THE head of a pressure group has given his backing to the increase in the earnings threshold for States tenants. Jake James, chairman of the States Tenants’ Advisory Group, said an increase was well overdue.

‘It’s a vast improvement but I still don’t think it’s as high as the Guernsey Housing Association’s limits.

‘For families, the increase seems to be the best and the one for couples seems to be quite reasonable.’

Housing minister Dave Jones said the increases did not mean that people had been moved out unfairly following recent tenancy reviews, because the department had reviewed the tenancies only of people whose incomes were considerably above the previous threshold.

However, Mr James said he knew of people who were still in States homes and earning more than the new limit.

‘I’ve spoken to some people who are still above the limit and they are taking away housing from people who are in desperate need for it. There’re still more than 100 on the waiting list.’

Mr James felt this was one issue the department had still to tackle, although he felt that on the whole they were doing a decent job.

‘I’m not 100 per cent against Housing. There are the odd cases here and there that we fight, but I think it’s only right that they make room for those who are desperately in need.

‘They are juggling with the stock they have got while upgrading so many properties at the same time.’

‘The only thing that concerns me is that there are people who are very close to retirement age and there’s no way they can get the money together to move into the private sector in the few years they have left working.’

Housing expects the new thresholds to mean more families and pensioners being able to join the waiting list for social rented housing.

NEW THRESHOLDS…

Housing has increased the weekly income limits for tenancies as follows:

* Single person: from £312 to £361

* Couple: from £412 to £524

* Family with dependent children: from £624 to £785