Haven’t paid rent in months!

Has your housing benefit been paid to you and you’ve spent it? You can ask it to go direct to landlord. Request that tomorrow.

I doubt anyone in the grips of addiction or mania would have the wherewithal to even care that they were in debt or bother making posts on MN.

Exactly. People who have addiction issues or in a manic bipolar cycle are not going to check their bank account after every purchase. It's easy for someone in a bipolar cycle to get into thousands of pounds of debts I'm a tiny period of time (my friend is bipolar and that's what happened to her, and it was caused by a tiny drop on her meds dosage) it's not an excuse but it can be a reason.

Sorry but I think the OP knew exactly what she was doing

It’s illegal for councils not to put a roof over the heads of the children. However that happens in whatever form, The council, if it’s classed as “intentional homelessness” have no obligation towards the adults. 🤷‍♀️

Hi OP. This thread seems to have been derailed a little bit, so wanted to add some practical advice, which has been said, but maybe missed.

1. contact LL and guarantor, if not done that already. Also council's have a homelessness team, contact them for advice.
2. contact a debt charity or service. When you have MH issues, even the smallest thing seems overwhelming, and they won't judge you.
3. speak to your GP or MH worker if you have one. It might be meds are needed/ adjusted/ further support is needed for yourself. Also, if your MH condition makes managing money harder, you could ask your GP or MH worker for a letter stating that, for debtors records. If you have MH issues, debt collection services SHOULD (but always don't, sadly) treat you as a vulnerable person. If you have a trusted family member or friend, ask for their help to manage your finances. Is there anything you bought you could sell to raise the rent money?

It's not ideal, but what's done is done, and trying to take back control and trying to fix your finances is the best way to go, not dwelling on what's happened. I hope everything works out.

Yet you could take legal action against landlords discriminating in this way. Also the law differs across the UK nations.

Being able to get away with something is a different matter to it being legal. I thank my lucky stars every day that I don’t have to rent. Working in homelessness is a real eye-opener.

I suspect that it is often the people with the most severe MH problems who don’t use it as an excuse for their behaviour. Some people unfortunately like to plead MH issues to explain their feckless decisions.

And yes, I do have severe MH issues myself so I understand how difficult life can be

If the OP is actually telling the truth then I would worry whether she is capable of looking after her children.

You can easily spend more than you realise

Not by several hundred pounds per month when you are already on a low income ....

But she didn't so what is the point of posting that unless your aim is to make the poor woman panic more/feel worse than she already is?

It is done. It cannot be undone. Pontificating about what OP spent the money is useless, it won't help OP, her kids, or her LL.

All that can happen now is a plan to move forward and prevent this from happening again eg getting the rent element paid to the LL directly, setting up an affordable payment plan if the LL is agreeable, and contacting CAB for budgeting advice. Plus some support for her MH issues if there isn't already something in place.

That is why they should put plans in place to ensure your rent is paid first and this is exactly what the OP should have done.

Just because you have mental health issues does not mean you take no responsibility over your own financial matters.

You can easily spend more than you realise when your mental illness involves avoidant behaviour such as not checking your account.

You can also spend more than you realise when prices rise significantly, which they have done. Maybe the OP kept the heat on?

Overall though, serious anxiety and other MH issues can result in a huge financial mess. Bills can go unpaid very easily.

Yes, this rings very true.

Silly response. MH doesn't just disappear if you have kids.

Priority bills come first.

I imagine the extra has been spent on a 1st December box, matching Xmas pjs and other unnecessary tat.

Make sure you have money coming in, roof over your head and the basics for the kids. That is not a joke

You can't afford too when your running a home and have children.

OP are you sure you've had nothing from the landlord? Do you open your post or is part of burying your head in the sand ignoring it?

I find it hard to believe you've spent all the rent money without noticing bit it's done now so no point dwelling on it.

I hope you cam get this resolved for the sake of your children but also for yourself

That sounds like a good scheme that also would be helpful for the tenants in learning new skills re budgeting.

It came with certain conditions, engaging with budgeting support, setting direct payment to landlord for future payments and some other bits and pieces, the idea being that nobody could then just run up arrears again and expect them to just be dealt with repeatedly.

So many councils are going bankrupt these days that they may not be able or willing to do it. It does make sense though if the debt is gradually clawed back.

There is no way that someone doesn't notice that the biggest bill they likely have hasn't been paid ....and for several months 🤔
Especially when monies already tight - where did she think the extra hundreds of pounds per month suddenly came from??

I’ve seen this done before but quite a few years ago now and via a housing department after an eviction notice had been received rather than through housing benefit but can’t remember what it was called. Presumably they’d had specific funding.

I agree, the only way that OP stands any chance is if she offers to pay back the money quickly.

I got into arrears with my landlord when I was 20 odd, and they wanted the arrears paid back ASAP.