Ahead of the London bus drivers' strike on Friday, sections of the media are making ready to attack the strikers for exercising their right to claim a meager bonus for working during the unusually busy Olympic period.
Meanwhile most London bus drivers are struggling to get by. We're reproducing below a synopsis by an advice worker who has been trying to help a London bus driver and his family deal with their horrendous housing crisis.
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| Thatcher and Cameron: loving it |
What you are about to read may sound like an exceptionally horrific tale of the recession. But the reality of Cameron's Britain is that stories like these are becoming increasingly commonplace. Thousands of families are unable to meet the costs of the bosses' crisis, thousands of children are going hungry or living in cramped conditions with thousands of parents struggling to feed them. Some of those parents will be going on strike this Friday.
If anyone is able to provide us with any advice on how to help the
Counihan family, or is able to provide any help or advice themselves,
please contact Gerry Downing: gerdowning@btinternet.com
"I have been working with the above mentioned family for many
months trying to help them with their Homeless Persons' application to
Brent Council. The family consists of Mr and Mrs Counihan and their
5 children under 15 years. Mrs Counihan was born and bred in Brent,
Mr Counihan has lived there for over 20 years. The family have significant
health problems: Mrs Counihan is significantly disabled and the youngest
child suffers from autism. Mr Counihan works in Brent as a bus driver.
"In 2009 I assisted the family with their housing. Brent Council placed them in Priory Road NW6. The rent was £690 per week. The Counihans were responsible for £230 per week of this rent and Housing Benefit covered the balance. In January 2010 Mr Counihan inherited 9.5 acres of farmland in Ireland from his late father. The land is of poor quality and 4 acres of it is waterlogged most of the year. It has no planning permission and obtaining planning permission is not possible because of the inaccessibility of the parcel of land. The Counihans attempted to sell the land but failed, not least due to the dire economic situation in Ireland. They realised that all they could do with the land was rent it to a local farmer for grazing purposes.
"The land can support up to 20 cattle at a time. The going rate for
land such as this is 1200 Euros per year and the Counihans managed to
secure this sum. The Family immediately declared this extra income
to Housing Benefit and Working tax credits. This resulted in an increase
in their rental contributions and a reduction in their Working Tax
Credits. They also lost their entitlement to free school meals and
prescriptions. The family accepted these changes.
"In December 2011 they were contacted by the Housing Benefit
Department for a review of their circumstances, again they declared
their income from the land. This time however, they were told that as
they had capital (the land) they were not nor ever had been entitled to
housing benefit. Their benefit was immediately stopped and they were
given a bill for £69,000. (Later reduced to £46,000). Unable to pay a
rent of £690 per week on a bus driver's salary, the family became
homeless.
"We assisted the family in making a Homeless Person's application to
Brent Council in January 2012: Their application was the subject of
'Gatekeeping' and the family were directed to housing advice instead.
The advice given was to get a mortgage. This was of no help as on their
income and with 5 dependants, a mortgage was unobtainable.The family
were also incurring a debt of over £1600 per month in their unaffordable
accommodation. We assisted the family with an appeal against Housing
Benefit's decision.
"The Counihans received notice to quit their
accommodation by 27/04/12. We again assisted the family in making a
Homeless person's application. On this occasion, we had to accompany the
family to the Council to avoid a repeat of the previous 'Gatekeeping'.
We made it perfectly clear that any housing must be suitable and
therefore affordable. The housing department were made aware of the
Counihans' ineligibility for Housing Benefit. The Housing Department
nevertheless provided temporary housing for the family which was neither
suitable or affordable at a cost of £500 per week.
"Despite having all
the information necessary to make a decision on the family's housing
application, no decision is forthcoming. We believe the housing
department is awaiting a decision on the Housing Benefit appeal before
making their own decision in the hope that they can find the family
intentionally homeless. An Authority may not delay making a decision in
the hope or expectation of a change in circumstances such as might
reduce its duties (R V Ealing LBC Sidhu).
"Mr and Mrs Counihan have acted in good faith at all times and the
dire situation they find themselves in is not of their making. The
family are under considerable stress due to this appalling situation and
three of the children are receiving medical care as a result. Mrs
Counihan is suicidal and Mr Counihan is finding it very hard to cope."
We understand that Mrs Counihan is awaiting an urgent hip replacement at present, while every day she has to take her children to school in Kilburn from the family's accommodation in South Ealing.
Once again, if anyone is able to provide us with any advice on how to help the Counihan family, or is able to provide any help or advice themselves, please contact Gerry Downing on gerdowning@btinternet.com