Plans by Conservative controlled Tendring District Council to prevent residents who have been unemployed for more than 12 months from obtaining a council house have been slammed as either ill conceived or cruel by TDC’s Labour group.
The proposal, announced by Housing Portfolio Holder, Paul Honeywood, as a TDC initiative under the Localism Bill, would result in support being removed from residents when they are most in need of it.
Cllr Ivan Henderson says “Someone may have lived here all their life, worked all their life and then be made redundant. If they try to hang on to their home and fail after 12 months they would be left without support by this cruel policy. It is totally unacceptable.”
Labour councillors believe that the ever growing unemployment rate means that local residents are increasingly vulnerable to being made redundant and it is often a year or so before the ultimate tragedy of having their home repossessed occurs. Someone who has worked all their life and lost their job through no fault of their own deserves better from the council than Cllr Honeywood’s heartless proposal.
“Either Cllr Honeywood has not thought this through or he is being remarkably heartless,” continued Ivan Henderson. “The hard working people of Tendring deserve protection under such circumstances and the council should be there for them.”
For further information please contact
Ivan Henderson on 07889 367822