Housing Benefit suspended:pay rent or do Christmas - can't do both!

[NoMoneyMona]

I had to put in a claim for top up housing benefit as my job contract ended in October. DH works full time but rent is very high (£1200 for a 3 bed) and we have 3 DC.

I have been unable to find another job despite applying for at least 2/3 most days, as many want weekend workers/evenings, and DH works weekends/eves anyway so we would have no childcare.

HB started paying about 3 weeks later and shortly after that they sent a letter asking for more evidence and gave me a month to supply it. Part of the evidence requested was a new child tax credit award showing the new award since I stopped working as amount would increase. I still did not have a new award by the time the month was up (and I forgot to chase them) so I contacted HB the day after the month was up to explain.

They stated, quite correctly I agree, that I should have contacted them within the month they gave so they could give me more time and as I did not contact them, they had suspended my HB and it would 3/4 weeks to reinstate it. The next day, I got the award notice and took it in to them but they insisted that I would be at the back of the 'queue' and they may not get to my claim before Christmas so I may have to wait until January as they close from the 24th Dec to 4th Jan.

That was 3 weeks ago. We have not had any payments since 23rd November. DH got paid today and if we use that for rent next week (and direct debits, normal food), we will not have a penny left. I will have £50 in tax credits to come as well which will not cover many extras. I have not bought anything for DC as I kept putting if off hoping for the claim to be reinstated. When I rang today, they said I would be unlikely to get any money before the 11th January! We have no access to credit.

WWYD? Would I be unreasonable to keep back about half of the rent and pay the rest when the HB restarts which will cover the shortfall?

Years ago when my DC's were 11 & 9 my DH had an accident at work and only got sick pay which was a quarter of his wages so we used that and savings, no we didn't have a lot, to pay the bills and lived on child benefit. It was at the beginning of the 6 weeks holiday and DH couldn't drive not that we could afford petrol and we didn't receive any money until he went back to work 8 weeks later so everything we did had to be free, like picnic's in the local park, if it rained the children made dens etc indoors. In the end they said it was the best school holiday ever so you don't have to spend a fortune to have a good time. This was one of the 5 times that my DH was off work with no money whilst the children was growing up. I used to do any job I could get and save the money for times like this and not once did I ever think of not paying the bills especially the mortgage.

As much as I HATE to say it - please pay your mortgage. The kids will understand some day.

I know the OP has gone etc. but I have to say, everything expatinscotland said. It is a horrible situation for the OP, feel v sorry for her, but the best gift she can give her kids for Christmas is the security of knowing they have a mum who has her priorities straight.

The OP has had eleven months to prepare for Xmas. It's not like it came as a complete surprise.

It's not the OP I feel sorry for, it's her children. Putting the roof over their head at risk to buy tat is not what parents do.

Olivepip, I'm a landlord. We have HB tenants. They are not a problem, really they're not.

The one who was a problem was a private tenant - dh had insisted at first that HB tenants would be a problem, so we went the private route. The guy we got was charming, educated, apparently fine. On paper he was great.

The truth was, he couldn't hold down a job, he lied, he explained everything away, and one day just disappeared (thank goodness, we'd just started the eviction process, so he saved us having to continue with it). Eventually we got the keys back, but had already changed the locks.

It turned out, after some time, that he had got into our house and taken a few things. It wasn't worth the hassle to us to try to get them back.

We still get letters for him which are final demands, sometimes for tens of thousands of pounds, and we still get bailiffs looking for him. He left about 8 years ago, but still uses our address sometimes.

The 2 HB tenants we've had since have been a joy!

OP any nectar points, tesco clubcard vouchers or morrison points? You could use them to put towards dinner or buy small gifts with. Also, if you have any old clothes that you don't need take them to one of those places that buys per weight.

It isn't goady at all. As a landlord it is a concern, not just the OP but those responding saying go for it. Which is a minority, I know.

Afraid curiosity got the better of me.

I'm unemployed (poor health) lp and have been on hb for 12 years (not unemployed the whole time but even when working full time got rent topped up) not once have I ever missed a payment!

Ll please don't be prejudiced against those of us on hb based on one.

I've been unable to work for 7 years, as I said my daughter also has birthday on 23rd. I save what I can all year round, have done since she was born.

Something else also just occurred to me. Hb is to cover rent yet op is saying she needs to hold back £600 to also cover food until the next hb payment? Food should already be budgeted for surely.

