Council Housing. Housing Benefit. Single Parent. Housing Advice.

[Katie28Love]

Hi. I am a 22 yr old single working mum with a 3 year old boy. I work full time, the little one goes to childminder 8 till 6 everyday and she takes him to playschool etc. anyways...I'm living with my parents at the moment in a cramped house. I live in Maidstone, work in Ashford.

My problem is:I need to move out of my parents. Theres no way i can afford a mortgage or Shared Ownership with the salary i have at the moment.

Therefore I only have 2 options. 1.Go on Ashford Council Housing Register and wait till they eventually find me something. 2.Private rent a flat in Ashford and apply to Housing benefit to help with Rent, bills, council tax etc.

However, I am not sure how much financial help i can get, if they will help with private renting, if there are any landlords who would want me as a tenant (because of benefits). Theres loadsa questions....Its all confusing

I hope some of you lovely ladies might have some advice for me. I dont know what im entitled to, or which questions to ask when I am at the Housing Benefit/Council Housing Offices. I am going next week. I cant wait to move out of my parents!

Thanks for your help x

do you claim working tax credits? i was a full time working single parent and my childcare costs were covered by the amount of wtc i got, and i was on a reasonable salary too.

not sure you would be elligible for any benefits if working ft, or were you planning on giving up your job?

also, not sure what the housing situation is like where you are, but my DS and i were sharing a bedroom in my parents house which put us at the top of the council list and i got the keys to a nice flat within a couple of weeks of applying. this was in scotland

Yea, i already get working & child tax credits, its the help with rent etc which im all confused about. One of my friends have said that if i get into a private rented flat somewhere then apply for housing benefit they will help me, does anyone know if this is true? x

Hi Katie - yes, anyone can apply for housing and council tax benefit, whether you're working, private or council renting etc. How much you get towards it will depend on your total weekly income. It may or may not also depend on the amount of rent you have to pay (depends on the area you are in, don't know about Ashford, sorry). The council people should be able to do a calculation and let you know roughly how much you will be entitled to and how it will be paid - take your working tax credit notices with you, plus your child benefit letter and also your pay slips (at least 5 if you are paid weekly, 2 if you are paid monthly).

Some areas pay the benefit directly to the tenant - so you may be able to sign up for a house without discussing the fact you are on benefit with the landlord. Talk to letting agents in your area - they may be able to help. Good luck, hope you find somewhere & get some help.

I think it would be unlikely you would get housing benefit if you are working full time. i did a quick "google" and found this benefits calculator.

Hope it helps.

You could always try Citizens Advice to find out where you stand.

Good Luck

Thanks for your help guys! fingers crossed for Tuesday morning x x x x

you also put on the hb form the ammont you pay out in childcare,

i work part time and do get hb, not much but it helps.

are there any housing associastion near you? think you would be quite a priority to move if you are sharing with child...
and at least if you get council or housing assoc, you know that you can stay there as long as you want to, the rent will also be less than with a private landlord.

best of luck

You can do a pre-tenancy determination. You get the form from the local authority. When you find a property you want to rent, you take the form to the landlord and he completes his section. You fill in another section and take it back to the local authority. They will pass it on to the rent officer who will determine how much of the rent will be covered by housing benefit.

Two disadvantages to this: 1. the landlord will know that you need HB and some are difficult about this, and 2. the whole process takes about 2 weeks, during which time the landlord may have found another tenant.

Your local council website may have a benefit calculator...so put in all your details, plus rent money that the places you are looking at are after and see what pops up.
If your council website mine has...tunbridge wells.