Discretionary housing payments

[Mumbackonherfeet]

Hi everyone, I’m here because I need some help, I’ve been advised to make a claim with my local council for a discretionary housing payment due to the fact I’ve been found a property by the homelessness team in a council with higher rent rates than the council I am coming from. Costs are also already significantly higher than expected.

before accepting and signing tenancy this property was very affordable (during the affordability assessments estimates are given for amenities and services), however upon signing the tenancy and registering for council tax, water and energy costs are in some cases triple the price that was calculated as an estimate, for example the property hasn’t been moved into but between the 16th and 31st of December the energy bill is £40 and the water is £59 with everything off? I’ve also been billed £400 for council tax for 3 months due payable on the 30th of this and next month.

this property is meant to be a fresh start for myself and the little one with me geared to return to university in September (before falling ill I was geared to be an MD), but a combination of Ill health and fleeing domestic violence has led us here. It looks as though we won’t be able to afford staying here and I will either not be able to heat the home or fall into debt, I do not want to make a claim so early in my tenancy and really do want to be back on my feet, does asking for a dhp reflect badly on a person?

my initial claim for UC is due to the fact that I am now chronically unwell having had at least one surgery every year since 2011 bar 2016 and claiming a dhp seems a step backwards. I’m using the little I’ve managed to save over the last 8 years plus the UC payment I received at midnight to pay this months rent as my housing costs haven’t been updated yet. As of midnight I have £4.06 to my name, with none of those bills paid.

id appreciate any advice or any organisation that can offer advice, I cannot sleep and this is giving me anxiety and insomnia, I’ve already tried refuge but as we now have a property we’re no longer in acute need of their help and they have since have been lacklustre.

thank you, please no judgement.

It’s ESW I’m with

I don’t plan to be reliant on it, I plan to be back in education as I was before, I saved AND budgeted correctly only for costs to be thrown at me left right and centre.

thanks to this thread my energy account has been credited, I have a discount on council tax that I wasn’t aware I was even eligible for and i had already fully furnished two rooms with my savings before finding out I could have been assisted with that. I’ve been responsible and don’t plan to stop now, I need a short cover and some levelling to get back to my centre, that’s it.

I’ve never needed help before this, I just need some help, it doesn’t mean I won’t be able to be on my feet.

Ok, ESW will give a discount of up to 50% depending on your income and they can fit a water meter if that would be better value for you. Give them a call or live chat with them and ask, explain you're on UC but have your income details ready.

I know you're getting council tax discount but have you looked at council tax reduction (not the same thing) - depending on your income again you may not have to pay all or any of it.

Hi Guys
This got me wanting to bang my head against the wall.
I fled demestic violence two years ago and eventually got a house for me and my beautiful baby girl, well she's six now but yeah.
This was council property and my housing officer set my housing benefits up on universal credit.

However the council also came back a few weeks later saying I wasn't a tenant at the address given. When questioned by my support worker they said I gave the wrong address, however the adress given was the address I was living at. I screenshotted everything. This still carried on for over a year back an forth during this time I was suffering really bad with PTSD and my mental health was getting worse. So after a year agruging I was tenant at the address I got evicted through section 21 so even though it was 'no fault ' of my own they had grounds to evicted me.

So I went to stay temporary accommodation my support worker was worried about me on my own as I hardly go out side as I get flash backs and it's seizures so she took my friend to stay with me on the first night so someone apart my little girl is there when I have a seizure, I was open about this to council as i didn't know i was doing anything wrong but got kicked out temporary accommodation the second day.
So I didn't want effect my baby girl so whilst I try a sort thing she is with my sister for a week but she has kids of her own and is already overcrowded.

I've gone social services however they haven't been able get involved untill recently as they my child is loved and looked after very well.
They are involved now but their not sure what to do either.

I'm worried sick I miss my little girl and feel the worse mum ever.

Can anyone give me any advice.

I have documents to show I kept claim rent the council kept rejecting it .

You need to start your own thread and copy & paste what you've put here, you'll get a lot more responses x