April 1st. Local Housing Allowance. Changes.

[LolaGraham]

I haven't thought about what to type but I just want to put it out there that there are really vulnerable people affected by this gravely and disproportionatly. My daughter is very happy we have had it unbearably hard and delt with many unlucky circumstances to finally find happiness, her school that she is enrolled to join is just 'there', my university is also 'right there', my friends and family whom I depend upon are within reach BUT now due to this government we are being kicked right out in the name of the new LHA rates. The choice to go elsewhere is there however the choice to go elsewhere also has a lower than average rate which is unrealistic and rediculous, there will nolonger be anywhere to rent whilst youre on housing benefit.

It is my biggest ambition and dream to be a GP, at the moment the qualifications I have will just about get me a job in retail which cannot look after my daughter and I. I have nothing which is why I depend on college and university to give me a working life.

Am I a bad person for being single, low earner on benefits?
Should I feel disgusted in myself that my ex walked out when I was pregnant?
Does the word welfare mean you're less of a person.

I live in Camden, North London and for anyone who is nearby I would love to hear from you IF you are also affected. Also for those who dont quite understand the impact OR those who are viciously ignorant to the genuine people in need, this link is a written message to Parliamant by Camden council. Id really appreciate if you read. Maybe then all will understand why I and others have been holding our little ones tight and crying wondering what is going to happen to our little roof over our heads.

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmworpen/memo/hb/hb71.htm

Is there anyone out there with an answer? If not, thank you for reading.

a desperately scared single mum :(
x

swallowedafly I just replied but didn't post your details, sorry:)

Sorry but you are wrong.

www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/benefits/help_with_your_rent_-_housing_benefit.htm#if_you_are_a_student

scroll to the section called if you are a student.

But she is not getting any more than she would just staying at home with her DC. Which will be perfectly entitled to do, without seeking work, until the child is 5. And as I explained before she is not getting £27K without working.

She is likely getting under £10K. For being a full-time single mum of a toddler. She doesn't need to work, nor should she have to. And she will probably need to be in serious debt at the end.

If you are talking about the cuts to allowances for poorer young students I also think these are also mistake, but that's another debate.

Student loans are made at a highly discounted interest rate (4.4% fixed term or 1.5% APR as compared to 18% + for career development loans - which she will probably end up having). Student loans have far more soft terms, you only have to repay how much you can afford, they can be deferred for far longer, and can, in some circumstances be cancelled. Not so a career development loan.

But I do not see the relevance of the comparison. Life is not fair, otherwise we wouldn't need a benefits system. I don't understand why, as a single mum you would not appreciate that?

And actually if "we" can afford to bail out banks, pay for millions for the Papal visit, pay huge amounts to the EU and for all the restructuring and spin, then I would prefer we had more of a meritocracy.

One where bright, proactive people at all levels representative of the UK population are represented and anyone has the chance to succeed and our children get the chance to go to university. Where I can ask my DD what she wants and include doctor, scientist, actress or journalist instead the only hope of this being if she gets on the X-factor or wins the lottery.

Isn't that what's really wrong with our society? A disaffected youth? If you crush hope then what's the point? We will end up with more unemployed, pot-smoking, computer games addicted career criminals.

Rant over.

I now have to go offline because it is my DD's bedtime.

I think the government are correct on this one. If you want to live in a nice expensive area then fine as long as you are paying for it. If you're not then why should the state pay hundreds a month when you could live in another area for far less.

Given the OP choose to have children before studying, is now living on benefits and having probably the bulk of her studies paid for its a tad ungrateful to expect it to be continued to be handed to her on a plate for nothing.

Plenty of people manage to study and work at the same time. If you choose not to and rely on other tax payers to pay the rent and a weekly income then you can hardly complain if you have to move area in order to have your bills fully covered.

