single moms on income support

[mommy2007]

hiya im a recent single mom on income support and my babys father is moaning at me because i am sleeping on my mothers sofa and baby is sleeping a travel cot, i agree with him the situation is not great but what else can i do i have applied for council and im on a waiting list and to private rent is too exspensive and i have tried to get a rented property but none will accept housing benefit so im stuck, my child father has offered despite us hating each other that he would put the rented property in his name so that me and my baby get a roof over our heads. which sounds great but will this be difficult getting housing benefit????????
he will not be living there.
i was working but got made redundant whilst on maternity leave.so now im claiming income support how will i survive???

[suezee]

yes it will be a bit difficult to get housing benefit it has to be in your name u see.have u looked through all the local papers for private accomodation, because there are ppl out there that do accept housing benefit, the council will sort out the bond for the tenancy and you can get a budgeting loan of up to 1500 pounds of income support{they take about ten pounds a week off ur money}, have u rang the cab

[mogs0]

I rent privately and get Housing Benefit. I looked for quite a while to find the flat I'm in at the mo. I viewed the flat then explained very honestly about my circumstances. Landlord was fine but wanted a guarantor. Do you have any references from previous landlords?

HB wouldn't pay if tenancy agreement is in someone elses name.

I have a feeling (but am not 100% sure) that letting agencies are not allowed to discriminate against people on HB. So if you signed an agreement then told them about the HB they shouldn't be able to stop you but please check this out first. When I was looking for flats I told a couple of agents that I'm on HB and a childminder and, to my face, they said this was fine but miraculously all the suitable flats had now been let!!!

If you, your baby and your Mum are ok with the way things are I'd stay put. I'm sure it's not ideal but it's probably a lot better than it could be.

Good luck!

[JoMa]

stay put, wait it out, check out local council statistics and register with the ones that have the best track record on housing. If you go into private you will then find it almost impossible to get a council/ha house later on.

Speak to your Health Visitor, get them to write to the council stating that you are sufferng stress because of your living arrangements, it will help your case.

I had to stay in the homeless house for 5 weeks but at the end of that time I moved into a lovely house in the village I grew up in, and almost 4 years later I am very happy here.

Also, there are mant legal implications to making you redundant whilst on Mat leave, have you spoken to a solicitor? I was given a very large payoff as it was not legal for them to make me redundant, I had to agree to leave.

I was on IS when ds1 was a baby, it's tough but yo manage. You have to.

[orangehead]

Have you tried housing associations more helpful than council, I could start a new thread on the council and they stupid points system but then I would be just getting on my soap box. Obviously dont know yr ex but think hard b4 getting in that situation of him renting the place. Perhaps try getting a doc note 4 council saying how living situation is stressful. good luck

[mommy2007]

thank you ladies, for your help. will let you know what happens. have decided not to let ex get the place, i dont want him having any sort of hold over me.