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Original poster

Housing Association Affordability Checks

65 replies

user666555 · 23/03/2024 14:10

Hello,

Long story short, in October my partner and I were made homeless when I was 6 months pregnant. We lived in a hotel for 6 weeks and then moved to a hostel (I had my baby early within a few days of moving to the hostel at 37 weeks).

We've been living in the hostel since November and we've finally been offered a place. However, they're going to do affordability checks. What does this entail? The housing officer asked us for my partners income details and our basic outgoings. The rent where we currently stay is £212 PW (including service charge of £5). My housing officer does know that it's been a real stretch paying this rent as my partner works and we are not entitled to benefits. However, she has been helpful and seemed optimistic about the offer. The rent for the new place is over £170 cheaper PM. I am employed but on maternity leave. Do not qualify for maternity leave so I get maternity allowance.

Do we stand a chance of being accepted? My partner works full time and we have a baby. Do they do credit checks as my credit score isn't the greatest?

OP posts:
TheNewDeer · 23/03/2024 14:24

if new place is lower
snd you e never defaulted on previous higher payments
you’ll be fine

TheNewDeer · 23/03/2024 14:25

stretch paying this rent as my partner works and we are not entitled to benefits

what salary is he on that you’re not entitled to benefits but you had to move into a hostel

TheNewDeer · 23/03/2024 14:26

people who earn enough not to be entitled to any benefits at all
and have a working partner as well

generally aren’t made homeless and have to move into a hostel with a new baby!

if you want advise op, best be honest

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Benefits
Original poster
user666555 · 23/03/2024 14:58

@TheNewDeer I don't want to go into specifics about why we were homeless but we were living with my partners family and had to leave as we were told to due to reasons I won't go into. We tried private renting prior to that but kept getting refused and the council has evidence of this. Most people that work full time and survive on one income aren't eligible for HB or UC but still don't earn enough to private rent. If we both had a full time income we could private rent but I don't qualify for maternity so we've been refused multiple times.

I've asked about the affordability checks for being offered a place, not whether or not I'm being honest about being homeless. Quite frankly it's been a horrible experience with a newborn baby and I don't know who would lie about it?

OP posts:
TheNewDeer · 23/03/2024 15:02

but he was working full time

and you were also employed

so dual income?

TheNewDeer · 23/03/2024 15:03

what is his salary?

what is your salary when not on maternity leave?

TheNewDeer · 23/03/2024 15:03

so neither work full time?

Original poster
user666555 · 23/03/2024 15:10

@TheNewDeer no. I was on sick leave. I had hypermisis throughout my pregnancy as well as heart issues and was told to go off sick by my manager as I was throwing up everywhere and unable to work. So was just getting SSP until I qualified for maternity allowance.

He works full time and earns around £1400. I get the standard maternity allowance rate which is around £340 something every two weeks. Have tried to private rent many times but no luck. Have tried to even go private via the help of the council and not had any luck.

OP posts:
Sweetheart7 · 23/03/2024 15:12

Are you in London? That's high per rent even for HA. I had to do this.. it wasn't a credit check. It was purely to look at my out goings and see if i could afford it. I knew I could but still found it a bit of a worry as I was desperate to get the house! It was nearly half the price of your rent though per week.

Does your partner earn enough to pay it all?

Believeinsomethingreal · 23/03/2024 15:13

If it’s cheaper than the current rent and you’ve never missed a payment there should be no issues good luck Flowers

Original poster
user666555 · 23/03/2024 15:17

@Sweetheart7 thank you for your response. He does earn enough to pay it all. The hostel rent wasn't for a London based hostel. It's for Manchester. It's atrocious as it's just a bed sit. There were times we fell behind with some of the rent payments and my housing officer tried to apply for HB on our behalf. We didn't qualify. The account isn't in arrears anymore though. But previously when we first moved here we did struggle a bit. X

My housing officer said that the place we have been offered is from a withheld list which they automatically offered to us. If suitable we HAVE to take it as we're classed as homeless. She said that she spoke to higher up management and said that we're struggling with the rent here and the rent of an actual place would be cheaper and they then offered this to us as we've been in TA for a while. Hope it makes sense? C

OP posts:
Sweetheart7 · 23/03/2024 15:23

Yes. Good luck! It was around 8 years ago and from what it sounds like to me that they just want to check to see if you can afford it. In fact my housing association went a bit over board and made out at the time like I would be able to claim HB if needed. My next door neighbours claim HB.

Good luck I hope you get it!

Sprinkles211 · 23/03/2024 15:25

My friend had an affordability check with her local ha and hers was to make sure she didn't earn enough for private rent? They also helped her set up benefits that she was entitled to and I think got her some moving costs through a charity.

Elleherd · 23/03/2024 15:39

You've said nothing to suggest you wont pass affordability checks, and hopefully will soon be living in a more secure home with more space.

One word of warning, everything on the withheld list here, (it may be different in Manchester) was a 'hard to let' for one or another reason. That's why it was withheld and only offered to those who just wanted any roof over their heads.

Our 'one and only' offer, was a dark basement flat but with ceilings lower than most of my lots heights. I went back in tears at the difficulties that would cause.
We were offered and I accepted instead, a self repair tenancy hard to let with difficult neighbors. It was in poor state but everyone could stand up straight in it.
I hope things work out well for you all.

