Why is there such a stigma about being a single parent on benefits

[starshaker]

Im trying to move house and its a nightmare. Anywhere i like they dont accept housing benefit. Its not my choice to be on benefit but with 3 young children its impossible for me to work.

These are the projected rates for england BTW.

www.voa.gov.uk/LHADirect/Documents/LHA_percentile_rates_Feb_2011.html

You may be able to gain a rough idea by going on the current weekly rates and finding a similarly-priced area in England and comparing. Aberdeen was £173.08 and West Lothian was £138.46 if you want the weekly figures.

Now that is interesting, if your a single Dad you are a hero, a single Mum? you're a loser, a failure, a bum. So wrong but so true.

I'm ignorant, what the feck has it got to do with a landlord whether you are claiming benefits or not? Surely as long as you agree to pay the rent, and then actually pay it, where you get the money from is none of their business?!

I've met people who automatically assume Mums with kids on benefits have kids just to claim benefits and we are all called Vicky Pollard but surely this is the minority (heads up own bums)?

mmsmum - as a landlord a tenants finances are my business. if they default on the rent and then refuse to move out it can take months to go through the legal process and evict someone - from memory its 6 months plus. same if you have a tenant thats damaging the property.

the landlord still has to pay the mortgage during this period with no income coming in.

by definition someone on HB is presumably not flush and there's probably no point taking them to court as you will not be able to get an attachment to earnings or property order - so wouldn't get your money anyway

instead of blaming landlords - who are probably doing this for a pension and are not a charity, you should be blaming the bad tenants who don't pay rent and cause damage.

Do any landlords take the time to meet you or do they just dismiss you over the phone?

dreamingofsun it is disappointing that you see renting to single mums as a charitable cause. Are bad tenants who don't pay rent and cause damage all single mums on benefits? Are you just tarring everyone with the same brush? Just so you know I'm not blaming anyone for anything but wonder why you are so defensive?

she's not at all defensive, mms. sorry, but more ll's homeowners' insurance don't cover people on benefits that is how it is.

'I'm ignorant, what the feck has it got to do with a landlord whether you are claiming benefits or not? Surely as long as you agree to pay the rent, and then actually pay it, where you get the money from is none of their business?!'

It's entirely their business! For one, their homeowner's insurance may not cover tenants on benefits. It's also been pointed out that if there's any issue with the tenant's HB entitlement, teh council comes back and pursues the LL for the money. That's a huge risk. That could amount to thousands of pounds.

Secondly, every place I have ever rented privately requires credit/financial checks and/or proof of finance.

If you had a house, would you let any random person move in just because they said, 'Yeah, I'll pay the rent.'

Are bad tenants who don't pay rent and cause damage all single mums on benefits?

Single mothers on benefits are the scurge of society, they get pg on purpose to get housing and then have as many dcs as they can, have cosmetic surgery with our taxes and have fabulous holidays. Obviously we should marginalise this terrible group of humans, and the fathers should be allowed to go around having children with whoever they want, accept no responsibility for them, and be upheld as decent members of the community....it's not their fault if they get suckered into having sex and babies...who knew that you can get a woman pg by having sex?

When are we, as a society, going to recognise the real demons in the 'single parent' poverty trap....it is rarely the women left holding the baby.

Posie, when it comes to housing, as Niceguy pointed out, anyone on benefits faces the situation the OP is in, even those who are working and in receipt of some HB.

Not to mention, LL's can state 'no children' and refuse to let to people with children living with them.

As far as housing/private renting goes, it doesn't matter if you're a single mum or dad, a bloke on his own or a working poor family, if you're in receipt of housing benefit, it's going to be a struggle.

Okay but the OP was talking about single mothers and whilst I appreciate the practical situation of housing is the same for all on benefits, the moral judgement is very poor for single mothers and not for single fathers.

Haven't time to read all this, but I've been there. Agree with the people who say 'go for the area you get most support'. It's pointless living in a fairly affluent area if you won't feel at home.

You could always do what I did, of course:

(kind of wrong, but not really)

When pregnant, I put a large jumper on and went to an independent estate agent in the area I wanted to rent in. Told them I was self employed and needed two bedrooms as one was for an office. Didn't tell them ANYTHING about the HB. I got a reference from my accountant who knew my business was closing, but omitted that bit, just testified that I had been earning x for 'x' amount of time. That seemed good enough for the agents, combined with references from previous landlords. I had an overdraft facility with my bank that I used to make sure I had all the cash they wanted to move in.

You can afford to be more confident. At the end of the day, as long as the rent is paid in full, on time, then they will have absolutely no reason to query it. They've got plenty of houses on their books with paid working people who are lazy with the rent or who lose their jobs. Get some references in writing, and approach independent landlords/agents. Tell them you're self-employed (kind of true), so no paycheques to show. Just get something in writing to prove you've been a good tenant in the past. They just want the rent in.

