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We’re scapegoats, say council staff sacked over £1.2m home for refugees
Danny Brierley and Kiran Randhawa09.10.08
Three council workers sacked after housing an Afghan family in a £1.2 million property say they have been made “scapegoats” and were simply following the rules.
David Lewis, Gemma Calliste and Salma Khan said they were marched from Ealing Town Hall after their housing department team was scrapped.
The employees — all on temporary contracts — said council bosses were furious after the story of how the taxpayer was footing the £12,000-a-month bill for the home in Acton was leaked.
Ms Calliste, 33, said: “We were summoned to the manager's office and he said you had instructions from above and the Rent Deposit Scheme was being scrapped with immediate effect so we were no longer required.
“As we are contractors they said we had to be escorted from the building there and then. We were treated like thieves. I think they were looking for scapegoats because it was embarrassing for the council and when they found out we were temps that was it.”
Mr Lewis, 37, said unemployed single mother Toorpakai Saindi and her seven children had been referred to them by the homeless persons unit.
They were then required to find a suitable seven-bedroom property from a private landlord within rent guidelines set by government agency Rent Services under rules introduced in April. Mr Lewis said: “We were just doing our job, but it's a stupid system. I thought £12,000 a month was a lot but it was agreed by Rent Services so it was OK.
“We have basically been sacked with no notice. We were about to get permanent contracts and all of that has been taken away from us.
“But we haven't done anything wrong. All we've done is apply the rules and find a property for a family in need.”
Mrs Saindi was put in the house with her four sons and three daughters after Ealing council said it did not have one big enough.
Will Brooks, the council's cabinet member for housing, said there were “very few seven-bedroom properties” available. As a result a private landlord was paid £12,458 a month in housing benefit, more than double the market rate. But in a matter of minutes the Standard found four similar homes, including one in the same street. The most expensive cost £4,500 a month, £7,500 less than it costs taxpayers now, and has eight bedrooms.
Another had period features, a large, well-kept garden with terrace, and gold taps in the main bathroom. It cost £3,400 a month.
When shown details of the home, Mrs Saindi's 20-year-old son Jawad said: “There is no driveway, I need somewhere to park my car.”
But when asked about one yards from their current home, he said: “It is huge. The lounge is a lot bigger and it looks nicer and has a driveway.”
The student said the family wanted to live somewhere that was less of a burden to the taxpayer: “We support what people say, but it is not just us involved. There are three parties — us, our landlord and the council. If the council allows it, we will move.”
In total Mrs Saindi, who fled Afghanistan seven years ago, gets £170,000 a year in benefits. She said she is not to blame. Mrs Saindi has already revealed she does not like the house because it is too big to clean.
Reader views (28)
Mark from Perth, why don't you donate your pay to the poor Afghan family and let them live in your house for free. After all there are numerous 'assylum seekers' in Australia who would benefit from your left wing champagne sipping socialism.
- K Ong, Brisbane Australia
So she doesn't actually get £170,000 a year in benefits, does she? She gets less than £20,000. Sneaky. Also, how long has she lived in the house, 1 month 2 months?
- Mark, Perth
The person doing the ripping off here is the landlord, Ajit Panesar. Under new regulations, the landlord is able to find out the maximum budget that the council is able to pay to house this family. It would appear that they have found this out, and are charging between 3 and 4 times the expected rent for such a property in that road. The council were of course stupid enough to pay the landlord this amount, however, faced with pushing the family onto the street, they may have had little choice. If they were good at their job and were good custodians of our money, they would have found an alternative. WIth this in mind, I'm glad Ealing Council sacked them, I pay a fortune in council tax to Ealing. It's not the Afghan family I resent, it's the greedy landlord and the dozzy council workers.
With respect to the family, the £333 pounds per week they receive doesn't go that far when you consider there is 8 of them. That's less than £6 per day for *everything*. - It's a lot better than having them live on the street / getting involved in crime or abuse or other.
- Chris H, Ealing, London, UK
As our anonymous commenter states, conditions in Afghanistan are perhaps not as favourable as those over here. In that case, in the spirit of his her comment, they may like to move their family into one room in order to make space for the thousands of homeless and under-accommodated people out there.
It's also gratifying to hear that Mel's friend is willing to settle for the three bedroom property that by law is what she is entitled to (unless she chooses to have another child). That's the British spirit!
What many people seem to have overlooked is that the reason that the rent was so high is that the landlord deliberately raised it to meet the maximum payable level of Local Housing Allowance.
- Paul Morrison, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
If the 'Ealing Three' haven't already spoken to an Employment Law solicitor, I suggest they do so as a matter of urgency.
- Mark, London, UK
It's absolutely ludricous that they happily give this family a 7 bedroom house, but my friend who has 2 girls aged 15 & 11 also a son of 14 live in a 2 bedroom flat with all the children in 1 room and is being told that she must change the lounge into a bedroom!!! Even though she'd prefer a 4 bedroom, she'd quite happily take a 3 bedroom anywhere in London!!! I'd prefer my taxes to go on people like her who really are in need!
- Mel, London
Why does this person need 7 bedrooms. Surely from the conditions they are hiding from 2 would suffice, one for the males and one for the females. The house opposite me which 4 females and 2 male afghans only has 3 bedrooms and along with all the visitors/hangers on for the free food and lodging they seem to manage in a little 3 up 2 down house. Bet this does not get published as it is a disgrace that these people are given priority over worthy Brits.
- Anon, UK
I'm sorry but I lost any sympathy when I read that the 20 year old son dismissed a cheaper home because of his car. Why isn't he out working to support the family, and how can he afford to run a car.