As pp have said hb may not be paid as

A ops mistake so hb will be in no hurry to help out

B they don't have to backdate when this happens frankly getting them to backdate even when it's their fault is a challenge!

C after Xmas is an extremely busy time due to relationship breakdowns etc

A couple of subsequent pusts did give me pause for thought; I can assure you it was not intended as a goady post.

I had not thought about HB tenants and my agency ran through the pros and cons. This thread was serendipitous.

Of course a single thread would not make up my mind, but reading the attitudes and opinions of some potential tenants is interesting and influencing how I would feel about HB tenants.

It's a business arrangement, pure and simple. I have a mortgage to pay and other financial responsibilities. I am not a charity. At Christmas or any other time.

I don't think it was goady either tneconni

The OP's whole mindset has pissed a lot of people off and does a lot of damage to people who really need HB.

It sounds very much like receiving that money allows her to 'spoil' her children when a lot of families who get no help have to cut right back on everything and cut their cloth accordingly.

The fact that it even entered get mind to not pay her rent in favour of over indulging her children is wrong.

Olive references fully checked is more important than if hb or not. Friend of mine works in letting agents. When we've discussed this she's said she's just as likely to get non hb tenants being problematic over payments.

My current ll was previously anti hb but last tenants (again looked great on paper) didn't pay last two months rent and gutted the place when they flitted (furnished) inc light fittings and mantelpiece

Turned out letting agents he was with had been given false refs which they'd not checked and they'd charged ll for credit check which hadn't actually been done which would have shown this tenant was best avoided.

It isn't goady at all. As a landlord it is a concern
I don't think it was goady either

I'm not on anyone's side here, I was commenting on the quote specifically and not endorsing the OP's behaviour.

You don't think that it is completely ridiculous that someone is proclaiming to base business decisions off of one thread by one poster on Mumsnet (and, additionally, someone who isn't even in receipt of HB yet).

No. I base my decisions on extensive research and this thread, with excellent primary sources, gives a unique insight into the mindset of potential HB tenants, some of whom would prioritise buying presents over fulfilling financial and legal obligations. I think that's fairly simple to understand.

You may claim to be merely commenting, but starting your post "fuck off" is unnecessarily antagonistic.

I won't be responding to your posts again, but thank you for your thoughts.

still did not have a new award by the time the month was up ( and I forgot to chase them ) so I contacted HB the day after the month was up to explain.

I don't think I would forget to chase anyone if there was a possibility albeit in the long term of eviction.

I don't think I would forget to chase anyone if there was a possibility albeit in the long term of eviction.

She clearly doesn't think eviction is a concern at all, since apparently the LL can't evict her for a number of months. The fact that the OP's rent doesn't even cover the mortgage on the property doesn't seem to register as a concern either - apparently the LL has an unlimited supply of money to cover the property's mortgage. But maybe the mortgage won't default for a couple of months Either way, OP don't currrrr.

Lulz. So it turns out it's not "because of this thread" Olive. What a surprise.

Nomoneymona, how old are your dcs? My ds has 30 presents he hasn't opened yet and I would gladly send you a couple. Please let me know asap, maybe by private message. I wanted to give them to GOSH but have been working 14 hours/ day and would not mind sending them to you.

emanula, MN counsels against exactly this kind of thing. You don't know for sure that posters are who they say they are.

i dont see why people are saying that this is why they dont take people on HB. In todays job market, jobs can be lost pretty easily too, and most people in work for any length of time will not want to be in rented accomodation for too long. Apart from an occasional wait and then be backdated, HB tenants are usually pretty reliable, and a lot of people on HB are working too

Thanks all, I just feel so sorry about children going without presents. I guess I will go back to the GOSH idea then. My son has too many toys and he hasn't opened these 30 (they are just piled somewhere in the house) as he has too many. It is unfair that some children have too much and some have nothing. Thanks for the advice though.

emanuela Thank you but my DC will not go without. I did not post begging for handouts either apart from housing benefit.

Why should I be concerned that the rent does not cover the landlord's mortgage DarthVader. She would not get anywhere close to what her mortgage is as rent.

I guess my concern that the rent doesnt cover the mortgage would be that she's already in a precarious financial position and you not paying could mean you loose your home when it's repossessed. You'll be out the door eventually.