Advice needed on how to pay for deposit on rented house if you claim as single parent ???

[nutcracker]

Hi, what i need to know is this.....
There is a 3 bed house to let near to where my dad lives, in the ad it says dss considered. I am thinking of going after it, and leaving my dp. At the mo i don't get beneft other than wftc as my partner works and pays the rent.
If i ring up about it, what do i say i'd do about a deposit ??? Would the social pay it or not ????
Haven't explained very well so i hope someone knows what i mean.

Also, how do i make myself come across as deserving the property, bearing in mind that most landlords don't like renting to single parents.

Anyone - I need to know before i ring up about it tommorow.

Just realised that the title of this thread makes it look like i'm asking for handouts
I'm not honest. I'm sure i heard somewhere that the social will pay deposits, but maybe i dreamt it.

Are you still here? I would say - dress smartly and don't take the kids with you when you view the property - only mention them if they ask. That's what I would do as a single parent anyway. I'm not sure how benefits will work but CAB should be able to tell you fairly quickly. Probaby not much help sorry.

Thanx Fizog.
I know the social would pay the rent, but the deposit would be about 400/500 i think, whoich i can't pay.

Do you have family you could borrow the money off? a credit card/loan/overdraft? There maybe some grants that you are entitled to if you speak to CAB. Or look on DSS/DWP website? sorry just brainstroming now.

I know how hard it is to get 'lump sums' together.

I think I read something about this recently - though not sure if they all do it, or what the conditions are. Can you phone the benefits agency or whoever it is that deals with housing directly and ask? You could do so anonomously.

If you ring the housing department for your area tell them your a single mum and that you are applying for the house and that you need help with the deposit and the rent they will either pay all of it for you or a portion, they will ask you what money you have coming into your house inclueding your benifit meaning your wftc, also explain that you are leaving your house your in now to be close to family for the support as this goes in your favour you should also be intitled to income support which the social will give you money to help you live on. I hope this has been some help I have been were you are now and the housing department helped me get my house so good luck

nutcracker, if you know this is what you want, then firstly you must apply for income support. The social services department of your local council, have a list of rentable properties, and they help you with the deposit, but I can't remember how much they put forward? You will not be entitled to your dps WFTC, you must be working for this. If I remember more, I'll be back in the morning, good luck!

Hi, thanks for the advice. I rang about the property this morning. It is with an agency, which i didn't realise, and it's 520 a month, which would mean 520 deposit and 520 month in advance, oh and 75 administration fee. They also have someone viewing it today, and in their opinion it will be gone by the end of the day.

Sorry to hear this, nutcracker. You are really brave doing this and hopefully, there will be another house soon. Perhaps if you get the deposit sorted with the benefits office, then go house hunting?
Good luck.

I weas sort of relieved in a way. I know i'm weak

You're not weak, you just have some very difficult decisions to make.