Monday, December 23, 2013


Must not remind people to pay their rent

While most Christmas cards might have a pretty picture of a church in the snow, Santa on his sleigh or another suitable festive scene, the same can’t be said for this one sent out by council officials.

The ‘insulting’ card was sent to social housing tenants in 17,000 properties by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in West London, reminding them to avoid ‘overindulging’ and to pay their rent.

It shows a pound coin fizzing in a glass of water like a tablet, with a picture of holly and ivy - and the slogan ‘Don't overindulge this Christmas. Pay your rent!’.

The council also printed a message underneath the image saying ‘If you are having trouble paying your rent, we want to help', before including a telephone number with which to contact them.

But Tina Buckley, 43, who has lived in a council property with her 82-year-old mother Mary for 25 years, said the card made her angry because they have never been behind with their rent.

She told BBC London: ‘When we were young and there wasn't much money, she would pay her rent before she would feed us and clothe us and heat the house.

‘Keeping the roof over our head was more important than anything else so to get this disgusting, threatening piece of literature masquerading as a Christmas greeting, it's insulting.’

However, the council said the cards - which cost around £2,000 to produce - formed part of a ‘hard-hitting’ campaign that was required because 46 per cent of its tenants were in rent arrears.

SOURCE

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Clearly, if the council found it necessary to include that kind of message in the cards sent out, there must be a very good reason, that being, most of the parasites living off of the state are not paying their rent.

And, if they're anything like the welfare parasites in America, they resent being told they have to pay for (anything).

Anonymous said...

If people were held responsible by eviction when they don't pay their rent, reminders would not be necessary.

Anonymous said...

The card was offering to HELP people who get behind.
There was no threat in it at all

Anonymous said...

1:41pm, to parasites, even a request for them to pay their rent or other bills is seen as a threat, and offensive.

Anonymous said...

The card and message wasn't sent personally or only to that lady, and reflected on her neighbors, so she should consider the kind of neighborhood she lives in!