Homeless with son. Should I live in a tent? Or on a beach somewhere?

[SwimmingClose]

I live in the south of England.

I have one child.

I have a serious chronic illness.

I cannot afford to top-up my housing benefit any more. After one year, my savings are now gone.

I worked for 25 years. My parents worked all their lives.

I will be homeless.

Its seemingly impossible to find a Landlord, Social Housing, etc without a Guarantor. I cannot find anyone unless I have a rent 'Guarantor' (which I don't have).

Any thoughts? Just don't know what to do.

Feel weird about it all too. Not sure what to do. Should I live in a tent, etc? Feel very marginalised and strange situation, horrible really.

Aga

The OP will accuse you of living on another planet if you do not agree with her or ask any questions.

OP you clearly do not want the advice offered by anyone who has posted so far even from those who have first hand experience/knowledge. I hope somebody comes along soon who will tell you whatever it is you want to hear.

You do have options though op, other than a tent!
Ring the council, explain the situation and ask what they can do. ask if they have a bond scheme like those we have mentioned. Are you on the council list for your area? If not, join it.
Ring shelter, they have helped many of my friends.
Ring the CAB.

Are you on full housing benefit (lha as its now called?) Why is the shortfall so much? (sorry if that's a stupid question, I live in the SE and get all of my rent covered)

Swimming no one is saying you have not paid rent or are in council accomodation. We're trying to help you with what might happen.

If you are facing homelessness you can get emergency council accommodation for you and your DCs, but only if you tick the right boxes. For that tp happen you need to be evicted by your landlord (officially, using section 21) but not for non-payment of rent. How to be evicted is don't renew the lease but don't leave and then ask your LL to evict you. However if you stop paying rent (as you have said you must) then that could be a problem as your LL can say they're evicting you for rent arrears at that point. That is why people are mentioning non-payment, so you don't fall into the trap of making yourself "intentionally homeless" in the eyes of the council.

Yes, making your LL evict you is shitty, but not as shitty as making your DCs homeless out of misplaced loyalty to your LL. And I say that as a LL who had to evict a friend ad I needed my house back to sell it. Council told her to stay put, so we had to go through the eviction process. Put a big strain on our friendship.

If you do go the eviction route (and you must if no other option IMO) the make sure you take advice from Shekter and do exactly what they say, if they say you need to keep paying your LL rent then do so. Tell your LL ASAP you need to be evicted - do it as soon as an agency or the council has advised this, and explain exactly why you have no real choice.

I understand, you are not in a position to renew your lease. However, if you leave voluntarily without your landlord evicting you. The local authority will have no responsibility to rehouse you. All you need is a letter asking you to leave from your landlord and your LA will put you in temporary accommodation immediately.

Well if this is yet another thread that the OP gets loads of good advice but won't list to anyone, whilst being rude to people, it's clearly time for bed.

Good luck Op, I think you might need it.

I work with a lot of people who are homeless. You have a child and you have a serious disability. You will have a good case to get permenant council accommodation quickly. Until then they will have a duty to house you somewhere temporarily. But they won't if by their rules you have made yourself intentionally homeless.

Their rules make little sense to most logical people. I've known people considered not homeless because they are currently in hospital and therefore 'have a roof over their head'. They only manage to get help on the day of discharge. It makes no sense.

You need good advice that shelter can provide.

I don't live in an expensive part of the country, minimal social housing ~(any suggestions though welcome to receive, we could move there??).

I don't think poo-poo attitude to advice either, just more that the reality is VERY REALISTIC.

Will leave it there, maybe ring Shelter, for their toothless, and probably illegal advice "get evicted". heyho.

Go see the council tomorrow. The housing officers are usually very helpful.

How is it you don't live in an expensive part of the country if you are paying +£300 on your HB?

I was about to ask the same thing aga

but you said you live in the south of england? i would have thought that was relatively expensive.
if you want to move into social housing you have to go to the council and fill in a form
and shelter do not give illegal advice, in fact being evicted would be a result for you at the moment.
actually you sound a bit drunk and negative, forgive me if i am wrong.

I am NOT going to make my landlord evict me. I just feel its immoral.

Thanks for your help though.

Blue and Green, you tried . Will think about your advice, thanks.

I am not trying to be negative, but I guess it comes across that way. People here don't know my circumstances. However, if you were in my situation you might not feel so chipper.

ok be a heroic martyr fine, go and live in a tent with your son and your chronic illness. have fun.
and by the way I am in your situation!

