how easy it to get a council house......

[mum2sam]

im currently living in married quarters, have a ds and another on the way. Things are not working out with dh and me and i want to leave but im scared as i have nowhere to live if dh and i break up. How do i go about getting housing will i have to get divorced first before im entitled or can we just seperate. I just want to be settled with the kids. And how do i go about leaving him-who do i see about benefits and entitlements as i dont work.

I've been sharing a room with dd at my parents for the last 14 months, on 2 local council lists, top priority with one who took into consideration that i was fleeing domestic violence, but no joy in sight. I really don't want the insecurity of private renting. Basically you have to tell the council you have to move, whether evicted or some other reason that makes it impossible for you to stay (but they need proof, ie get someone (your h/the people in charge of the mqs?) to write an eviction letter with a deadline for moving out). Divorce papers will help. If you're in mqs away from home, think about applying to councils near your family so you can have their practical support- they should accept you if you have relations there.

how are you getting on? I currently have all the forms and OMG there's bloody loads of paper work. really there is i've been filling them in for the last hour and a half. down here you apply then express an intrest when the house in your area comes up not sure what happens after that - I assume it works on a points system but will let you know

also here I have to have links to the council I want to move to (assume so they know someone's paying the council tax lol)

Munz so sorry to hear whats happened. If I can help you at all please call me. CM working with shoshable. Thought I hadn't seen you for a while and with everything else thats happened.... If you need to get anything sorted in an aft the free offer is there for Joey.

ta chick, we're down at mums right now sorting out things here before coming back up - what can I say he's a twat - but tbh it's better for me here took a week to realise it but things can only get better now.

mums2sam if you turn up at your local homelessneww unit, kids in tow, telling them there is no way you can go back, you are at risk of domestic violence, and have no where to go, then you will be in priorty need as a mum with kids. it will depend where you live whether you are then put into a B&B for a while while they find you somewhere suitable, or whether they put you straight away into decent housing. whatever you do, don't do wha i did and scrape together a deposit for privbate rented and claim housing benefit - this is an almnost inescapable trap as once you are housed, even in a tiny over priced awful place, the council have no duty to house you as a priority and so you will wait, literally years before being rehoused.
good luck - it'll be worht it in the end!

pscmum - that's what my council said today - find a pte rent and get the deposit yourself - when I said I was unable to she said well then ask your parents if they can.

say no, parents can't. don't have any money / not willing to give. the law on this is quite clear. Theyu have a duty to house you if you are a vulnerable person (which parents of yoiung kids are) who is homeless tho not intentionally. you are the classic case of priority need. if they don;'t have any houses, then you have to wait, and go into B&B, but I'd say its worth it - if you go into a B&B for a month, yes its shit for a month, but then you have permanent housing, a long term tenancy, for subsidised rent, and you can really build a life for yourself knowingt you won't have to move.
NOt sure you will want ot say - but where are you?

we're in the south. I told them today that my parents couldn't help out with housing/finances (a lie they could but then they'd be short them selves iycwim). they will go guarentor thou for us.

m2s - the lady today basically said to me (well she actually did) say you don't have a 28 day notice of eviction so we won't help you until you have that in december, followed by the MOD are usually good they won't evict you. then followed on by if you find your own housing then that will save you going through our scheme but she did agree to put me on the list wiht the understnading that we were bottom of the pile as we had a house already for the next 3 months.

re staying in the B&B I am prepared to do that if it's local to here - for 4 weeks we'll amke do - even if it means we only sleep there and are here for the rest of the time. as you say not ideal but a means to an end.

mum today said one of her friends had to put their house on the market after her DD and GC's came back to live with them before the local autority would house the DD and LO's as the mother said she was evicting them and needed to have the proof.

councils make people do all sorts of things that they are not legally supposed to do. they have to house homeless people. the only proof they need from someone in your situation, esp if you mentioned domestic violnce, is your say so. I'd go back there will all your bags and baggage and say you have nowhere to go. call theire bluff. they'll find you something.
if that is too much for you to manage - and i totally undrerstand how it would be - then get a decision in writing from them setting out why you don't qualify, then take it to a housing solicitor, who will then write them a nasty letter, and then they will house you. bastards.

Oh I was also suffering from PND which was a factor.