I wouldnt say "really vulnerable people affected by this gravely" could be applied to the OP - vunerable people on benefits are those physcially disabled and cannot do any form of work - not a parent who chooses not to work.

swallowedafly
"she's getting it because she's staying home and looking after a child under 5 - not 'just staying home'. that's the grounds on which these things are paid to women with children under 5, that they are full time mum's. not that they deserve 5 years off to go study or do what they like but because they are caring for pre-school children."

Did you read the link I posted? Because it says differently. It appears OP is not the one who has not done her research. By your caring criteria a working mum should not be entitled to benefits as she is not full-time at home with to her kids. I think trying to better yourself to provide for your kids (and not be a long-term drain on the system makes perfect sense and is far more responsible than the alternative.

As a UK tax-payer of over 20 years standing I am happy with it. I am not happy with bailing out banks or paying politicians mortgages who have huge trust funds / inheritances and don't need to have one.)

I have explained my reasons for leaving this out, twice. I am not going into it again when you seem to be intent on smearing OP. What is your agenda?

HappyMumofOne - "Given the OP choose to have children before studying, is now living on benefits and having probably the bulk of her studies paid for its a tad ungrateful to expect it to be continued to be handed to her on a plate for nothing."

How can you possibly know her circumstances beyond what she has herself said? You simply cannot make that assumption. Qualify what you say please. Especially the bit about having the bulk of her studies paid for.

Querelous - I totally agree.

Everyone's making out like the OP choosing to study for a profession whilst having a young child is a bad thing. I don't get it?!

By the way, before I explain, I didn't choose to have children before I studied. I'm going back to uni for a year from September - I will be paying the full fees like anyone else - they are not at a discounted rate. All of my bursary that I will receive is because I am choosing to teach mathematics - again everyone receives this bursary not just single parents.

I will be using my full bursary to pay for childcare. My course is intense so I cannot get paid work whilst doing it - it is not because I am lazy that I would not.

Now are you telling me that I am wrong to peruse my ambition of becoming a teacher because my DD will only be 1? I should accept that I an living on benefits until she goes to school? Also, me become a teacher will benefit society (all be it in a small way) - but I know that I am a damn good teacher! Do you not believe that if I need a bit of help with my rent for one year I should get it? Considering u will be educating and helping thousands if children in my lifetime? And ppaying thousands in taxes?

*I will be educating .... Obviously not u!

OP which year of study are you in?

I am also a lone parent living in london on a student bursary - though my hb won't be affected as my rent is very cheap.

I have found that the bursary provided is actually very generous, and together with ctc and cb I have money left over each month.

How much is your rent over hb? You should have enough left over to cover this, no need to drop out. I suggest looking at all your outgoings and budgeting if not, the grants really are ample.

Also your university will have hardship funds/opportunity funds and as a lp you will have priority access to these, if you don't already receive money from them.

Please don't drop out! Feel free to pm me if you want any support as we are in the same situation

swallowedafly

"IS is there for people who are job seeking, are working but income is still below the threshold and for mum's who are not working but are looking after pre school children."

I think you are confusing job seekers allowance:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Employedorlookingforwork/DG_10018757

With Income Support which has no criteria for job-seeking:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018708

I know what I am talking about because I have been living on living on Income Support for a year (though I get the interest paid on my mortgage instead of HB). I also see single mums in the same boat a couple of times a week, and have in the past worked with residents on what were then some of London's worst sink estates.

I think the coalition govt, who have introduced these cuts and many others, to the most vulnerable members of society are completely clueless about what it means to actually live on these benefits. And clueless about what the long-term impact will be.

I think you have been sucked in by their spin because you, like they, don't really understand the nuances of a system that was not perfect to begin with but is being made considerably worse by these cuts.

"i don't understand what you are arguing. do you really think we could afford to pay 13K in rent for every student in this country or do you think she should get it whilst other students don't or what? i'm lost."

