Councils are shelling out the cash to the Royal Family for the rent of hard-up tenants who rely on the payments just to keep a roof over their heads
Hard-up families struggling to cope with crippling rises in living
costs are already angry that private landlords rake in thousand of
pounds from housing benefits.
But many will be even more furious to learn Prince Charles and the Queen are also making money from hard-up tenants who rely on the payments just to keep a roof over their heads.
The pair receive tens of thousands of pounds a year in housing benefits that are paid by local authorities to landlords.
Charles’ Duchy of Cornwall Estate, which has an array of properties across the South West, raked in at least £163,000 from a string of councils providing cash to households.
And the Crown Estate, which gives the Queen 15% of its revenue, received at least £38,539 in housing benefit payments from just one town hall last year.
But the true figure of such payments received by the Duchy is likely to be higher as several councils said they were only able to provide amounts handed directly to landlords and not where the money was given first to the tenant.
Our revelations come a
day after we revealed Britain’s richest MP, Tory Richard Benyon, earned
thousands of pounds last year in housing benefits from his tenants. That’s despite him blasting the “something for nothing” welfare state.
GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny said tonight: “Things have come to a pretty pass when even the royals are acting as middle men and receiving benefits for their tenants.
“Why can they not just hand the houses to a housing association?”
Campaigners Defend Council Housing joined the growing call for a cap on the amount of housing benefit private landlords are allowed.
Spokeswoman Eileen Short said: “Prince Charles was brought up in the biggest council house in Britain, Buckingham Palace.
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But many will be even more furious to learn Prince Charles and the Queen are also making money from hard-up tenants who rely on the payments just to keep a roof over their heads.
The pair receive tens of thousands of pounds a year in housing benefits that are paid by local authorities to landlords.
Charles’ Duchy of Cornwall Estate, which has an array of properties across the South West, raked in at least £163,000 from a string of councils providing cash to households.
And the Crown Estate, which gives the Queen 15% of its revenue, received at least £38,539 in housing benefit payments from just one town hall last year.
But the true figure of such payments received by the Duchy is likely to be higher as several councils said they were only able to provide amounts handed directly to landlords and not where the money was given first to the tenant.
The estate, which is worth £847million and
exempt from tax, paid Charles £19million last year while the Queen is
worth £320million.
GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny said tonight: “Things have come to a pretty pass when even the royals are acting as middle men and receiving benefits for their tenants.
“Why can they not just hand the houses to a housing association?”
Campaigners Defend Council Housing joined the growing call for a cap on the amount of housing benefit private landlords are allowed.
Spokeswoman Eileen Short said: “Prince Charles was brought up in the biggest council house in Britain, Buckingham Palace.
Read more...
