80% of social housing lets in Limehurst will be for people who meet the WorkingXtra criteria, xtra being not very much.

After a submission from Regenda Homes Oldham Council has decided that for twelve months 80% of social housing lets in Limehurst will be for people who meet the WorkingXtra criteria which is: one person must either be working 16 hours or more per week, in training, be a carer in receipt of carers allowance or volunteering. Oldham Council’s idea of working xtra is frankly insulting to those working a traditional thirty five hours or above working week and should be called WorkingABit. This policy does little but maintain people’s reliance on housing benefit, Council Tax benefits & five figure annual tax credits payments, and carer’s because of circumstance should not be included in this group. Rose tinted rhetoric reflectionism by Oldham Council ignores the low-pay or no-pay inevitable WorkingXtra outcome which will mean a continuation of reliance on substantial benefits. Oldham Council’s forecast outcome is little more than a fairytale that bares no resemblance to the extremely limited economic or social benefit that can be acheived, they state “it is anticipated that an increase in the allocations to WorkingXtra households will help create more stable, balanced and sustainable neighbourhoods and self-reliant communities by attracting more potential applicants who can contribute to improving the quality of life for others living in the area. This in turn will make the neighbourhoods more economically active and increase popularity with potential customers.” WorkingXtra would have a more desirable outcome if preference was given to people working full time but there is no chance of Oldham’s socialists ever allowing that.