The Sun, By STAFF REPORTER, April 21, 2011
AN Ethiopian family of 12 have been handed a huge London home — at a cost to the taxpayer of £1,500-a-week.
The couple and their TEN kids — believed to be asylum seekers who arrived in the UK just two months ago — are receiving a staggering £1,460-a-week in housing benefit from cash-strapped Tower Hamlets Council.
If they remain in the vast £5,800-a-month East End property for 12 months they will cost hardworking Brits a mammoth £76,000.
The astonishing cost to the taxpayers' purse emerged as the benefits bill for just ONE YEAR in Tower Hamlets - Britain's poorest borough - was revealed to have hit a giant £223MILLION.
City analysts said a family would normally need to take home around £230,000 a year before tax to afford to live in the plush pad — putting them in the nation's top one per cent of wage earners.
That would leave them rubbing shoulders with football stars and top banking directors — and earning way above Prime Minister David Cameron's paltry £142,000.
According to the council's housing benefits claims department the family of 12 received a weekly sum of £1,462.90 on March 4.
That is on top of any other benefits such as unemployment and child allowances.
Another nine families in the borough got between £613 and £590 that week, it was revealed
Incensed Tower Hamlets Opposition leader Peter Golds stormed last night: "Paying a yearly rate of £76,000 for one family shows the ludicrous public money being paid to put people into expensive housing."
The top Tory added: "It is utterly, utterly ridiculous what sort of properties the council must be housing these families in."
The last annual figures available show ten families received between £20,600 and £38,300 in housing support for the year 2008-09.
The year before was even higher, with ten families pocketing between £30,500 and £58,000.
The housing benefit bill for privately-rented accommodation in 2008-09 hit almost £121million, another £38million was spent on public housing, plus £34million on emergency homeless shelters and £30million on council tax allowance — adding up to a staggering £223million.
The system was overhauled by George Osborne after Afghan asylum seeker Toorpakai Saiedi and her family were revealed to have been put up in a £1.2million house in Acton, West London, in 2008.
The Chancellor imposed caps on housing benefit of £400 a week for a four-bedroom property and £250 a week for a two- bedroom home in his 2010 budget.
The housing benefit authority refused to comment on the family claiming £1,460-a-week.
A spokesman said: "We ensure all claims are processed in line with current guidance.
"Benefits capping began on April 1 for all new claimants.
"Those already getting above £20,000 are being given up to nine months to adjust to the new reality."
But the Department of Work & Pensions says housing benefit has been out of control.
A spokesman said: "We can't justify having welfare families in wealthy properties in expensive areas which hard-working families can't afford we have to be fair.
"People on benefits have to make the same choices as the rest of the population."
The Government spent a stunning £200billion on social security and tax credits in the last 12 months and nearly 13 per cent of Britain's working-age population are on benefits.
AN Ethiopian family of 12 have been handed a huge London home — at a cost to the taxpayer of £1,500-a-week.
The couple and their TEN kids — believed to be asylum seekers who arrived in the UK just two months ago — are receiving a staggering £1,460-a-week in housing benefit from cash-strapped Tower Hamlets Council.
If they remain in the vast £5,800-a-month East End property for 12 months they will cost hardworking Brits a mammoth £76,000.
The astonishing cost to the taxpayers' purse emerged as the benefits bill for just ONE YEAR in Tower Hamlets - Britain's poorest borough - was revealed to have hit a giant £223MILLION.
City analysts said a family would normally need to take home around £230,000 a year before tax to afford to live in the plush pad — putting them in the nation's top one per cent of wage earners.
That would leave them rubbing shoulders with football stars and top banking directors — and earning way above Prime Minister David Cameron's paltry £142,000.
According to the council's housing benefits claims department the family of 12 received a weekly sum of £1,462.90 on March 4.
That is on top of any other benefits such as unemployment and child allowances.
Another nine families in the borough got between £613 and £590 that week, it was revealed
Incensed Tower Hamlets Opposition leader Peter Golds stormed last night: "Paying a yearly rate of £76,000 for one family shows the ludicrous public money being paid to put people into expensive housing."
The top Tory added: "It is utterly, utterly ridiculous what sort of properties the council must be housing these families in."
The last annual figures available show ten families received between £20,600 and £38,300 in housing support for the year 2008-09.
The year before was even higher, with ten families pocketing between £30,500 and £58,000.
The housing benefit bill for privately-rented accommodation in 2008-09 hit almost £121million, another £38million was spent on public housing, plus £34million on emergency homeless shelters and £30million on council tax allowance — adding up to a staggering £223million.
The system was overhauled by George Osborne after Afghan asylum seeker Toorpakai Saiedi and her family were revealed to have been put up in a £1.2million house in Acton, West London, in 2008.
The Chancellor imposed caps on housing benefit of £400 a week for a four-bedroom property and £250 a week for a two- bedroom home in his 2010 budget.
The housing benefit authority refused to comment on the family claiming £1,460-a-week.
A spokesman said: "We ensure all claims are processed in line with current guidance.
"Benefits capping began on April 1 for all new claimants.
"Those already getting above £20,000 are being given up to nine months to adjust to the new reality."
But the Department of Work & Pensions says housing benefit has been out of control.
A spokesman said: "We can't justify having welfare families in wealthy properties in expensive areas which hard-working families can't afford we have to be fair.
"People on benefits have to make the same choices as the rest of the population."
The Government spent a stunning £200billion on social security and tax credits in the last 12 months and nearly 13 per cent of Britain's working-age population are on benefits.
1 comment:
I am not familiar with European welfare system, but it is interesting and encouraging people to come to UK. Addiction of European welfare is not only in Ethiopian immigrant but also the whole nation of Modern Ethiopian; I am really shocked 10 kids???? I am sure their is some kind of trick here. Let’s be honest, who would be motivated to purchase or to rent house if there is new free one? I am wasting my time here in USA better move to their… loool free house
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