Views sought on council tax benefit changes

Re Peter Lewis--that is whyn measures need to be take so as to dissuade second home purchasers and for those that can still afford to do so, to tax so that revenue can be raised to provide social housing..
at present the system rewards sec. home owners.

This second home thing is interesting and probably not as clear cut as people think. If you were selling a property you inherited, for example, and recieved two firm offers. One from a local , young , family seeking a home and another from someone who wants it as a second home. There is a very difference betweem the two offer s, the second home offer is 40% higher , but at the asking price. Can the majority of people complaining about second homes honestly say they would sell to the young couples lower offer ? If yes, then why does this not seem to be happening?

Robert Smith in common with many others , views property as an investment for the future. Q1 who pays for the so called proft?
Q2 what growth in the econmy does the property generate?
Q3 how does a housing shortage reduce? Fiscal measures are, therefore, necesasry to change the mindset of our society

Not this old chestnut again!
@peter williams, so you have friends who live in what was a vibrant village, which is now a ghost town with most of shops closed and you blame that on "incomers" who bought "second homes".
Well my friend SOMEONE must have SOLD them the houses in the first place.
Now who do you suppose that must have been?
Could it have been the village residents?
I think it just might have been don't you?

i tend to agree with Robert, i have friends in Cornwall who live in what was once a vibrant village and is now a ghost town for most of the year with the school and most of the shops closed.
the cause was simple, incomers bought second homes and drove up the prices of all properties to the point where locals could not afford to buy then only come down on holiday and instead of supporting local shops they use the supermarket so over a period of 15 years the village is destroyed, Mr smith where is the benefit to the local community that you provide?

REF Robert Drover. You are missing the point US instead of being robbed by the pension companies I brought a 2nd home for me to retire to when I get older. You can ONLY get 2nd home discount if you use it for your OWN use. SO I can only use mine for 10 wks a year when Im spending money ON THE island . So that means for me, thats for 42-wks when its empty BUT IM STILL paying council tax as if Im live there 52-wks. SO IT SHOULD be me asking for a bigger discount as Im not using services BUT IM STILL paying for them. Iv only a few more years before I retire BUT IF they get rid of the 2nd home discount might just sell up. SO JUST think if ONLY half of us with 2nd home put them on the market WHAT would YOUR property be worth, and how many would loose their jobs without us guaranteed coming t

If 6 out of the 11 people who take part in this consultation agree they are right. They will say the majority of residents agree with the changes.

this cut is because CT tax base does not raise sufficient revenue. instead increase tax on second homes (a grotesque luxury) so as to help counter the immense damage done to the majority, by way of inflation in the housing market.what is so bad about staying in a hotel

if those that really need it still get it thats great. the rest will have to find work

The council wants to make sure there benifit fraud office is working right, so the people who need the help get it and the wasters get found out and PROSECUTED, and not just a slap on the wrist as thats no DETERRENT.

Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.