Council 'sacking over £1.2m home'

Advertisement

Pricey council home backlash

Three council officers claim they have been dismissed unfairly after a family was housed in £1.2m home.

Ealing Council has been paying £12,000-a-month in housing benefits for the family to live in the seven-bedroom house off in Acton, west London.

The rent is five times the market value and the council officers have said they were removed when news of the arrangements were reported last week.

The council said the staff were removed as part of a pre-planned restructuring.

Ealing Council said the Afghan family was placed in the privately-owned property as no other house of that size was available.

'Ultimate price'

Rent for a property of the size in that area would be between £2,000 to £2,500 a month.

But a new rule enables tenants and landlords to find out the maximum amount of housing allowance available before an agreement is reached.

David Lewis said he was stunned to be sacked

The Rent Service - an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - advised the council to pay the landlord £12,000 a month.

Salma Khan, Gemma Calliste and David Lewis claimed their sudden sacking was a result of the news being reported in the media.

Ms Khan said: "We are absolutely shocked.

"We just went to our desks to tie things up and then we had managers standing over us, and then we were escorted off the building."

Mr Lewis said: "I am just stunned and appalled by the way I, and my colleagues, have been treated.

"We have done nothing wrong other than to apply the rules set out for us by the DWP and we pay the ultimate price by being dismissed immediately."

A statement from Ealing council said: "The council had taken the decision to consolidate all work with private landlords.

"This meant that we ended the contract of three agency staff working on a temporary basis."