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

Also if things will be fine financially in October, I would look to move away for 6 months to somewhere cheap. Rent somewhere for literally peanuts in ritual Scotland or similar (not holiday cottage, but cheap flat).

Why should the landlord lose money because of the life choices the OP and her partner have made? You don't know the circumstances of why the property is let out and lots of landlords don't have multiple properties let out as part of a Business - maybe the rent just covers the landlords mortgage?

Taking 7 months maternity leave was ridiculous given their financial circumstances as well as continuing to study and staying in an expensive area - arranging housing should have been a priority. Had the OP been in work the last few months likely she could have got a rental on her income alone and not had to include her partner whose CCJ is causing the issue?

I am a guarantor for ds as he is in private rented accommodation. One of the criteria was that I had to be earning over £35k a year. The OP may not have anyone in that position she can ask.

OP as part of your nursing course do you have to do shifts? If not then I would suggest you try working in a care home at weekends to earn extra money. I know it's shit as you don't get any downtime but if you did 2 weekends a month it would make a difference, and maybe your partner could do evening work somewhere?

Not sure where you live, but near where I am even the cheapest 2 bed flat is £1k pm plus bills.

As others have said, take advice but do not move out or you will make yourself intentionally homeless.

Deferring is not an option as the OP has already taken time off for the baby. It's why I would never advise anyone to set out to have a baby midway through a course of study, it's madness - precisely because things like redundancy or illness happen.

Why should the landlord lose money because of the life choices the OP and her partner have made? You don't know the circumstances of why the property is let out and lots of landlords don't have multiple properties let out as part of a Business - maybe the rent just covers the landlords mortgage?
Being a landlord is a business decision. Unfortunately some landlords describe themselves as 'accidental landlords' as if that is a get out of jail free card.
It's not for tenants to be worrying about their landlord's business interests.

The current system for accessing housing means that some people are advised to remain in the property until the bailiffs arrive. Are you suggesting that a family makes themselves intentionally homeless, with the loss of support it will cause, so that the landlord isn't inconvenienced?

The system is shit for expecting landlords to take tenants to court before councils step in, but that isn't the tenants' responsibility. Anyone who chooses to be a landlord needs to do their research.

@ivfgottwins

Why should the landlord lose money because of the life choices the OP and her partner have made? You don't know the circumstances of why the property is let out and lots of landlords don't have multiple properties let out as part of a Business - maybe the rent just covers the landlords mortgage?

Taking 7 months maternity leave was ridiculous given their financial circumstances as well as continuing to study and staying in an expensive area - arranging housing should have been a priority. Had the OP been in work the last few months likely she could have got a rental on her income alone and not had to include her partner whose CCJ is causing the issue?

How is the fact the landlord has decided to sell the flat the OPs life choice?

They have tried to get into other rental properties and are being knocked back because of a CCJ. We don't know why the partner has a CCJ. ANYONE can get into financial difficulty. To judge is not helpful at all. When you become a landlord, rightly or wrongly, there is always going to be some risk.

@ivfgottwins

Why should the landlord lose money because of the life choices the OP and her partner have made? You don't know the circumstances of why the property is let out and lots of landlords don't have multiple properties let out as part of a Business - maybe the rent just covers the landlords mortgage?

Taking 7 months maternity leave was ridiculous given their financial circumstances as well as continuing to study and staying in an expensive area - arranging housing should have been a priority. Had the OP been in work the last few months likely she could have got a rental on her income alone and not had to include her partner whose CCJ is causing the issue?

Landlords should know that this is the system local authorities use for prioritizing housing need and that its a risk of being in the private lettings business. It’s not good but it’s well known.

Can you or partner do some extra shifts in pubs /retail at weekends

Any extra income is a bonus

Not sure why you get so Little uc , you should get help with rent and then money for child plus what you would get as a couple, so least £800 plus something towards rent

Maybe recheck the uc

So when did the ccj happen?

Because if this LL took a chance & rented to them with it, seems shit that he's also going to have to pay to get them out.

Look it doesn’t really matter if it’s shitty for the landlord, we can all agree that but if the alternative is a baby sleeping on the streets…

I used to work in University accommodation and we did occasionally house students with families in just your situation because they kicked up a stink and went to the Principal.

So I second/third what others have said and see if your Uni can help.

This is heartbreaking. I wish you well.

You won’t be a priority until you are actually homeless. You will need to wait for the bailiffs to remove you. You will then be placed in temporary accommodation - likely a B&B. Expect to be there for 1 year +.

