Au pairs and married quarters

[LadyShapes]

I posted this in childcare, but it should be here really.

We live in forces accommodation and I was thinking about the possibility of employing an au pair when I go back to work. The only problem is our house is only 3 bedrooms and I need one of those for my office, as I work from home. Does anyone know if we'd be entitled to a 4 bed house with only one child, but an au pair as well?

PS My DH isn't an officer which, knowing how these things work, probably makes it impossible!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childminders_nannies_au_pairs_etc/1257545-Married-quarters-and-au-pairs/AllOnOnePage#26389491

I think you could need to call the HIC, I think it depends on whether they have any larger houses spare but have a look on page 19/20 here , it's worth a try.

That's great, thanks! I'll definitely contact the powers that be closer to the time, but have just started looking into childcare and going back to work options.

The fact that they don't consider a child over 18 when it comes to housing, I very much doubt they'll give you an extra house (unless they have surplus) for the reason of an au pair.

The fact you have one room as an office means that the au pair could have one, you and dh the other and dc the other. I think they would say the office could go in the dining room etc.

Oh - just read the above link so I guess they would consider it.
However, I think that if it's above entitlement, you can be made to give it up for someone coming in who has that entitlement (but not 100% sure).

over 18s are still considered if they are in education.

I am a nanny in MQ's my boss used to live in a 2 bed and when I was employed was given a 3 bed.

Where are you LAdyShapes? If you are in an area where there is great pressure on housing then they wil say no. 4 beds are in great demand, many people entitled to a 4 bed are in hirings, so giving you a 4 bed and paying for someone else to live in a hiring cannot be justified. I think they are more happy to give you one extra bedroom for an au pair but as you effectively already have a spare IME they won't be falling over themselves to help you out.

I think it really does depend where you are based. I think you might find it difficult to aquire a 4bed, if you were looking for a 3bed it may not be sooooo hard, but obviously the ratio of 4 bed MQ's to families isn't as high as say 3beds. Only known one person get a 4bed, and thats because they had 2 kids and another very imminent, and the wife had a struggle on her hands as they were reluctant to move the family down the road when the batallion were being reloacted within 6 months. That was in an area where there were many houses just standing empty. I think roughly 50% of the MQ's were not occupied.
Hope you find a good au pair!

I think LeonardNimoy is right. You have a spare room for the au pair, albeit one you are using as an office, so they may well find it difficult to justify giving you a 4 bed quarter

Very much doubt it

to be honest (and I say this in the nicest possible way ), I would be a bit if our family missed out on a 4 bed quarter as per the entitlement because a 1 child family below entitlement had had been given a 4 bed for their au pair - is that just me?

"I would be a bit if our family missed out on a 4 bed quarter as per the entitlement because a 1 child family below entitlement had had been given a 4 bed for their au pair - is that just me?"

Ditto. Especially as we have three children - no spare rooms for an office/study in this household!

Mind you, we're doing fine in our own home right now but we're contemplating moving back into MQ's (depending on postings etc).

A request for bigger house to enable an au pair to have her own room would be considered sympathetically, but not if you already have a spare bedroom that you are choosing to use for something else. Nothing to do with rank, just fairness/common sense.

IMO housing allocations is very messed up all over the UK.
We live in South East England HIC Aldershot, I live in a Type D house 4 beds,as per entitlement, most of my neighbours are single soldiers living in the houses as SSSA because the mess has no availability!

I could understand if 4 single soldiers lived in one house but according to HIC the rules dictate that only 1 soldier can occupy??? Total utter madness and a gross waste of money. SSSA require that all utility costs are met by MoD, needless to say the soldiers have heating on and all lights burning at all times!

swinging cat here up in the North West we have 4 houses that have been turned into a mess annex, they are at the end of a street and right next to the guard room They have then put some families in hirings as there are no houses available saying that they get rid of 4 soldiers into one house a family into a hiring which is cheaper than 4 soldiers in separate hirings.

I'm very at the full time nanny/au pair phrasing. Excellent example of how govt depts need to talk to each other...