Sandwell prepares for the invasion of the Cockney benefit snatchers (From Halesowen News)

Sandwell prepares for the invasion of the Cockney benefit snatchers

10:37am Thursday 6th December 2012 in News By Adam Smith

Cheeky chappy Cockneys will love a Ruby Murray in Old Hill

COR Blimey, Guvnor, the Cockneys are coming to Sandwell and councillors are going ‘radio rental’ over the cost of the invasion.

A combination of high rents in London and the Government’s £26,000 benefit cap is set to create an exodus from the capital and authorities are already making plans to “dump” claimants in the West Midlands.

As well as the prospect of cockney rhyming slang and smell of jellied eels in
Blackheath market, Sandwell Council faces a huge bill when the Cockney geezers and their families arrive.

Finance chief Cllr Steve Elling told fellow councillors at Tuesday’s full council
meeting in Oldbury he is introducing a plan to safeguard Sandwell taxpayers by only offering council tax discounts to residentwhohave
livedin the borough for two years.

He said: “Due to the benefit cap, London authorities are dumping their residents all over the country.

“In Sandwell, we just cannot afford to cope with the influx of new people claiming the council tax discount which we will not get back from the Government.”

He added: “This is going to be a massive problem next year and this two-year residency clause in the council tax discount will put Londoners off coming to live in Sandwell.”

The move was supported at the council with the Sandwell Council Conservative group not contesting Cllr Elling plan to stopthe borough being overrun by Londoners.

Cllr Elling also announced the end of discounts for council tax for empty houses in Sandwell, a move which was called the “death tax” by Conservatives in Dudley last week.

Cllr Elling said: “It is a disgrace when so many people are desperate for housing that there are 5,000 empty properties in Sandwell, there will be a very small of properties empty due to death but not to go ahead due to that would not make financial sense.

“As it stands people are being rewarded for keeping houses empty at a cost to all other taxpayers and this has to stop.”