OR

Find a guarantor and someone to lend you 6 months rent in advance and you will secure a private rental.

I’m quite shocked by some of these comments but fair enough I haven’t explained our entire situation.

I haven’t got a job because we were making ends meet. And we’re making the little money we had work until I went back to uni and then we would be ok financially.

The flat went on for sale (we had no warning obviously) and it was sold the same day.

We decided ok, we look for somewhere cheap and then we will be fine. We didn’t know we wouldn’t be accepted anywhere at the time. We have just kept trying until obviously now it’s got to the cut off point and we are unfortunately in this situation

I would rather rent then get SH I didn’t know how the system worked, hence the thread. I was surprised but clearly now I understand why we won’t be getting housed, fair enough.

The reason I didn’t get a job was because we were sure we could find another rental. And although we have no spare cash, we have made it work and pay all bills etc. We have been looking to downgrade so that would open up some spare money. Then we would be fine

Finally, the reason I have stayed on statutory mat pay is because a) we have scraped by like I said.
B) our son is epileptic, has daily seizures and many many hospital stays.
Due to this I have developed pretty extreme anxiety about leaving him while he was so small.
I have suffered with PPD and it’s been a hard time if I’m honest. I’m feeling slightly better about leaving him now but haven’t been ready to get a job.
I’ve spoken to my uni and they are willing to support me while this is going on e.g. I can study at home/hospital when needed. Placement will be more difficult but these are for 6,8 weeks etc so only chunks of time and I will have to do my best.

Childcare for placement will be a childminder. Again once I start uni we have enough money.

Again if I were to get a job now it would take time to find one, get childcare etc.

Ignore people saying to leave your course. This is your way out of this situation. I wish you luck.

Why are people banging on about op getting a job? How is that going to help her housing situation right now?

@ivfgottwins the landlord should have made sure the property was empty before selling it. Buying a house with tenants in is a huge risk and I wouldn't be surprised if the sale fell through because of this.

If you are living where you both grew up, can you not live with family for a short time? Your baby will be too young to remember or be in any way traumatised.

You could then be ‘evicted’ from the family home for the purposes of applying for social housing.

At least that way you would not be placing the financial burden on the landlord and everyone else in the property chain.

And it might end up being a better solution than whatever social housing you are offered anyway (dangerous area etc).

Also - food banks, as pp has said.

Op. I am somewhat surprised that you would think that you had any right or expectation that you might be entitled to social housing. I am also surprised that you have been told that you have around 13 points and may only need 25.
I am nearly 60, have worked all my life and have within the last 18 months due to ill health had to stop working. The council have recently taken my house despite knowing how ill I am and that i have no money. Because my boyfriend has said that i can live with him for now the DWP have said well he should support me totally. Because of my health I am incapable of ģetting another job, I have literally nothing that fits me and have been forced to cut seams even on underwear in order to go to the hospital this afternoon which will look great when i have to have x rays.
Just look for somewhere cheaper to live , work, and bring up your child.
You can't always get what you want. Stop being so entitled, nobody owes you anything. Be grateful for what you have.
FYI. I knew a young man whose parent dragged him down to the council at 16 years old. Made him register. After many years sofa surfing and sleeping rough (which meant getting and keeping a job was practically impossible he finally at the age of 27 got offered a studio flat. So a living room doubling as a bedroom, a very small ķitchenette and a bathroom/loo together.
It was take this or have nothing.

Have you considered moving to a less expensive area? You could find out about transferring to a different Uni ready to start the next year in a new place?

What money you have will go further if you are spending less on rent.

Does your university have any family accomodation on campus? I know there was some (very limited!) At my university and it was a reserved for precisely these situations - perhaps reach out to the university and see.

OP, ~ IMPORTANT ~ you say your landlord gave you notice on the same day as he sold the property..

Was it a Section 21 Notice [which it MUST be] and has it been done since 1st June , in which case it should be 4 months' notice ? If between 29th August 2020 and 31st May this year it should be six months'' notice [coronavirus]

If the dates and amount of notice aren't correct, it is invalid and he will have to do another one starting on the date he gives it to .

I know this is correct as it happened to me.

Don't tell him it's invalid until the time is up then the process will start again. Citizens advice can tell you if it's definitely invalid.

Harsh but it's every man for themselves when you're talking about a roof over your family's heads

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.

It's the CCJ that more of a problem, rather than the income, it seems.

The council will suggest you try and find your own private rental, but that might be a problem.

How did your partner get the CCJ?