OP I don't think you're reading the replies properly - probably because you are tired and poorly and desperate

What people are saying is that the council housing rules arent fair in this situation, and you have to be very careful that you don't by accident get yourself classed as having made yourself 'intentionally homeless'

So, moving out at the end of the contract because you can't pay the rent is really not a good idea, as you will be classed as making yourself intentionally homeless.

I know it's not right and you don't want anyone to be out of pocket... And I'm sure there are ways round this, but the most obvious thing (to move out) is not one of those ways.

Now, practically:

• are you known to the council as a disabled / chronically ill person? Ie have you had carers in the past? Or an assessment?
• do you get dla?
• do you get disability / sickness benefits for not being able to work? (sorry can't remember the name, I'm tired too!)
• are you on the housing register? As a disabled person?

The reason I'm asking all this is that any of these things helps give the picture of your need to the council.

You need to fill in a housing form BUT because you are chronically ill and in danger of becoming homeless, and you have a child... You need to talk to adult social services too.

To get evidence of this awful situation you're in, you'll need a letter/ support from adult social services and/ or your gp to explain how ill you are, any special needs for your living (eg no steps, somewhere to store wheelchair/ equipment etc) and the occupational health person in adult ss will help assess this with you. This evidence, plus your imminent homelessness will get you put as a priority for housing.

In my area, if you're disabled and in an unsuitable home, you are immediately classed as band B, if you become homeless you'll get raised to an A, which is the highest priority. They will house you in a hostel or somewhere as an emergency but it's likely to be unsuitable for you depending on your illness. So they'll be looking to get you into better housing urgently, and adult ss should help with things like carers and help packing if they've assessed you as needing this.

So here's an action plan (in my opinion so not The Law!):

1. Get advice on current housing situation (ie to avoid making yourself unintentionally homeless by accident)
2. Phone housing department and ask them for help. Emphasis your chronic illness and your child. Ask them to help you get to see adult social services for an urgent assessment. They may not be able to do that, which takes you onto step 3.
3. Get appointment with GP, tell them your not coping, you're likely to become homeless and you are ill. Ask them to refer you urgently to adult social services (they can do this). Also ask for a letter to support your housing claim on the basis of your illness, ask them to include the effect of homelessness and temporary accommodation on your illness and ability to function.
4. Tell adult social services very honestly about all the problems you have. They will need to do a thorough assessment of your needs. They may suggest alot of different stuff but the main thing you need them to do is help you work out your needs in your next accomodation and the OH will wrote to support your housing application.
5. Either via the housing service OR adult ss, you may be directed to a charity/ trust/ outside agency will helps disabled people fill in their housing forms and deal with the process.

I know it looks like loads to do but you need to start on it, as everything is so slow and you don't have time to waste.

I'm sorry this is happening

SwimmingClose actually I know where you are coming from. It's understandable to want to regain a sense of control rather than live on the edge, dancing to someone else's tune. This thread will hopefully allow you to let off steam and fight the fight tomorrow.

I'm sure you don't want to live in a tent, but when you can't see an alternative, your mind craves the freedom of any solution, however unpalatable.

Really hope tomorrow is brighter and you get some good and reassuring advice from the professionals.

How long have you been in the property? Were you served with a s21 notice, requiring the property to be returned, when you moved in, or since?

According to s149 of the Localism Act:

"an applicant in respect of whom a valid notice under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 has been given is to be treated as threatened with homelessness from the date on which that notice is given."

In other words, and you should seek advice from your council on this, if such a notice has been issued, and it is in IME, routine that they are, then legally you are 'homeless' on the date that it expires.

The XX

You must come from the same planet as me

XX I don't think this winter has been particularly cold.

bit damp though.

Funny foot Howdy neighbour.

Aga I spent most of 2012 in Zimbabwe and 3 months of 2013 in Tanzania so maybe my viewpoint is skewed.

Some nasty responses, vile, unbelieveable scummy response, crème de la crème MN. And knowing neither of us, or our circumstances. Wishing an awful situation on my son and myself, I think what true scum you must be (Xx and others). I suppose you do it for sport though. I really think MN AIBU is full of such people. Poor fool me for posting here.

swimming several people have given you the same advice. Why do you think that is?

I am going to ask MN HQ to delete this thread, don't need the abuse feeling like this.

At what point did anyone wish a nasty experience on you or your son?
You have had countless replies full of advice.

I asked 3 simple questions regarding what kind of RL support you have and you accused me of coming from a different planet and leading a comfortable life!

Read your own thread OP.

step away from the bottle swimming