Public funds not an immigration issue?

I emailed the Home Office, asking if someone who isn't entitled to public funds can apply for a discounted sale home from their City Council.

The reply I got back was that they couldn't respond because it's not an immigration issue, and that I should speak to an estate agent or mortgage adviser, and "some organisations may request a person
hold settled status/ILR before they purchase a property."

Huh? 

From the York City Council website:

"On large development sites the City of York council has negotiated some homes sold at a substantial discount off the open market price. The sale of these home is administered by housing associations. The buyer obtains a mortgage for the discounted price and does not pay rent on the remainder."

I emailed the Home Office, asking if someone who isn't entitled to public funds can apply for a discounted sale home from their City Council.

"Public funds" are defined in HC395.  Accomodation *provided* by a local authority is public funds.  Accomodation *purchased* from them is not.

Thanks Garry.

I'm just annoyed that they didn't give me a clear yes or no answer.

I'm just annoyed that they didn't give me a clear yes or no answer.

Probably because the person doing your correspondence didn't know, and couldn't be arsed to look it up.   

Probably because the person doing your correspondence didn't know, and couldn't be arsed to look it up.   

I thought so, too.

I think they probably gave the most straightforward answer they could -- some authorities and mortgage companies require a person to have ILR in order to make a purchase or take out a mortgage.  Whether or not you could would depend on the authority and/or bank in question.

I think they probably gave the most straightforward answer they could -- some authorities and mortgage companies require a person to have ILR in order to make a purchase or take out a mortgage.  Whether or not you could would depend on the authority and/or bank in question.

I wasn't asking that. I was asking whether I could legally stay in the country if I took advantage of the program, not whether I could get a mortgage. 

I hate when people  you a set answer without listening to your question.

I'm involved with customer research at work, so I'm particularly sensitive to this.

Sweetpeach, Do you know where these house they are selling discounted are?  We are looking to buy a house in York, and this might be a good thing for us to look at. 

I wasn't asking that. I was asking whether I could legally stay in the country if I took advantage of the program, not whether I could get a mortgage. 

I hate when people  you a set answer without listening to your question.

I'm involved with customer research at work, so I'm particularly sensitive to this.

I hate it when people don't read an entire response and just zero in on the part that niggles them and then make personal jibes at the respondent.

She wrote: 

some authorities require a person to have ILR in order to make a purchase . . . Whether or not you could would depend on the authority and/or bank in question.

The response wasn't just exclusive to mortgages.

The decision about whether or not to give someone a mortgage belongs to each particular bank and varies according to their appetite for risk in the home buyers market.  IND have nothing to do with it.  Banks, and how they take on risk,  is an issue regulated by the Financial Services Authority - a different kettle of fish entirely.

I hate it when people don't read an entire response and just zero in on the part that niggles them and then make personal jibes at the respondent.

I wasn't making personal jibes at anyone here - sorry if anyone took it that way; I was complaining about poor customer service. (Not a new issue on this board.)

Does "zero in on the part that niggles them" mean look for an answer to the question that they actually asked? 

Are you talking about buying a Housing Executive house on the co-ownership scheme?

Does "zero in on the part that niggles them" mean look for an answer to the question that they actually asked? 

Can we stay on topic please and keep these remarks/jibes to ourselves.

I emailed the Home Office, asking if someone who isn't entitled to public funds can apply for a discounted sale home from their City Council.

I read the question as, "Can someone who is not entitled to public funds apply for a discounted sale home from their City Council?" and perhaps the person at the Home Office read it the same way.  In which case, I stand by my above answer -- some authorties will allow it, some won't.  Along the same lines, some lenders will not lend to (or will require a substantial indemnity from) someone without ILR.

Overall, it's not a Home Office issue -- it needs to be addressed to the York Council and/or a mortgage lender.

It's a home office issue because the home office decides whether it is considered public funding. (Which is what I want to know. Obviously, a mortgage lender can refuse me a mortgage for any reason, not just my immigration status but credit, income, etc.)

Here is how it works:

The City Council negotiates to sell homes on large development sites at a discount. So you purchase them at much less than the market price. Therefore, in a way, the council is sort of giving you money. For example, if you buy a house for £100,000 that would sell for £200,000 on the open market, then you can interpret that as the council effectively having given you £100,000.

Which is why I was concerned that the Home Office might consider it public funding.

Persephone, if you're reading, I'll PM you the url from the York City Council website.

Stella Marie, York also has a co-ownership scheme, but this is something different.