I have never suggested that. In my view the the housing cap changes (which are unrealistic, short-termist and stupid see OP's link - which you have not addressed) are, and should remain, a separate issue to student funding for LP's. A very few people will cross-over into both camps - your suggestion is disproportionate.

This is not every student, and so few LP's will take this route or can get in to do medicine I don't think it is an issue. Personally I would rather support her now and help her, and her kid, get out of a system that keeps people trapped in poverty.

Re:
"the op is talking about hb cap and the 'i want to be a gp' remains the same game as she never would have had her rent paid in full whilst studying anyway."

"from what i can work out op is not studying."

Please qualify these assertions.

Splashy what year are you in / hat qualification are you doing?

If she is studying full time and a lone parent then yes, she will get her full housing benefit paid. Obviously the council don 't pay for every student, but in the case of lone parents then yes they do. She can claim IS in the summer holiday but not term time. A lot of misinformation on this thread, but being a student makes the benefit system a bloody minefield ime. When I had dd I was studyign full time at university and the housing benefit department just didn't know their own policies

Thanks for the clarification BooBooGlass.

querelous

I'm in the final year of a medicine course.

Financially I consider myself doing well - I'm not extravagant but me and my dd have everything we need and I'm saving at the same time.

My rent is below the 30th percentile, as should all student's!

Also want to point out that I could make application to the university for further funding, but I don't because I don't need it.

swallowedafly
Nhs bursaries are from year 5 onwards of the course, before that student funding is the same as for any other undergraduate course with loans and bursaries from the slc.

Medicine is different from other courses in that in the clinical years study is more or less year round with very few holidays and hours are very long. I do love my course though, while it is extremely demanding, and look forward to graduating and supporting my dd myself

HappyMummy

Oh there's no shame on being on benefits, but people make damn sure you do feel ashamed for being on benefits. I worked, I paid taxes, I got very very ill and have been a single parent for a while now.

Despite that I have been made to feel like a scrounger for being on benefits.

OP, while I agree, this cap is badly thought through and unfair, I also see that the real problem has been the lack of forward planning in providing housing for all sectors of society. Expat is right. It isn't fair if working people can't afford to live in a place, while those on benefits can.

BTW, I am a lone parent. I work full time. This is the fourth year I have been studying with the OU towards a degree. Just because you are poor doesn't mean you can't achieve. Perhaps you just need to find another way to get where you want to go.

Keep fighting, don't let the buggers keep you down.

Off-topic slightly (I will also post in AIBU and legal help) but this thread inspired me to phone my mortgage company to see what is happining with the changes in the interest rate calculation (I have not had a letter about the changes and am due to finish the year's interest only deal I got into when my husband left).

My interest payments have dropped by just under half but still cover the interest -just - though not the ground rent or full service charge (which I have to find from my IS/ ChB / CTC).

I am a LP and my daughter is not due to start "big" school until September. And I have been applying for around 3 jobs p/w since finishing my MA. And still have (big scary debts, I also have MS).

Though I may be able to extend for a maximum of 6 months (until September when DD gets slowly introduced to school), I cannot switch to interest only mortgage due to not having a vehicle to repay the capital balance in place at the end of the mortgage term and being on repayment terms and IS I cannot access mortgage support scheme. I will not be able to top up the payments so I am told the only thing I can do is let a housing association buy my property and rent it back from them.

This would mean losing my deposit and 5 years worth of repayments as value has fallen / it would take me out of IS for a short while.

Given that I got my deposit as an inheritance after being a full-time, unpaid carer (not claiming carers allowance) for 4 years for a, now deceased, relative with cancer AIBU to see this as theft / a land grab and to think I should, at least, have recieved a letter about how much the change would affect my mortgage?

And with legal aid soon to be unobtainable there wont be a damned thing I can do about it.

My Conservative MP (who recieved a multi million pound bequest from his mum when she died) lives in a £2.7M house in the village I grew up in but could no way afford to live in now - and yet we pay the interest on his mortgage! Still think we are All In This Together?