- Lee, London
Now I remember why I left UK to live in France!
- David Chown, bordeaux france
I grew up with a brother and two sisters in a 3 bed flat which we paid rent for, unfortunately all us kids had to share rooms until we left home.
Did I have a disadvantaged childhood? Perhaps I could get some compensation from this wonderful giving Nu Labour regime?
- Grg, Sydney
An article involving an AFGHAN family, thats AFGHAN and not English or Indian, is provided with luxury accomodation that most of us could only wish for and this family expect more, and I read comments about how we are racist, or its all our fault because we had an empire, or its a conspiracy to get three contractors a payoff. The only group missing from this farce are the tree huggers demanding the car be taken away and replaced with a push bike and the drive grassed over. Pathetic. Just how thick as a nation are we?
- Les, Essex, UK
Why can't some of her children share a bedroom like lots of families do? And since when can someone on benefits have a car, and demand a parking space at taxpayer expense?
- Karvictho, NYC
Does it say anywhere in that artcile that Ealing Council is Tory controlled? No I couldn't see it either!
Still bet its Ken's fault
- David, London UK
This family,like many others are totally oblivious to Britains financial problems.She probably thinks the credit crunch is a biscuit,bless her.
Still,good job there's people like us to help them out eh?
- Steve, London
Why isn't her 20 yr old son paying some sort of rent? Ludicrous, who on earth allows this to happen?
- Mark, London
While I agree the money paid to the private landlord is excessive to say the least, I can't help but feel that the whole article has a racist flavour ... " look at these people, they come here and rip us off .... " it's the council who should be penalised for dubious practices, not a single mother who applied for housing. After all, she isn't the one with the final say on whether a house is good enough for her or not. Shame on you, Danny Brierly, for your veiled use of words and innuendo.
- Nickie, LOndon
Why after seven years is Toorpakai Saindi not working. And how can her 20 year old son afford car, my son is working and he can't afford to run a car and pay his bills. What is going wrong with thw system.
- D Ward, London
David Lewis, 37, a team manager in the housing department, said he and two colleagues were marched from their offices. "We have done nothing wrong," he added. "All we did was apply the rules and find a property for a family in need."
JUST ABOUT SUMS UP THE AVERAGE COUNCIL WORKERS MENTALITY, NO THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX WHATSOVEVER, NO COMMON SENSE AS LONG AS "ITS WITHIN GUID LINES"
- P I Staker, london
This country is insane. If I really wanted that many children I'd expect to make do with 3 bedroom and lots of bunk beds, and/or a sofa bed. That is what the honest working people manage with.
So give her that option, or 2 council flats in a tower that are next door to each other.
I despite this benefits culture. I have spent almost 10 years saving for a house and mortgage and would not dream of having children until I can afford them. Am I wrong to feel this unfair?
- Stephen, London
My 2 nieces (17 and 21) were recently evicted form a flat in Ealing through no fault of there own.
The oldest girl has a 1 year old and is 7 months pregnant has been told by Ealing housing that she has "no recognised housing need" and is currently in 1 room and has to share a bathroom.
They are saying that she might not get any help and be evicted from her room at any time.
Why do we get treated this way?? We are in a 2 bedroom flat with a 10 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. If the rules applied to us surely we would be i a 3 bedroom house!
I know people in Ealing who cannot get a bigger place to live because their son is 18. The mother has to share a room with her teenage daughter.
I guess the rules are different if you are not English.
- Maria Ashe, Ealing, England
How come the son aged 20 is having to be paid for on our taxes? Can he not be encouraged to get a job and pay his own way? Providing him with a parking space is only encouraging him not to leave home.
- Jilly, London, London
Make no mistake, this was exactl;y the intention of the Council. The three sacked staff will take their case to an employment tribunal, obtain reinstatement and be awarded compensation. Such is employment legislation.
- Peter Haldane, London
before we complain about how we treat those that need help, especially those from India, we must all remember that the terrace houses that we so bitterly deny them their comfort was firstly built from money that UK acquired from colonising India for at least 250 years. We should say to that Indian family: thank you for helping us in the past for building up our NHS for us, for building our homes for us, for helping us start the industrial revolution with all your resourses. It is now pay back time, so be comfy my brothers and sisters from India. We might have to invade you another day when our money runs out and everything around us collapse's once again. So until that day comes please be comfy in the 7 bedroom house that you help build.
- Mr. Boludo, london
Why exactly do they need so many bedrooms? I know a couple who brought up eight children in a 4 bedroomed house. They never received a penny in benefits apart from the normal child benefits. Neither are they rich - he works as a teacher and she has had various part time jobs. Her son seems old enough to help with the cleaning or does he lack the work ethic?
- Michael, London
If Ealing council is willing to "... do anything in our power to lower the burden to the taxpayer," then why didn't they do this in the first instance instead of waiting till the Standard pointed out this monstrous situation? and where is the father of this brood skulking around......
- Chris, london
Why on earth do they need seven bedrooms anyway? Plenty of kids have to share bedrooms!
- Anon, London, UK
Why does she need such a large house. I am sure that there are plenty of families where the children of the same sex happily share a bedroom. I doubt very much that the council does not allow same sex children to share a room as I know a number of council tenant families where the children are 2 or 3 to a room!!
- Fi, london
and here sits I, working, knowing my taxes are keeping her and her family - whose helping me pay my bills. No one because I've got a job!!!!!!!!!!! This is now the final straw for me, now I know the country has gone to the dogs....
- Chrissie, London
