To ask if you can live in a house share with a toddler?

[WhereAreAllTheTeaspoons]

I start uni in September and have a toddler DD. I've posted numerous times under different usernames about useless DP who is now ex useless DP. We currently live together in a house rented in his name, it's not an option to stay here as I simply can't afford the rent alone.

In September I'll get a student loan, but I'm struggling to work out how much extra I might get from universal credit. I obviously need to call and speak to some one as online calculators simply arnt designed to take students into account, but the phone lines are always so busy I'm struggling to be able to have that conversation.

Money is going to be tight and I think I'm going to have to get rid of my car to save on money so ideally I'm going to have to live close to university. All the places I can find within the budget I'm aiming for are for rooms in shared accommodation. Is this even a possibility with DD if I found a room with an en suite or am I being completely bonkers?

[quote TheRosariojewels]@wherealltheteaspoons

You can put yourself on spare room as someone looking to find a flat mate. People could then contact you.[/quote]
It seems such an obvious idea now you've said it.. thankyou!

I lived briefly with a single mum and her little girl as a student - I had no issues at all with the little girl, she was a little bit intimidated by The Goth Upstairs so she was very, very well-behaved in my company.
She used to want to watch me get ready to go out though, I think she thought I was either a witch or a princess but couldn't decide which.

I hope they're happy, wherever they are now. They were a lovely family.

Could you try searching on Facebook for groups linked to your uni OP? Try searching 'uni name family accommodation' or similar. Perhaps you could link up with other single prenatal that way?

Also check if your uni has bursaries for people with DC/dependents. Most automatically assess you from the information on income you give to the student loan people.

Couldn't you keep your house and rent out a room to a lodger? (Or rent a suitable house and sublet to someone - which might be easier?)

@Todaywewilldobetter

Eek. Speak to the Uni. I'd not have been tolerant of a toddler as a student. Or at least not considerate. And I think we would all have fallen out! Speak to the uni about their ideas. A general student house may not be safe for a toddler to have much of a life.

Same. I probably would've cooed over the toddler and played daft games with it when the mood took me, but I would also 100% have come in pissed at 4am and woke you both up, left dangerous stuff around, had unsuitable visitors and loads of other things that would've made us poorly matched housemates. Is there any possibility of lodging with a family in the area?

Can I ask why you are going to uni this year? With Covid-19 many lessons are likely to be online, or you'll pay your fees, move into accommodation and risk being locked down there.
I assume you don't have childcare sorted yet? You will need it for various hours and that won't be easy.
Why not get a part-time job and study your subject with the OU, or another online course. Can you say what your goals are and we might have more tailored advice.

get maintenance money of dp from what I gather that doesn't count as income
look up turn2us it has a calculator & talk to university office

@DianaT1969

Can I ask why you are going to uni this year? With Covid-19 many lessons are likely to be online, or you'll pay your fees, move into accommodation and risk being locked down there. I assume you don't have childcare sorted yet? You will need it for various hours and that won't be easy. Why not get a part-time job and study your subject with the OU, or another online course. Can you say what your goals are and we might have more tailored advice.

I'm not getting any younger, I dont want to say specifically what I'm going to study but it will take me around 6 years to qualify (and I've already spent one at college) and I cant keep putting it off. If I dont do something with my life I'm committing my self to low paid jobs, struggling to fit it around DD and I feel I just have to go for it now.

Open uni is a consideration but the degree I want will hold much more weight doing at university.

I have family who are already sorted for providing childcare either at their house or mine when I sort something. They just cant have us both living at theirs indefinitely.

Maintenance is unlikely, one of the contributing factors of us splitting up is his cash in hand work (that's not cash waves to those who might recognize me from a previous post)

Is uni in same area you live in now? Or are you moving to new area.

Speak to the council housing department. Explain why you can’t stay in current accommodation. You have no tenancy. The relationship has broken down. They can help you. You can go on housing register. Ultimately they can look into temp accommodation for you.

The noise in student areas will not be conductive to your child sleeping to be honest.

I had a beautiful house near a university and has to sell up because my kids were constantly woken up
Sharing with strangers not a great idea for your child’s safety

Transient and pissed population

You’re unrealistic I think about how much NOISE students make

Keep your car and find a cheaper option further out

Definitely see if uni has any accomodation for people in your situation.

People do houseshare with young children in London, and maybe elsewhere, but you'd have to be careful and a wouldn't do a student house. I also would not put yourself on spare room as having a child and wait for people to contact you, for obvious reasons.

Sometimes a family or a tutor let out a room for extra income. I would speak to the college and uni housing advice, try and get someone who comes with recommendation.

www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-students#student-income-and-your-universal-credit

Good for you btw OP

You will get some UC so look for 2 bed accommodation in line with the local housing allowance rate for area you want to live in.

I was planning to apply to university this year but just couldn't work out a way to fund it (and that would have been with NHS bursaries). I hope you find a solution. Childcare was my biggest hurdle - it's good that you have this covered already, but rent was a big factor too.

You say it'll take you around 6 years to qualify. If it's psychology you're planning on studying my advice would be don't! Do MH nursing or OT instead. I used to work in a MH hospital with one of the CPs who ran admissions for the CP programme for the country (purposefully vague there). They were turning away applicants with PhDs, in favour of people with PhDs AND a billion years of experience. I also have a good friend who did her first degree at Durham, masters at Cambridge. She's still working for not much more than minimum wage in a prison as an assistant psychologist. It's a nightmare of a field.

Anyway, that might all be irrelevant. I wish you all the best. To answer your question though - a flat share with a toddler sounds like an absolute nightmare for all involved.

@WhereAreAllTheTeaspoons if you join the Facebook group Universal Credit Essentials they would be able to help you work out what your deductions for student grants and loans would be from your universal credit allowance this would help you to work out how much you could afford each month. If you rented privately you would be entitled to the 2 bed LHA for your area for housing.

As others have said, your uni will likely have accommodation for young families. This would be the best option. Alternatively, I'd consider renting a flat in a quieter l, non student area and sharing with someone who'd be comfortable and who you'd be comfortable with (no safeguarding concerns etc.). No elderly relatives/family friends who you could live with and who'd appreciate some company? That could be an alternative too. I would sell the car, you'll need it in case of emergency.

*wouldn't sell the car

Be careful with SpareRoom, I had weird men messaging as if it’s tinder🙄

DivGirl, not psychology. I was interested in it but anyone I mentioned it to said pretty much as you did. So I didnt go to uni and now I'm old. Found another degree I'm interested in where I'm much more likely to have a career at the end of it and I just have to go for it.

Thankyou costalatte, I'll have a look now

That would be very difficult. But I’m sure my uni had some kind of “family accommodation” options especially for people in your situation. I am guessing July isn’t the best time to contact them but I’d be surprised if they didn’t have a suggestion

OP, good on you for doing this! I hope you find something. Do find out about getting on a waiting list for social housing too.

Re: Universal Credit, this is a good site and calculator which was absolutely accurate in 2019-20 www.uceplus.co.uk/student.html

Which university are you going to be studying at? I have many colleagues who work in universities around the midlands if that's any help?