Original poster
user666555 · 23/03/2024 19:15

@Elleherd thank you for your response.

Oh dear, I'm slightly worried now. We're going to have to take it regardless as my council's policy is that if you're in temporary accommodation you have to take your first offer. If you refuse it, you're taken off their list - which I guess is fair enough as beggars can't be choosers in our situation.

I did speak to the housing officer about the place and she said it's a two bed, kind of new build place. My husband went to look around the area and he saw an eviction notice board on the door. Whoever that lived there was evicted due to ASB. Apart from that don't know much about it. X

OP posts:
HauntedAlways · 23/03/2024 19:18

I was told it was just a formality, the wording scared me too.

They just asked income and that was it.

Elleherd · 23/03/2024 19:48

user666555 · 23/03/2024 19:15

@Elleherd thank you for your response.

Oh dear, I'm slightly worried now. We're going to have to take it regardless as my council's policy is that if you're in temporary accommodation you have to take your first offer. If you refuse it, you're taken off their list - which I guess is fair enough as beggars can't be choosers in our situation.

I did speak to the housing officer about the place and she said it's a two bed, kind of new build place. My husband went to look around the area and he saw an eviction notice board on the door. Whoever that lived there was evicted due to ASB. Apart from that don't know much about it. X

The situation of take 1st offer only or you're removed from the list was the same for me, but when it came to it and they could see there was a valid reason why what was offered was a disaster in the making, common sense prevailed.

If it's a 'kind of new build' that's hopefully a good start in terms of the structure.
If there is internal damage and you'd be unlikely to be on a self repair tenancy, so make sure you photograph everything that needs repair and send it immediately.
If the previous tenant has been kicked out for ASB, then the neighbors are likely to be pleased to find a normal couple with a baby moving in.

Don't be too worried, whatever the situation you will figure out how to make things work and to make it a nice home. You've both already managed all sorts.

Original poster
user666555 · 24/03/2024 12:39

@Elleherd I'm so sorry that you went through such a difficult experience. I guess I don't have high hopes for our situation either. But due to our situation I guess we'll have to make do, haven't seen the inside yet, just what we think might be the outside. But at this rate I'm willing to make it work unless there's major issues because I really want to be out of TA before my LO starts crawling as we stay in a bedsit where the bedroom and living room is one room which is also joined to the kitchen and it's just not very child friendly.

My housing officer (works today too) messaged saying our outgoings are more than our incomings and then messaged again saying she made a mistake and they're not. She then asked for further evidence (ID for myself, my daughter and OH and as was OH's wage slips - previously she had only asked for bank statements).

I just feel so anxious about the wait. Also feel anxious that we get refused based on the incorrect figures she first provided. She said she'll send them a corrected version. How long did your affordability check take?

Hope things are better for you guys now.

Thanks x

OP posts:
Original poster
user666555 · 24/03/2024 12:40

@HauntedAlways I agree the wording is scary. How long did your check take?x

OP posts:
HauntedAlways · 24/03/2024 12:57

user666555 · 24/03/2024 12:40

@HauntedAlways I agree the wording is scary. How long did your check take?x

It was just part of signing the tenancy.
Took 2 mins.

Original poster
user666555 · 24/03/2024 13:01

@HauntedAlways so there were no checks prior to you signing?

OP posts:
Elleherd · 24/03/2024 13:06

Nowadays people generally tend to have quite high expectations and can be a bit taken a back by what the reality sometimes is, but I think if you go in not expecting too much, then there's room to be pleasantly surprised.

Situation with us for affordability checks was a bit different because of it being a self repair tenancy and not recent, so unlikely to be useful to you. Friend recently - it took a few days, but that included ID checks, photocopying original documents etc.

The ID checks are a good sign you're moving forward in the system. How long it takes seems to be down to the person processing it, but the fact your housing officer has made a mistake may actually make them want to get you sorted out faster.

It's extremely unlikely that you would be refused on the incorrect figures, but if you were you can request a review, and there are all sorts of actions that can be taken, but worry about that if it becomes relevant, it really isn't that likely. I know telling you not to worry wont stop you, but try not to, the come down afterwards is awful!

RamblingFar · 24/03/2024 13:13

Mine was about 20 minutes by phone. They already had my income. They just asked monthly expenditure on food, clothing, debt, etc. They needed no proof of amounts.

Original poster
user666555 · 24/03/2024 13:34

@RamblingFar were in TA so we had to go down to the office (2 min walk - within the building) and she filled out the paperwork and said she'd send it off to the relevant department that deals with it. I asked is it likely or unlikely we'll get it and she said she can't say. But as mentioned in a previous post, she only just realised today that she made an error which made our outgoings look greater than our incomings. Feel so anxious!

OP posts:
HotChocWine · 24/03/2024 13:35

Sweetheart7 · 23/03/2024 15:12

Are you in London? That's high per rent even for HA. I had to do this.. it wasn't a credit check. It was purely to look at my out goings and see if i could afford it. I knew I could but still found it a bit of a worry as I was desperate to get the house! It was nearly half the price of your rent though per week.

Does your partner earn enough to pay it all?

It's really not high

My HA rent is going up to £212 per week in April