Homelessness and savings

[Lalala0]

Currently facing beeing homeless due to a relationship breakdown and landlord will not allow me to be single occupancy tenant on private rented flat due to me not passing credit checks of needing to earn atleast 20k a year, I'm currently half way through mat leave, I've got a 2 year old and a 6 month old that's exclusively breastfed and refuses a bottle so going back to work any time soon is a no go!

I have 8k in savings, from a mixture of things over a few years...enheratance, gift from grandparents and compensation from a car crash. I haven't spent much of it as I do hope to return to full time work when my littles go to school and save to get a morgage but on my own it will take a long time.

I've contacted the council about my homeless situation and I'm going into the offices tomorow to hand in documents including bank statements. Will they still help me with 8k in savings? There's nothing in my area private rent that I can afford and the ones I have applied for wount take me as I don't have a high enough income.

Homelessness is a separate issue to housing benefit. Savings of over £6k affect benefit claims. If there's anything you need, so not a holiday! More like things for the baby, furniture, winter clothes, dental appointment etc, spend a couple grand at least before putting in a claim. You can't go buy a flat with £8k so yes council will help house you.

Be warned though, involuntary homeless means evicted by the court. You'd be eligible for council help. Agreeing to leave because landlord asks you to is voluntary homeless. The council don't have to help with that.

Have you tried offering the landlord to pay rent upfront for six months in advance? Appreciate this will wipe out most of your savings but you can rebuild that. Better than being homeless.

Or offer similar on a less expensive property. It should negate any problem with credit checking.

If I'm honest I want/need out of the flat, we were searching to get out before the relationship breakdown. It's mould ridden and the landlord dosent care, I've got environmental health involved about the mould and my landlord is doing bare minimum just to keep them off his back. I need alot of new furniture and things as they have gone mouldy in the flat but I refuse to buy anything until I get out as I don't want new things to get covered in mould too! Baby is currently co sleeping with me as his cot mattress went mouldy

You would get enough universal credit to enable you to pay the private rental prices if you are single with two kids, but you won't be eligible if you have more than 6k in savings or assets. Problem is getting the landlord to accept you. So yes as PP says I would use the 8k to offer several months up front and then once you're in a flat get universal credit. Once you're back in work you'll be able to build up savings again, as you'll have the UC helping with your rent.

Going back to work at 6m not an option, really? I went back when my baby (3rd child) was 10 weeks due to financial reasons. I struggle to believe it isn't an option if it will literally save you from being homeless!

Universal credit already help with paying the rent, I claimed it when I was with my partner and now claiming it on my own, they just deduct £4.25 for every £250 you have over the savings limit

The savings limit for UC isn’t £6000 @mswales

www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility

My baby is exclusively breastfed and refuses a bottle and he's not doing well with weaning, not interested in solid foods and dosent ingest much, his nursing pattern hasn't decreased at all since beginning weaning, if anything he's been nursing more the past month ive been given him solids. Going back to work would mean starving my baby, I wish he would take a bottle but he refuses, I can't leave him for longer than 2 hours

You could look for part time hours. Baby will continue to breastfeed and not wean if that’s what they’re offered but they won’t starve if it’s not available. Have you tried expressing or bottled milk now?

Unless your landlord evicts you and is willing to take it through court, you’re unlikely to get anything through the Council, or not anytime soon. It sounds more like you’re wanting to leave, which is fair enough, but your best bet would be to put your savings down as a larger deposit. You shouldn’t have any issue renting in that situation and within 6 months, baby should be eating and able to go to nursery so you can work and top up the rent yourself.

You should use some of those savings to find somewhere to live, if you pay 6 months upfront I can't see a problem, remember the council can stick you in a hotel room for years, they did that to me and my baby, not a nice way to live. There is no guarantee they will give you a house or flat even with a child but they can shove you in a hostel or cheap hotel which is happening to lots of families all across the country. If you agree to pay rent upfron then no landlord should have a problem with that and if you are a good tenant they might keep you on.

Will you be taking a video of the flat mould and damage to your furniture in order to notify council ?
would council take into account that the flat is uninhabitable due to mould, damaging your furniture and belongings, such as baby’s mould riddled mattress

Oops I see you have Environmental Health involved and landlord has done bare minimum to keep them off his back.

I would recontact Environmental Health , showing video of your damage to furniture and the fact that you have vulnerable children exposed daily to +++ mould spores
. Is it possible to visually show that the flat continues to be a health and safety issue , eg mark/ draw lightly where the mould edges are, record each week how much it is spreading ?

She is but they take a bit of the UC off after you have more than £6k.

Just make sure you stay until the landlord has been through the courts, you have to wait for bailiffs. That gives you time for your baby to be weaned which might help you be able to return to work. Sorry you’re going through this OP.

I don’t know about the 8k, but if over 6k affects benefits, can you buy a ton of supermarket/ Amazon vouchers to reduce the savings down a bit ? Or kids clothes for the future etc?

Will baby eat a yoghurt? Mine wouldn't take a bottle either but would eat a petit filous.