To ask if your income affects getting a council house?

[sarahfairy]

Do the council look at income at all?

My friends are in a crappy situation, been evicted from their rented home with 2 months notice.

They are going down the council route to find a new home.

The husband is self employed and does well. They do have a disabled child which I know they get benefits for - the disabled child is how I know the family. They also have 2 other children. One is a baby.

They are convinced they will be given a council house and considered priority as they have an eviction notice and a disabled child.

I'm just curious to know wether the council take income into consideration as they could easily afford to carry on privately renting?

There is a upper limit on income for counsil properties in my area

A lot (most?) councils have an income cut off, and if you’re earning above this, you can’t apply

But if you apply with a low income and then your income rises above this once you have a tenancy, they can’t evict you

Depends where you are

There's an upper limit here of 60k but below that workers get priority

Thanks. I know roughly their income is about £38000 combined however the wife her benefits for the kids - she doesn't work. The husband is self employed.

They are just very close friends and adamant this council housing will work out for them. I can't see how they will seen as they have a good income and have privately rented for years

I don’t think £38,000 is that high of a wage?

I am not convinced that 38K a year is a particularly lavish income for a family of 5!

I would also assume they have actually applied - so they would know if they qualified and whether income affects where they are on the list.

You could just go and look up how to apply for social housing in your/their area, then you'd have a better idea. That might be more constructive than an AIBU on here really.

@PizzaTaste I suppose what I mean is they have paid £975 pcm for years and lived comfortably. A council house is around £500 - £650pcm for the same size as they have now.

I was just wondering if the council do look at income and think 'well you earn £38000 a year and have paid rent of £975 for a long period of time so you can easily rent somewhere else'

I see what your saying that it isn't a massive wage, however if there's a family in the same situation but only make £20000 a year then surely it should go to the family on the lower income?

As everywhere, the lists here are huge and I know there is a lot of high banding who are waiting.

I just don't want my friends to end up with nothing while there are other houses to rent privately which are also being taken so fast

@WiddlinDiddlin no they haven't applied yet. They are waiting until the last minute so it makes them priority!

I think the upper limit is £60,000 or £70,000 in my town to ,they may considered priority,but it depends wether there are any suitable houses ,I have a friend in a similar position with a disabled child .

@x2boys I really hope it works out for them. I'm just worried they are expecting too much that's all

They need to be applying now and finding out how to get priority ,letters of support from whoever,s involved professionally with their disabled child might help.

Can they not look for another private rent ? If they’re being evicted , why is that ? Should they not try to sort out their own housing before they run to the council?
Are they trying to play the system by ending up homeless with three children ? They sound lovely 😱

do you mean they have been given notice rather than evicted?
Would imagine they can find another private rental - its better than being in temporary accommodation, hellish I would imagine with kids especially one with a disablilty

The council push people solely on benefits to private rent. Even when the person is in a hostel without extra money for a deposit.
So unless their council has a different scheme they likely with be told to private rent.

We looked at council housing when we were given 2 months notice on a property we were in. We were very low priority (earning around £34,000 between us) and basically we were told to stay put until the landlord evicts is through court, and would then be put into B&B or small emergency housing. The other alternative was for the council to help us look for private rental.
We ended up private renting as wasn't willing to stay put and potentially mess up a reference for a new landlord.
I think they have a very idealistic view of the council waiting list.

In our area the cut off is 60k and all the new affordable housing will only take people with a minimum income of around £2200 a month.

Do they actually know that there are massive waiting lists , because in spite of what people think on here ,there are not massive waiting lists everywhere , and in my town at least priority is given automatically ( in some cases ) for working families , and carers and as the Dad works, and Mum is classed as a carer they might be in luck ?

I know my council had a specific cut off above which you could not apply at all. But it certainly wasn't wasn't a poverty income, and I was surprised at how high it was. But can't remember what it was and don't know if they still have it.

Purpletigers Maybe rents have gone up their area, maybe private landlords aren't keen on self employed, or people relying on benefits, or because in 12 months they could be in the same position.

They have a disabled child. I can't imagine what that's like. I look at my DCs and see their future. I look forward to them becoming more independent. For parents of disabled kids it's ongoing care , day in day out.

This is exactly the sort of family council housing should be for.

I don't think I would leave it until the last minute.

If they are able to afford private renting why should they be entitled to a council house? Seems unfair on another family who cant afford to rent.

I see what your saying that it isn't a massive wage, however if there's a family in the same situation but only make £20000 a year then surely it should go to the family on the lower income?

No it wouldn't work like that; they don't pit one family against another like that. You either have a qualifiying income or you don't. If you qualify, you will be treated the same as everybody else regardless.

@BeanBag7 see my comment above. Round here they want working families in their houses with minimum incomes. They do not want people on benefits in their new-build affordable homes.

The upper limit is £60,000 or £70,000

That is ridiculous. There is no reason why an income of £60,000 cannot pay for private rent.

@WiddlinDiddlin no they haven't applied yet. They are waiting until the last minute so it makes them priority!

They sound very naive. They still have to be on the housing list to be considered for priority housing. The sooner they do that the better. They can then find out for certain about the income threshold, should there be one.