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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Housing help?

14 replies

MoonWife · 15/05/2018 21:39

Hello all,

I'm Debbie, new to the forum!

I'm recently married and looking at starting a family within the next year. Just doing my research and planning so I can be a little prepared.

My question is, can we get help with housing?

My husband and I are currently living in a spacious one bedroom flat, which is great for us, but obviously, when I get pregnant and have our baby, it won't be suitable anymore. Can we get our names on the council list?

We both work, we're not a "young couple" I'm 29 and my husband is 49. We currently rent, but obviously private renting for an extra room could really be hazardous to our finances, what housing options do we have available?

I figured you guys would have a lot of insight into this?

Many thanks all,

Best wishes,

Deb

OP posts:

Ilovechocolate111 · 15/05/2018 23:36

Course you can put your name down on the council housing list.but I can garentee you that you will be very lucky if they can help you as there is a shortage in council homes.
You won't be a priority as a child can share a bedroom with parents until 18months.
Once baby is 18moths you would be entitled to a 2 bed property.
I had 3 toddlers in a one bed flat with my husband and we wasn't priority (didn't mind that as we had a roof over our head and some people dont)
We had to apply for properties which we were eligible for but we always got turned down as we're weren't priority.
So after 3 years in a 1 bed flat we had given up on Council property. So we private rented instead. We have to pay quite abit more rent for a private but as we're got desperate that's just something we had to do!
You can't lose nothing by being on the council housing list but from my own experience you'll be in for a Long wait xx
Atb xxx

Thetimehascometo · 16/05/2018 01:11

This frustrates me a little... if you can’t afford to live the lifestyle you want to bring your kids up in then wait until you can. I get that DH and I are fortunate and have well paying jobs so can afford a 4 bed house to bring our first born home to. However we have selected to live in an affordable area and have tapered our lifestyles to ensure we are financially stable for our first born.

If everyone relied on help with housing we’d be in an even bigger pickle of a housing crisis!

Imchlibob · 16/05/2018 03:50

A baby doesn't need their own room immediately - it's recommended to be with parents for at least 1st six months - our first was in our bedroom for 2 years as we could only afford a 1 bed place until I had been back at work for a while and we'd paid off maternity-leave debts.

It's a good idea to go on the housing list. Obviously you'll never get a council place unless you live in one of the few places in the country with a council housing surplus. However, being in the register can help with shared ownership applications which could get you onto the property ladder if buying at full price isn't accessible for you.

If you start talking mortgages you will be in a much better position for borrowing if you do so before getting pregnant and without revealing that you are planning to. Some lenders will reduce what they will lend you because of the risk you might procreate anyway, but if you are actually pg or ttc or have and actual baby when you apply your borrowing limit will be dramatically less.

Whilst I wouldn't go so far as the pp saying don't have a baby if you can't afford it - it is natural to want to contribute to bringing up the next generation - you just need to manage your expectations. If you decide to get pg when you don't have much income there are going to be a lot of nice things that you can't afford and no the taxpayer is not going to provide the shortfall for you. The list of things you can't afford could well include the baby having its own room. That's OK. Even on a very minimal standard of living in the UK you will still be massively better off than huge numbers of people in developing countries, so you count your blessings and don't worry about the lifestyle you could have if you doubled your income.

HunnidBands · 16/05/2018 04:12

Once baby is 18moths you would be entitled to a 2 bed property.

This is misleading. You’re not actually ‘entitled’ to anything, just because you have a child. Once upon a time when council housing was plentiful you’d get on a list and maybe get somewhere if you were deemed in need. Nowadays you may get on a list but it’s extremely unlikely, given the circumstances you’ve outlined here, that you’d get help with housing.

Council housing is supposed to be for those most in need. You’re both in work so that isn’t you. And affordable housing is very thin on the ground these days.

Sorry to sound harsh. Don’t blame me. Blame the Tories who decided selling off council homes in the 80s and not building new ones was the way forward.

rotavixsucks · 16/05/2018 05:04

I'm sorry but if you can't afford the lifestyle you'd want for your baby then wait until your in a situation where you can...why expect others to support you?

Could you move to a cheaper area? Or wait a few years and save for a mortgage.

TroubledLichen · 16/05/2018 05:10

Hi ‘Debbie’... first post and it’s how do I get the tax payer to fund my future kids as I’m not planning on paying for them myself. Really...

hammeringinmyhead · 16/05/2018 07:32

"Obviously private renting for an extra room could really be hazardous to our finances"

Why is this obvious? Move to a cheaper area. Or don't have a baby yet. You're welcome.

m4rdybum · 16/05/2018 07:39

Original poster

MoonWife · 16/05/2018 07:57

Okay, I haven't explained myself properly, sorry. I'm not particularly looking for a council house and I'm not looking for it to be free either.

I'm trying to work out what my options are, we both work full time and we have savings for major life events. The reason we live in a one bedroom is just so we can save a little more.

I'm trying to understand what most families do when their baby comes along, as obviously income will take a dent and I want to make sure I'm using my money for my baby and not leaving myself short by paying too much rent.

I just want to make sure I'm not going into this being sighted and want to make sure I understand my options, not necessarily entitlements.

I have no idea about this stuff, I figured you Mums would be the most helpful with advice etc..

Sorry

OP posts:

Stephisaur · 16/05/2018 08:51

Depending on where in the country you are living at the moment, you may find that renting somewhere slightly larger may not be as bad for your finances as you think.

I think you need to sit down and work out a budget, see what you're spending now on both essentials and non-essentials. You should have some degree of flexibility that would allow you to pay a little bit more in rent for more room at home. If you don't have flexibility for the rent, I would seriously consider whether you can afford a baby.

Not meaning to sound judgy at all, it's hard to get tone across in writing.

Alternatively, how do your savings look? Are you in any sort of position to buy? The help to buy scheme helped us get on the ladder.

Hope you manage to sort something out :)

Dreamingofkfc · 16/05/2018 09:32

We rented a two bed flat, expensive to us but cheap for the area we live in. Had two kids there. With us both working I wouldn't even dream of asking the council for help. We've now had to move to a cheaper area for a house. We have no savings. Maybe you need to rethink about renting a bigger place if you feel you need more space

hammeringinmyhead · 16/05/2018 11:51

Being honest, most of the people I know with children moved before they TTC their first or accepted that they'd have the baby in their room for 6 months so could sort it out later (not ideal for getting a mortgage after your income has gone down). We bought our current house 5 years ago and have waited 8 years since we got married as we can now comfortably afford a child.

QueenAravisOfArchenland · 16/05/2018 12:10

..um, are you kidding?! What on earth do you think most people do? They pay for their baby and for their rent out of their salaries. Paying your rent is "using your money for your baby". If you want a 2 bed flat and a baby, you need to make the money to pay for both. I seriously can't make out why on earth you'd imagine the government would suddenly be keen to subsidise your rent so you could spend more on your baby.

mumofmunchkin · 16/05/2018 12:31

Most families downscale the way they live, to be able to afford a rent/mortgage and the costs of a child, with a reduced income. This may mean less takeouts (meals out are probably a thing of dreams for a while anyway), cheaper/less holidays, cheaper phone contracts, buying less clothes, less gadgets, whatever it is your disposable income goes on - you cut your cloth to suit your means.

A child doesn't actually NEED that much stuff in the first year or two - although many internet sites will try to tell you different. In my experience it's the coffees and lunches out, baby classes etc while on mat leave that add up (and which are obviously an entirely discretionary spend - and there's plenty of free stuff around to do), and childcare bills that are a huge hit if you go back to work.

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