Housing Association Affordability Checks

[user666555]

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?

You'll be fine. I got a place when I had no job and was fully reliant on benefits.

Different councils and HA's do different checks, different ways, and in different timescales.

The one they all have to do nowadays, is the 'right to rent' check.The 2014 Immigration Act made it a legal requirement for landlords to check the immigration status of potential new residents before they rent a property to them, so you have to be able to prove your identity or the landlord can be fined.

Most do affordability checks because they don't want to later be accused of setting a tenant up to fail by offering them something they can't really afford that they take from desperation. Some because they believe it sets up a good tenancy.

Anecdotally some are really officious and insist the rent must not be more than X% of your income, some want you to show that you think about your budget by asking what you spend on what, some just want to hear it's less or the same of what you're currently paying, others assume anyone in difficulties will get HB so barely check anything.

IMO they will look at it and query why the HO sent it over if the outgoings are clearly greater than the in coming's, and ask her.
HO's never say if you might or might not get it because they don't want to deal with unhappy outcomes.

I am London, and anything circa £212pw for a flat would be amazing!

Very odd for you not to be eligible for Universal credit on those wages especially given high rent although I think if your current hostel is classed as emergency accommodation you would need to claim Housing benefit rather than rent element of universal credit. I would double check entitlement.

£212 is for a studio/bedsit. Not a flat x

@Babyroobs DH's income can fluctuate, can sometimes be a bit more. He's on a self employed contract. Only became self employed in November. X

@Elleherd thank you. You've been really helpful on this thread. Ah that makes sense. I guess she can't say. I feel as though the days are passing by so slowly as im so anxious because I just want somewhere more secure for our baby. I know it won't change the outcome but I just c ant help it 🙈 xx

are you and / or your partner in a lot of debt ok?

i’m baffled that on another thread you say you spend £100 on groceries

and yet you’re in a homeless hostel

😕

A family member had to have one of these checks for a HA last month.
She provided 3 months worth of bank statements and the HA did their checks which included a benefit calculator.

She got the answer in 2 hours. They are just checking that after paying the rent on that place that you can still afford to live.

You should be fine. Housing association affordability checks are more about checking if you have big debts or benefit restrictions (eg lots of kids and affected by the benefit cap). If you've one of you working, and are current affording a much higher rent, you should be fine. They're not all like the checks that private letting agents do with strict income/rent ratios.

I'm baffled you've gone and searched the op

Is she supposed to starve?

@TheNewDeer quite frankly I won't be replying to anymore of your posts on this thread. You're sticking your nose in where it's not needed. Just because you live in a hostel it doesn't mean you have no money for grocery shopping. How else are you meant to eat if you don't do shopping? There are other circumstances (domestic abuse, relationship breakdown, etc) that result in someone becoming homeless. Regardless, feel free to keep commenting as I won't be replying to your unhelpful comments. The others have actually been helpful.

The last thing a new mum who is living in TA with a new-ish baby needs is to explain herself to someone like you.

@Sk8erboi thank you. Hopefully find out sooner rather than later.

I think what I'm gathering from the responses is that the checks are to check that you have enough money leftover after paying rent to survive. Like others have mentioned hopefully we should be fine as the rent we're paying now is currently more

a couple
in a homeless hostel
spending £100 on groceries a week (as a minimum apparently)

you seriously don’t think that’s a bit… odd?

i was on the thread

because the op said she never got grocery bill below £100

and i thought… and only a couple?!

will happily bow out and hide thread

@Fireyflies great thank you. Yes, private renting can be brutal. Hopefully this isn't as bad and we get somewhere!

I'm baffled as to why you keep making stupid comments.

Do you understand the difference between emergency hostel accommodation for families (possibly with a fluctuating income) and homeless hostels for vulnerable people already on the street?

They do if a private landlord has thrown them out

@TheNewDeer you've clearly gone and searched me up and found that thread.

FYI I'm talking about an Aldi/Asda shop in that thread and that includes nappies/wipes/baby toiletries etc, not that I need to explain myself to you.

Regardless, you're giving me creepy stalker vibes so it would be lovely if you'd unfollow this thread. Thanks

Don’t explain yourself. @TheNewDeer is posting goady stuff all over MN