An Afghan mother and her family receive £170,000 a year in assorted benefits

An Afghan mother does not like the £1.2million house she and her family are living in for free — because it is too big to clean.

The Sun told yesterday how Toorpakai Saindi and her seven children were moved in by the local council — which is paying the £12,000-a-month rent.

Her grown-up son Jawad, 20, said he and his brothers and sisters felt like they had won the Lotto.

The house has seven bedrooms, two kitchens, a dining room, two large reception rooms and a 100ft garden. But Jawad said yesterday: “My mum has said she is not happy because the house is so big and she doesn’t like cleaning.”

But he added: “We are very lucky to live here. If someone gave you a lottery jackpot, would you leave it?” Including the rent, Toorpakai and her family receive £170,000 a year in assorted benefits.

Jawad said his mother is able to claim so much because all four boys and three girls are in full-time education and she is unemployed. The family arrived in Britain seven years ago after obtaining UK visas in Islamabad, Pakistan.

They lived in a number of properties before being made homeless and approaching Ealing Council.

They did not have one big enough on their books and so turned to a private landlord, Mr Panesar.

He fixed a price for his Acton property under the Local Housing Allowance rule — which the council checked with the Rent Service, an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions.

They then advised the council what they should pay. It turned out to be £12,458 a month — partly because under boundary changes implemented in April, Acton is lumped in with mega-rich Westminster.

Even Jawad, soon to start a business school course, thought the amount was a joke. He said: “It is a lot of money to pay and the landlord is the one who is really lucky. He must be getting rich.

“When I heard how much the council were paying I thought they were mad.

“I know about property and this house is not worth that much.”

Councillor Will Brooks, cabinet member for housing on Ealing Council, thanked The Sun for bringing the housing system under the spotlight.

He said: “The sums of money involved in this case will offend people’s feelings of fair play especially as so many are having difficulties paying bills at the moment.

“The story highlights the absurdities of the housing and benefit system.”


Original article here