Housing advice

[sickoffootball]

Hi... I'm in need of some advice and would like to hear of anyone else who has been in a similar situation...

I have been made redundant from my job... Fairly well paid... Struggling to find similar employment so have applied for universal credit. I am a single mom with 1 toddler. I rent privately and can no longer afford to pay my rent ... It's is above the threshold for housing benefit ...
At the best I have enough by using my overdraft to cover my rent for around 6 more weeks. My contract is currently rolling monthly .
I have approached the local council for help as I am on the verge of becoming homeless.. I am waiting for an appointment to go in and discuss further . Does anyone know what my chances may be of getting a council/housing association property in the next month or so?. Would I be priority or not. And would I be made to sit in the property not paying rent until my landlord has to evict me?

Sorry for the long post but wanted to get all info in 😊

To add... I am not intent on staying on benefits I am desperately seeking work but I have been in the same industry for 12 years and there aren't many jobs in that industry at the moment

depends on the coucil, but many will not rehouse if you stop paying rent or leave voluntarily as that is ' intentionally homeless' ( yes, I know..) ask some very hard questions of the housing officer.

also speak to your landlord, they obviously cant let you stay for free but if there is a possibility of improvement soon it may not be worth the long and pricey eviction process. doesnt hurt to discuss.

Very tricky situation, if you do want a council property then my advice would be don't help yourself. Check with Shelter re the intentionally homeless rules. You can apply for HB of course but it will take ages to come through. What you could do is have a word on the quiet with your landlord and ask them to give you notice because they want their property back. Tell them you will soon run out of income and will have no choice but to wait for them to take you to court. Armed with a letter giving a date of eviction you are then homeless. Council won't help you before that date so use the last of your money on removals and storage and be prepared.

What part of the country are you in? Contact your council and ask now are there any assistance for preventing homelessness

Preventing homeless schemes are being set up to help in cases like yours and negotiate between landlord, estate agents

Hi ,
You need to have a frank conversation with your landlord , explain the situation and ask if they can reduce the rent , if you are a good tenant they may decide its better to reduce your rent than evict you and then have to have tye uncertainty of a new tenant.

Also the council will not rehouse you staight away the reality is you could find yourself miles away from your area in a B&b for 6 weeks in the first instance then moved into temp accommodation for up to 4 years. Plus once your in temp accom they can move you with very little notice to literally anywhere they like you are at the mercy of the Local authority to be honest make this your last resort its not fun and due to costs local authorities may house you out of the borough.
They do have to offer you an interview to talk about your threat of homelessness so i would ask the above questions.
Best bet is to work with the landlord or try and get a discretionary housing payment from the LA but they will want to see a record of all your outgoings and may not help if you are making payments towards debt or something they deem a luxury ie cable tv / mobile phone etc.

When you see the council, explain that you are unable to meet the shortfall between UC and the full rent. They may offer you a discretionary housing payment to bridge the gap for a short while.

Unless you're in one of the (few) areas in the country where council housing isn't in short supply, you won't get a council place. They will usually expect you to look for somewhere cheaper, and may be able to lend you rent in advance/deposit to help you move. Also make a claim for help with your council tax, you can get the form from the council and possibly apply online.

It's really important that you prioritise your rent over other debt and non-essentials like Sky and expensive phone contracts. People who are evicted because of rent arrears are deemed "intentionally homeless" and the council don't have a duty to house them.

Good luck, and I hope you find another job soon.