is entitled to social welfare getting income from rent rather than some vulture fund or big landlord!

With respect Gatling it's is a half arsed government announcement today, and your getting worked up about it. It infact changes where little for the majority of people on a welfare payment who can rent out their houses The majority of those welfare recipients who can rent a room will be pensioners on the defined contribution pension. Even before today the could rent a room without concern as tier pension was never affected. I'm a contributionary pensioner (widower) and a home owner I could already rent a room tax free. I knew that already , however a lot of other pensioners wouldn't know that and now it's been pointed out to them they can now look at an extra source of income.

Regarding non contributionary welfare payments those on allowances very few would own a house, most will be be in council houses, on RAS and HAP. The local council administer the rates of rent charge here or in the case of HAP and RAS how much the tentant pays to the overall cost of rent. What the government needs to do is clarify how exactly the rent received from the rent a room scheme will be treated by the council in the calculation of rent the main tentant of the property. At the moment that rent will treated as income for the main tentant. On top of that the income of the entire household including the rent a room licensees will be included in a rent review. It's a complex system called "differential rents". The council rent increase could negate any extra income from a licensee for the main tentant. As things stand it's not the cash cow you might think it is.