Hold your head high, lovie. You're being responsible in raising 3 future tax payers.

And yes, I know it's a shameful indictment on our society that I 'had' to do this, but we've got a long way to go before society gets more enlightened. So more discussions about this kind of discrimination really helps.

And next time an agent or landlord turns you away, it's good to remember that one day they'll be as vulnerable as a newborn again, and they'd better hope that whoever is taking care of them at that time is not one of your kids who recognises them.

Don't tell 'em. There's such a thing as being too honest.

mmsum

so far we've had a single mum not on benefits who owed 1.2k in rent and a young couple who damaged most of the doors. i got an attachment to earnings order for the former and the parents paid for the latter's damage. if it had been a single or married couple who weren't earning, with no property they owned then i would have been nearly 2k out of pocket - which is nearly 4 months mortgage.

i am happy to rent to anyone who is low risk. give me a single mother on HB who has a gaurantor, a job, or a property they own and i would happily rent to them. like most landlords

being a landlord is basically lending one of your most valuable assets to someone you don't know. and if all tenants met their side of the bargin there would be no problem

all those people making comments about helping the vulnerable - how would you feel if a stranger came up and asked to borrow your car?

I don't think it is the landlord's fault. But it just goes to show that private renting doesn't work for everyone. There will always be a need for social housing, unless more homes are built and housing prices go down significantly.

I have issues with the whole idea of using housing stock to create a 'nest egg' anyway. I know it's a side issue, but I think it is wrong that so many people are priced out of the property market so forced to pay other more fortunate people's mortgage on a buy to let. It just means the middle classes and rich get richer, while the poor stay forever poor, paying for the richer people's retirement, with only expectations of poverty for themselves. This is more relevant in regards to the working poor, rather than those one benefits.

Sorry but in my area a guarantor means nothing. I have one who earns more than enough for the properties I am interested in but I am turned down again and again. Single mum on HB, 4 1/2 month old DD, no thanks!

Regarding house insurance I would have thought landlords insurance would have convered any tenant regardless of benefit or not, it's a shame it doesn't. And yes, if I were in a position to let out my house I wouldn't have a problem with where someones income comes from. Credit checks and income checks are fine, but that's just what they should be, why differentiate between people because of where that income comes from? Besides isn't benefit income more secure than income from employment? There is also the fact that many mothers would be financially better off on benefits than working. And lastly, I thought, in Scotland at least, when you apply for housing benefit it is paid to the claimant who should then pass it on to their landlord, so why would the council chase the landlord for over payments? I'm not attacking anyone so don't be defensive, just curious as to why people are being discriminated against unfairly.

"give me a single mother on HB who has a gaurantor, a job, or a property they own and i would happily rent to them. like most landlords"
But if they had a job or owned their own property they wouldn't need to rent from you would they?

So what are mums supposed to do? What if you were to separate from your husband and had to find somewhere else to live only to find no one will rent to you?

I experienced this problem and having spoken to a number of agents its because of insurance.

Standard insurance doesn't cover people on benefits because apparently 'its free money'.

'Credit checks and income checks are fine, but that's just what they should be, why differentiate between people because of where that income comes from?'

Because it's already been pointed out that in instances where it's found, sometimes years later, that there's been a mistake wrt HB, the council pursues that landlord for the monies. They know they won't get the money from benefits claimant and/or that the landlord is an easier target.

'Regarding house insurance I would have thought landlords insurance would have convered any tenant regardless of benefit or not, it's a shame it doesn't. And yes, if I were in a position to let out my house I wouldn't have a problem with where someones'

It's because statistically, HB tenants are higher risk for damaging the property.

It's not nice, but statistically it's a factor.

expat I am pretty shocked that councils can go to landlords to claim back hb, that's a rotten rule and completely unfair. They should go to the person that claimed the money!

So what do you suggest people do then if they find themselves in the same situation as the op?

I'd try to contact the LL myself as much as possible. First, I'd try more local ads, Gumtree, etc. Then, every single agency in town and do like that one poster, go in there every single week.

hissy - if there were more better alternatives to funding a pension, people would never become landlords. to give someone access to one of your most costly investments and have so little control over how they treat it is not a nice thing to do. interviewing people is horrid - from both sides i know.

Why don't you give your local "shelter" charity a call, they usually have a list of land lords who will accept housing benefit.
As will your local housing officer.
I don't like that it's difficult to find a place to rent while on benefits, but you do have to understand that alot of the "type" on benefits, don't look after the houses, and wont pay the rent.

I know it's hard for genuine people, have you got good references from your previous landlords? This always helps.

dreamingofsun Just out of curiosity if some one passed all credit checks, and had fabulous references from previous land lords, but was on HB would you still class them as high risk?

(not a dig am just curious) i absolutely understand where you're coming from, but then again have never been in the same situation as the OP was lucky enough to get a HA property why i had to give up work.