AIBU to be upset I cannot afford to live in London

[marielle17]

Just wanted to come on here and have a rant, I am moving back to the UK from Spain. Having had a look at places to rent in London, its very apparent that I will not be able to afford to live anywhere near my family in London. I am a teacher my salary will be circa 35K, but I am also a single mum with two kids, my youngest son is 8 months, so I will need childcare, which is not possible on my wage plus renting. I planned to live close to family, so my mum and grandma could between them help with the childcare, however even then I will barely be scraping by. I am really upset about this, I have been looking at possibly commuting into London, but they will mean communting with two kids. I have been looking at living in luton on purfleet, essex to be specific. The other alternative is just not to work and be on benefits. Controversial I know. Any suggestions on how a teacher can cope living in London, how do people cope.

I think you will be surprised at how much you will be entitled to in terms of benefits and childcare help
I would find some where you can afford however small near family as having their support for illness etc is invaluable and probably not available if you move further out

Well if you qualify for housing benefit then you absolutely can live in London. I'm a single parent and rent a 1 bedroom flat in south east London (zone 3). I work full time but still qualify for housing benefit and child tax credits.

Have a look at Newlon housing and southern housing association for key worker accommodation. Also Guinness trust.

Yabu London is expensive because people want to live there. Move elsewhere

I know this wouldn't work for many but would your mum be in a position where she could spend the week with you elsewhere and go to London at the weekends? Or possibly relocate. As i say wouldn't work for many but my mum did for a short time for my sister by her own offering. Not london but sister had to live elsewhere

YANBU. I grew up in a nice area. I can't buy a tiny 3 bed for at £900,000 where my parents live.

A luxury to live in London? Am I reading that correctly? WTAF. London needs a variety of people on different wages to run essential services, some jobs are only based in London and often don't pay that well. It's a sad state of affairs if people are telling the OP she is being unreasonable, whether she has family in London or not, living there shouldn't just be for the super rich. It's a sad state of affairs that the housing market is so out of control and its insane that people don't see this.

YANBU at all. My partner and I earn £60k combined and we can't afford to live near my family in London (south east and south West London). The cost of childcare make it impossible! So we live in Kent. My commute into London is only an hour. I know some people who live in London and it takes just as long!

Have you checked if you would be entitled to help with childcare?

Actually I think I could laugh. I just checked and have seen a 4 bed listed for 1.375 million.

Even if you were to move to Luton or Purfleet you will still be closer to family then your are now.

But you will probably need to reassess where you are going to live/work.

I live in Luton near the airport and a 3 bed house to rent around £1000 per month, travel is around £4000.

travel is around £4000 PER YEAR

I would look into affordable housing and any benifits you might be entitled to whilst working (you would get child Benidorm, might get tex credits, childcare vouchers etc). These are to scrounging they are thugs you are legally entitled to.

I would also look in to affordable housing options, intermediate rent and share to buy particularly. It’s not easy to secure and will take some time to sort but these options might help. Checkout
www.newlon.org.uk/finding-home/intermediate-rent/

Someone also mentioned Peabody who offer fantastic value accommodation for lower income families.

There’s no easy option but there are places that can help. Tbh living on a teachers salary with three kids anywhere in the south east will be tough so I would keep fighting for London.

Good luck.

You’re not being unreasonable. I grew up in Hackney, it’s been gentrified to within an inch of its life (naice middle class families fighting for places in the then awful school we had no choice but to go to, and so on.)
Partner has an excellent London based job but has to commute weekly because we just cannot afford to live there - in a very normal 3 bed even, we weren’t looking for anything palatial, just wanted to be near family.

London needs ordinary people in essential jobs as well as the bankers, lawyers and foreign investors.

Agree with Phoebe, ridiculous to think normal people living in London is extravagant or luxurious. Pandering to overseas buyers using it as a long term investment. It is horrible to see Lonon become so polarised in terms of wealth, with only the mega rich and those on benefits, living in parallel. Really hope you find a solution, OP. Can completely understand you wanting to live near family support. Also, London in dire need of experienced teachers.

We bought in London 7 years ago. We're now moving back to Australia to be near family. Except I can't afford to live near them and be computable distance to the city for work so will be 2 hours away, and on the otherside of the city.

It's not just London with ridiculous house prices.

I think Yabu. You can’t afford to live in London, well guess what, neither can lots of people.
On a £35k salary you can afford to buy or rent in other places in the country, you have no more entitlement to live in London than I have toown a Bentley, unfortunately I can’t afford a Bentley, so I drive a Honda.
There is an expression ‘cut your suit according to your cloth’

London is expensive, look elsewhere.

The other alternative is just not to work and be on benefits

👀

I get that it sucks that you can’t afford to live in London but loads of people can’t. You are have other choices.

I won’t mention the North-East but I’d suggest you keep an open mind about what options you have.

YANBU its shit.

You wouldn't be eligible for housing benefit at that salary, and even if you were, its so difficult to get landlords to accept DSS claimants now.

But there are many cities within an hour/ hour and a half commute - more with cross rail coming up. And also remember how long it takes to get across London. When I was living in N london I barely saw my friends in the south east - an almost 2 hour journey of tube changes with a buggy, a nightmare. My friends who moved away say they actually managed to see friends more, visiting once or twice a month. Find a city within a reasonable commuting distance I'd say so you can always nip up - where would would depend on where in London your family/ closest friends are based.

If your children are pre-school you can live outside of London and drop them at your family on the way into work.

YABU, both for expecting benefits to pay for your life choices and ypfor wanting something you can't afford.

Lots of people can't afford to live in expensive areas so don't, lots can't afford to have two chidren so don't etc.

You appear to want everything handed to you on a plate.

Free I get housing benefit and my salary is £31k.

Up until 15 years ago or so lots of people coped by living in the cheaper parts, and those who were eligible for housing benefit took it. But there are no cheaper parts now, and like I said landlords don't accept housing benefit as it no longer goes straight to the landlord, and the housing benefit allowance doesn't cover the rent anyway.

Normally there are residency requirements before you can go to the council for help now (ie living in a borough for a certain amount of time, and should have been made homeless from the same borough ect) which is shit, as most people are moving across different areas all the time. So yeah, you can't just quit your job and walk into housing benefit/ housing association/ council house.

@teaches

Ah, interesting.

Boxsets- that’s not helpful