hello, i am planning on getting me and my baby out of a bad situation in london and moving to dorset. the problem is, as we were left unexpectedly and traumatically, i haven't been able to work and am still breastfeeding on demand. i am thus unable to work for a few years and having to get housing benefit for the time being. i fear no letting agent will look at me. i am lucky enough to have the baby's godfather who says he will be guarantor of the rent. but i still have some questions.
- would letting agents agree to do their financial checks on him alone and leave me out of it, if he says he will always pay the rent. (he can't always pay the rent but he would be guarantor, and he would lend us 3 or 6 months rent to get started). then i will get housing benefit once i've moved in and paid 3 months up front or something.
- if they were to do a financial check on me aswell as my guarantor, would they see i have been on benefits for two years (and therefore probably turn me down)? i have been on the electoral roll for years. i haven't defaulted on rent or anything dodgy. but i haven't had credit cards or a mortgage or anything, which they like to see to prove you are a punctual payer.
- is a landlord likely to throw me out if i get housing benefit at a later date? some people seem to think that they are not insured for hb tenants. is this true?
so, i suppose these questions are for people who have moved home then applied for hb, and risked it. many many thanks. x