Almost half of Britons believe social housing tenants choose to claim benefits as a lifestyle choice
Date Published: 28 Sep 2014
Description
- Reality shows that the number of social rented households with someone in work has increased by over 150,000 since 1996
- But over half a million households are enduring in-work poverty, with a significant growth in part-time work and almost half on low pay
- Housing boss calls for policy to be based on facts not myths
Nearly half of Britons (45%) believe those on benefits are adopting the so-called ‘Benefit Street culture’ – choosing to claim benefits to get by – according to a new survey on behalf of leading affordable housing provider Circle Housing.
This view is predominantly held by people working in the private sector (52%), those aged 65 and over (50%) and the upper middle classes (AB socio-economic group) – typically doctors, managers and other white collar professionals (51%).
British adults are generally good at estimating the proportion of social housing tenants in work and unemployed. However, just one in three British adults correctly identify that the proportion of those living in social housing who are employed has increased in the last 15 year
- British adults are fairly knowledgeable about the proportion of people living in social housing who are currently in work, on average saying that a third (32%) are employed, compared to figures from the SMF which say that the actual proportions in 2012-13 were 34% for those living in housing association property and 33% for those living in local authority property.
- British adults are also able, on average, to accurately estimate the proportion of people living in social housing who are unemployed. On average, this proportion is estimated to be around the same as the proportion who are employed (33%), compared to figures from the SMF which say that the actual proportion was 34% for those living in housing association property and 37% for those living in local authority property in 2012-13.
ComRes interviewed 2,052 GB adults online between 12th and 14th September 2014. Data were weighted to be representative of all GB adults aged 18+.