Sister is finally ready to LTB but I can't help, where can we turn?

[Oneeata]

Apologies if this is the wrong place to ask but need some advice. Sister has been living with her now ex partner for over 3 years. They rent privately. She told him it's over last week but can't afford to move out right now and she can't afford the property on her own so she's stuck there with my 13yr old niece. He's been emotionally abusive from the get go and I'm so happy she's finally seen him for what he is. I don't have the space for them both to come and stay here with me other than my sofa and we live in different cities, she doesn't drive and wouldn't be get public transport to work on a morning. Where/who does she go to? We think if she is intentionally making herself homeless the local council/housing association will tell her to jog on basically. She can not afford deposit at the moment for private landlord and doesn't want to have to go to a refuge. Where do we start?

Is the tenancy in her name? That will make a difference as to how easily she can walk away.
Shelter are great for advice.
CAB good also for local schemes - as different councils operate in different ways, with regards to things like help with private deposits.
Can you and other family help with a deposit?
Has she checked what - if any - benefits she’d be entitled to?

Good luck to her!

You did say about where to start… I think a CAB appointment is a good starting place, both on housing and benefits.

Whose name is the tenancy under?

Has she spoken to women’s aid?

Domestic violence overrules the 'intentionally homeless' rules but if she lives somewhere where there is housing pressure then it's most likely to be temporary accommodation in the first instance.

In the mean time her best best is to contact Women's Aid or her local domestic violence / women's services if there is a contact number she can reach them on directly. They will help her with the practical stuff including things like getting assistance with deposits etc.

@hatgirl

Domestic violence overrules the 'intentionally homeless' rules but if she lives somewhere where there is housing pressure then it's most likely to be temporary accommodation in the first instance.

In the mean time her best best is to contact Women's Aid or her local domestic violence / women's services if there is a contact number she can reach them on directly. They will help her with the practical stuff including things like getting assistance with deposits etc.

This

The most important is getting her and her child away from the abuser.

Refuges are brillant ! They're not 5 star hotels but they are safe and it can be good to be around other families fleeing DV.

They also will be up to date on what she needs to do in the short and medium term.

It doesn't mean that she would have to stay in a refuge for any length of time... We had some families that stayed only few days

(ex refuge worker)

Women's Aid are a good place to start. I'm living in refuge right now and it's actually much nicer here than I expected and there's lots of support available to me.
I would advise your sister to contact the homeless department of the council and ask for advice, as I did. Then join the council housing register online and sign up asap as it can take weeks for them to approve the application.
As she is leaving domestic abuse many councils will accept the application even if it's not the in the city she currently lives in. The council may be able to offer help with a deposit on private rented accommodation or your sister can wait for a council property. I hope things work out for her.

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She needs to fill out an application for the local council/housing association for housing and mark it urgent/domestic abuse/risk of homelessness in big red letters. If she is homeless in the meantime she needs to contact women's aid or a local DA charity and they will organise a shelter. Don't let the issue with the property lease make her stay - it can be worked out later. Unless the lease is only in her name in which case she can have him removed by the police

Has she got any proof of the abuse? I think she needs to start engaging with agencies. I knew someone in a similar position, she did end up in a refuge and our local council were very slow to get her somewhere else, she was band D until she could supply 'proof' of the abuse which she hadn't as she had always been too scared to involve the police (he had been in prison for violence before). It would have helped if there was a written record of it somewhere such as police, GP, womens aid etc. This was even though she was in a refuge which nobody would do lightly just to move up the council housing bands! She did eventually get moved to a band A but had to get a lot of help from womens aid and put in formal complaints to the council