AIBU to not understand why we don’t meet social housing criteria?

[Lulubon]

Does anyone have any experience with social housing?
We have been on the register for a year, band C and 13 points

Our situation:
My partner was made redundant during the pandemic and found it hard to find a job, he now works a low paid nhs job, full time.

He has a previous ccj which prevents us being accepted for rental properties. We’ve been turned down more times then I can count.

We live in one of the most expensive areas of the country. (Just happened to be where we grew up and we previously were relatively high earners)

We have a 7 month old son. I am currently receiving statuary maternity pay which ends this month.

I am a nursing student and will be returning to my studies in September full time.

We currently rent a small flat which is £1000pm. We originally lived her a few years ago when both in full time work, well paid jobs.

Rent is almost all of my partners earning and we are left with just enough to cover bills and food. Although I often have to put at least one food shop on the credit card.

Our flat has been sold and we have been served notice.

We have nowhere to go as we have been frantically applying to rent through letting agents and haven’t been accepted for low income and the ccj.

We contacted the council to ask if we have gained priority and they said no!?

I am completely at a loss and so heartbroken to be in this situation, we were living a care free lifestyle with quite a bit of disposable income pre pandemic.
I want our son to have a secure home but the woman we spoke to today from the counsel said we would need minimum 25 point (we have 13) to even be considered for a housing association house.

Can this be correct? If so what can we do in this situation?

Thanks in advance

@EmpressSuiko

This happened to me when I had a newborn baby, husband was made redundant, no money to move so we were told to stay put, eviction notice came and we just had to sit tight and bid on properties but bear in mind we only had 3 chances to find one so you can only refuse a property twice and if you refuse them al you risk going into a hostel. You have to be patient but you will be housed eventually.

Councils here will consider themselves to have discharged their homelessness duty when they make an offer. If you turn down the first offer, you're generally on your own, unless you can demonstrate that it's manifestly unsuitable.

The only time I managed to do that was when they offered a woman a property in the same street as her violent ex.

You need to be actually homeless to get increased priority. I know people who have been through this. If you are in London the probability of council housing is very low so I would do all you can to find somewhere privately meanwhile prepare to hang on until they evict you if you can't get anywhere. Do you know someone with a garage who can store things for you? You need to box up and put into storage everything you want to keep ahead of eviction day, then present at the council with suitcases, literally. You will be then placed in emergency housing but it's not free. Make sure you have applied for uc too.

Be aware you may be rehoused a significant distance away (eg Midlands) so I would personally suggest you consider if voluntarily relocating is a better option. I like many are from London but I don't live there, too expensive!

By the way, universities have family housing, I take it you have tried them? You might need a guarantor though

I can't believe how many people are suggesting she overstays get notice and waits to be evicted.

@Spanielstail People have to, no-one wants to but this is how the council insists it's done, the person isn't eliigible for housing before then.

I was lucky, I went to my mum's for a couple of days around the day my tenancy ended (luckily I had an inkling and took out everything of mine.) and while I was away, without telling me, the landlord stripped the whole flat, took heating, furniture, paint off the walls, fridge, absolutely everything and it was outside. Locks changed too of course. So I could go in a council B&B immediately as I had nowhere to live and the council decided it couldn't be remedied due to the state of the place. He did me a massive favour there.

You need to box up and put into storage everything you want to keep ahead of eviction day, then present at the council with suitcases, literally.

@gogohm They have to go through all the legal process of eviction too, of course.

@Lulubon I missed where you said you or someone in your family you feel has a disability. For sure apply for DLA/PIP as if awarded it the council will most likely definitely have a duty to house and you'll get high priority. The council can't go on someone just saying they have a thing and it has to be deemed to have a serious effect I think, with evidence. So they would be in the support group or whatever it is for UC, and ideally have DLA or PIP.

@gogohm every council has a different process for assessing priority. For some priority increases just because there's a s21. It really depends on the council's allocations policy. Housing associations also have their own policies. Not everyone has to wait for eviction.

@Spanielstail just to add to what others are saying, a tenant is still a tenant once they're served notice. They're still a tenant when the landlord applies to court. They're still a tenant at the point of the hearing. The tenancy only ends on the date that the court orders it to end.

It's not squatting or illegal and the council waiting until this is all over is not the council being awkward. While a person still has a tenancy ie all the way through that process, they are not homeless. They still have all the rights they signed up to in their tenancy agreement.

How much of your 3 year nursing course have you done already, @Lulubon?

Please get in contact with the Cavill Trust and RCN. They can help with short term loans and finding you a Home.

Have you tried to get a guarantor OP?

@alwayscrashinginthesamecar1

Butterfly Cat, it isn't an unreasonable thing to ask if she can afford to continue with her studies for now though. Of course it would be unfortunate to have to pause them, but in the OPs circumstances its certainly something to consider! Sadly, further education is a luxury, and people can't always afford to study full time, that's not being nasty, just a fact of life. I would investigate whether I was getting all my benefits, and investigate bursaries etc, but with a young baby I would be prioritising my housing situation over everything else.

Bullshit - further education is not a 'luxury' - sort your head out , especially in this circumstance. 20 years ago pretty much all further education was free. Anyone improving themselves is not a luxury, the attitude to education and any self improvement that isn't to do with appearance in this country is appalling. #racetothebotyom

YABU as unfortunately there are not enough social housing to meet demands in normal times. Now even more people are loosing their jobs so more people are in the list but also due to the pandemic less people are moving so there’s less housing available.

