Advice with housing....

[Silverwave]

I’m currently living with my parents. My little one is 14 months, Dad isn’t around!
I’ve been finding it very difficult living with my parents as they foster, it’s a very busy house.. there’s 11 people in total.
I clash with my Mum which has been having an effect on my mental health.

Anyway, i worked full time before having little one and I’ve always worked up until now because putting little one in child care would mean paying for someone and not make any/ much money, the numbers just don’t add up.

Im registered for a council house but phoned the council to see what my options were. With my situation they said I’m priority, however with the shortage of social housing they’ll help me with a private rental, otherwise it could take up to 3 years for a council house.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Yes...they're all struggling with housing stock. There's just not enough. I would accept their help with private rental. The good thing about renting with help from the council is that the landlords are more often likely to be long-term letters...not always but more often.

So you wont be asked to move because they want to sell the house as often.

They will pay your deposit and help you find a landlord willing to let to tenants on benefits.

They often also give you help to furnish it...many councils have access to stores of second hand furniture and white goods which are very cheap.

Move into a private let...you can stay on the waiting list for a council house...they're very good OP. Get the ball rolling.

Hope you are able to get your own home soon.

I would explore returning to work though. If you are entitled to UC. They can pay up to 85% of your childcare cost.

Also have you put in for child support from the child father?

No I would stay on housing list and look for properties you can bid on that require local connection. You are bidding aren't you? Private renting gives you no security of tenure.

If you are privately housed you will be low banding if you are even allowed to remain on housing list.

Agree about looking at universal credit as working you would have a high work allowance at mo of £503 as no housing costs reducing to £287 allowance if you have housing costs. They then reduce your remaining earnings using an earnings taper of 63%.
The earnings taper rate is currently 63%. This means for every pound you earn over your work allowance (see above) your Universal Credit will be reduced by 63 pence. ... Deduct your monthly work allowance, which is the amount you can earn without your benefit being affected.

You also get 85% of your childcare costs.

Work is worthwhile both financially and mentally.

Claim maintenance too. It's fully disregarded and father should take responsibility for his child regardless of access.

well makes good points but if op refuses private let through council they can just as likely take her off their list because she's not accepted their help.

3 years really isn’t a long wait for a council house depending on where you live sadly. In London for example

Thats not how housing registers work unless they are looking at homelessness which OP isn't.

Ensure all parishes you can prove local connection are listed in your application too and bid wisely.

Well they all work differently. I was taken off my local housing list because I was not deemed to be in enough need....they didn't have to justify their decision. At the time I was living in a damp one bed-roomed flat which was on a second floor and had no lift...I am disabled. They only saw that they had too many on the list and wanted to shorten it. I was weeded out because I had a home as they saw it. I'd always kept to their rules of bidding on properties.

Each Council have their own policy but if you can prove that your housing situation is affecting you and your young child significantly then you have a right to go in and make a homeless application and they will make a Housing Plan with you. In my situation the housing officer was reluctant to offer me temporary housing as there was no threat of violence (she clearly needed educating on dv as it’s not just physical), however, after a lot of pressure (and contacting my ex who wasn’t impressed!!!) I was offered temp accommodation in a tiny bedthe housing officer wanted me to work out my budget (which I did) and look for private rented. I argued why private rented wasn’t an option for me and eventually I was placed in band A, priority for housing and after three months I got my own place. I had to take what they offered whereas if I could have stayed at my ex’s for a little longer I would have been band b with the option of being selective when bidding, however, there was no way we (ds aged 21 months) could have stayed any longer and I decided to make the best of a bad situation. I work full time, my ds is in nursery and I claim UC which helps enormously. I still live with borrowed furniture and I have no backup if my ds or I are sick as my family live far away so it’s tough and at times lonely but I know it was the right thing to do.
Sorry a bit long... best of luck xx