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Original poster

Council housing for a working single mother

19 replies

ladymacc · 21/10/2024 16:07

Hi all,

My sister has recently found out she is pregnant and she is currently living with her partner in his parents home.

The two of them work and could put their money to rent privately but for some reason my sister thinks it's a man's job to pay for bills and rent, so moving out isn't an option with just her husbands salary. So they are going to raise their baby is his parents house.

My sister has been saying that once baby is born she will apply for a council house on her own as single mother. Rather than go homeless she wants to claim over crowding and housing wants to bid on a house. She works full time earning about 26k a year.

How likely is it for her to get a council property? I think my sister is crazy btw and I'm not happy that she won't help her husband with renting so that they can just be independent.

Any advice ?

OP posts:
Nonametonight · 21/10/2024 16:12

Vanishingly unlikely. Even people in top banding in homelessness hostels have to wait years and years to get anything in a lot of areas. Besides which, by bidding as a single person while living with a partner she is making a fraudulent application.

No doubt after a few months living with her in laws she'll decide paying towards the rent somewhere isn't so bad after all

Needmorelego · 21/10/2024 16:20

She might get a council property - when her baby is about 12 years old 😂
Sorry but she's clueless.

SquashPenguin · 21/10/2024 16:22

She'll get one..... once the kid is in senior school probably.

Overthebow · 21/10/2024 16:22

But she won't be single? Or is she divorcing him?

Notmanyleftnow · 21/10/2024 16:23

Tell her to watch "How to Get a Council House" on YouTube. She is extremely, vanishingly unlikely to be allocated one.

urbanbuddha · 21/10/2024 16:24

Before she can even apply to go on the council waiting list she’ll have to have been living in the same borough for 5 (?) years ?, maybe 3. Some councils, like Southwark, are moving homeless families out of the borough to the NE of England with 2 weeks notice.

Willsnbills · 21/10/2024 16:25

So is she planning on leaving her husband first or is she just pretending to be a single mother?

NeverDropYourMooncup · 21/10/2024 16:27

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

That didn't work in the 1990s, never mind now.

She'll be told that she's adequately housed.

Keepingittogetherstepbystep · 21/10/2024 16:29

Tell her to watch I, Daniel Blake. It's unlikely to have got any better since that was filmed.

Larrythebloodycat · 21/10/2024 16:40

Your sister needs to wise up. Her housing situation is very precarious. What is her plan if her partner, or his parents, decide they don't want her there? Which is a distinct possibility if she is as irritating as she sounds.

ExhaustedHousewife · 21/10/2024 16:55

Surely she will need to say she's living with her in laws,therefore making her suitably housed?

Trinity65 · 21/10/2024 17:52

Would possibly depend where she lives I suppose.

London ? Not a chance.

InformEducateEntertain · 21/10/2024 22:07

There's 40,000 households on the housing waiting list in Lambeth. I would say that if you live somewhere similar the chances are zero to nil.

Florencelatsy · 21/10/2024 22:14

They'll tell her to private rent or she'll be really low on the housing list. I asked our local council to help me years ago (genuine single mother with housing need) they said they'd put me in temporary accommodation 100 miles from where I worked. I asked how I'd go to my job they said "If you have no home you go where we put you, you don't worry about a job." Great thanks. Been in private rental since. Applied again recently to get on the list for social housing and told "You're in affordable accommodation." If she's happy to give up her job and move miles away she might get on the wait list, otherwise no hope!

InfoSecInTheCity · 21/10/2024 22:21

Oh dear, she's in for some harsh realisations.

For a start a baby doesn't count as a person for overcrowding rules. When they turn 1, up to 19 yrs they count as half a person. They only start counting as a full person after age 10.

Then, from an overcrowding perspective it's not just about bedrooms, it counts any room that can be slept in, so if the house has a living room that could hold a sofa bed then it's a room.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housingadvice/repairs/checkkifyourrhomeissovercrowdedbyylaw

Then there's the whole, but she's not actually a single mother thing.

PinkArt · 24/10/2024 22:23

Each borough will vary slightly, but the waiting list in Haringey is 12 years long. She's going to be in for a rude awakening.

bridesmaid1024 · 24/10/2024 22:35

In my local borough - a London one -
A) she would be counted as suitably housed; even with her in laws - and therefore wouldn't even make it onto the council waiting lists to be able to bid
B) baby doesn't count as a person until 10 - therefore not needing their own room so will be expected to share with mother
C) she earns too much to be eligible for the list
D) they would tell her to use living rooms / dining rooms as bedrooms - therefore not overcrowded

The current wait time for a 2 bed place in my borough is currently 15 years lol .....

her plan is flawed and ridiculous.

cestlavielife · 25/10/2024 19:48

They will offer her a place. Don't worry.

In scunthorpe

Supersimkin7 · 25/10/2024 20:47

She’ll get caught faking it, for a start. Councils send people round now.

Oh, and she’s not homeless ie in a small-boats hotel or a DV hostel. They come first.

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