As PPs said you have to be very close to your eviction date to go up the list. This must be so stressful for you. The only advice I have would be to de-clutter as much as you can and keep bidding so if one comes up you will be prepared to move. Also some require 4 weeks rent in advance so try and save some money up as a lot of people can’t afford to do that so don’t apply for those homes.

@Demelza82 further education is a luxury. There are thousands of people in this country (myself included) that would love to go back to uni in order to end up doing a job they have dreamt of. What would happen if all those people that can't afford to (myself included) like the OP all thought 'fuck it' and to hell with the consequences? Yes in 2/3/4 years it will be worth it. Will it be worth it when she's studying and on placement whilst living in a hostel or b+b? No one has said don't ever go to uni and follow your dreams. The timing atm is diabolical though, she's on the verge of being homeless. She not only has that to worry about she has a child with health issues.

@Demelza82

Sorry but Higher Education (which is what this is) is a luxury. Further Education is not and she would be able to undertake Further Education like A-Levels or a vocational Foundation degree without significant cost. There are half decent loans and sometimes grants available to those going on to HE but it sounds like OP has looked at this and the sums still don’t work on account of her DPs income.

In order to fund my PGCE I worked in a call centre for 12 months. How is that any different to this? I would not have been able to afford to live and pay my tuition fees otherwise. It might not be right but that’s what happens when grants stop and universities start charging thousands for tuition.

Deferring for a year is not a bad idea? Neither is looking to move to a cheaper area. If the reason they can’t move is because they want to be near to family then that’s a luxury a great deal can’t afford.

It's not the same everywhere then as I didn't have to present with suitcases. My LA found us temporary accommodation a couple of days before bailiff was due. It did happen very quickly but it didn't get to the point where we were on the street

Bullshit - further education is not a 'luxury'

@Demelza82 Well it is in as much as it's not a necessity.

It's not the same everywhere then as I didn't have to present with suitcases. My LA found us temporary accommodation a couple of days before bailiff was due.

@wedswench Yep I think they do something similar in birmingham, I could be wrong. As after all it helps with the council's logistics of they don't have to do it immediately.

It's a myth that homeless people are on the streets by and large. I've been homeless twice and was in B&B/hostel/temporary accomodation.

As a full time student you may be eligible for council tax reduction. In may borough it is 25% reduction.

Of course Further Education is a luxury! It is shame that it is, I agree, but putting a roof over your head and paying for food are essentials, and if you can't do that, you can't afford to stay in full time education.

If you think it is going to come to eviction make sure you have everything packed and ready to go, if you have friends or family who can store stuff get non essential stuff out so you are ready.

Good luck x

I'm so sorry this must be such a worrying situation for you. Keep going with your studies and I hope your dc is okay.

Completely understandable that you’re not working at the moment. It’s good to be realistic about the lack of social housing but if you can’t find anywhere to move to by the end of your notice period don’t feel bad if you have to just stay put. Landlords run the risk of this happening when they sell a tenanted property. If they want to protect themselves from this scenario the proper way to do things would be to give the tenant notice and then sell the property once it is vacant.

[quote Lulubon]@BrieAndChilli

Wow. Thanks 😂😂😂

But rude tbh. I didn’t say should knock everyone off the list. There’s a list I was hoping to join to be with a chance to not have to be homeless with my infant child?!

The council IS there to turn to in times of crisis, otherwise I’d happily pay for anywhere to live but like I’ve explained it isn’t possible for us. We’ve tried.

Re a different area… we’ve looked into it but my uni needs to be travelling distance and the further we go the more expensive travel is and it worked out that we would be WORSE off even in a much cheaper area.

Re income… I’m not sure if you’re aware about the current situation with jobs but there aren’t any! you can’t simply increase earnings or everyone would do it 😂
My partner it taking an online course to try and get back into the IT industry but that’s all he can do for now.

I can’t get a job because my son is 7 months old and childcare is more expensive then a part time job- leaving us worse off.
Once I return to uni, I will be working for the nhs for free on placement which are 12 hour shifts plus essay and a dissertation…[/quote]
You can pick up Bank shifts on the wards during the training, that's what I did which helped with the bills, but also got my face known around the hospital for when I qualified.

Id start a new thread OP with this question :

"Has anyone successfully found a private rental while the only adult working has a CCJ "

And go from there cos that's really the cruz of your problem.

I would suggest references, and a guarantor and approach private landlords, I'm sure you'll find some willing to consider you. The other option is you get a job around your partners work and apply to rent in your name, again with refs and a guarantor, and again, I'm sure some landlords will take you even if the job is new.

About the renting situation with the CCJ, could you sit it out in your current flat until October and then use your student loan to pay for several months’ rent in advance? Depending how much the loan is of course. If you’ve allocated your loan on other things like childcare, with rent paid in advance, that frees up your DH’s income to use.

Please contact your uni. They will have hardship funds, they might have student accommodation, they will be able to help.

[quote wedswench]@IamtheDevilsAvocado it's very easy to take the moral high ground until you're in the situation.

What should OO do? Have her family on the street because of the needs of her landlord?

The rules are there to protect people and landlords are aware of these before they take the decision to rent their property [/quote]
Um if you re read what I wrote... I was very much on OPs side and NOT taking high ground... I was responding to poster who was....