council accomodation

[LisaSs]

Hi Girls! :)

First of all - I am due in December 2023, pregnant with my rainbow baby after 5 miscarriages.

The baby was 100% planned and after a few years of trying I am finally pregnant (hopefully it will stick this time 🙏)

on to the question... sadly me and my baby's daddy broke up recently. Trying and losses got us apart instead of bringing us together - he cheated on me and I had to move back to my parents. I am 28 years old, and in full-time employment but I am gonna struggle to rent something on my own and provide for a baby.

I know I am not eligible for any benefits, but I can't stay at my parent's house because there is simply no space for us.

I would love to have a council accommodation but I have no idea if I will be even eligible. Has anybody been in this situation? Any advice on how to get housing from the council?

Thank you for any advice x

@loislovesstewie a lot of people will never understand how cruel it actually is.
Lots of love to you.

You have a safe home with family , a job and an income. I'm afraid that means you won't be high priority for council housing.

Congratulations on your pregnancy 💐

Given everything you've said, your best bet will probably to get out of London.

I know its not ideal, but none of the options are, and at least by getting out of London you'll have safe, secure accommodation for your baby. You'll get a 2 bedroom property, so room for your family to visit you as well.

Have you actually been onto a benefits calculator and input your circumstances after baby is born? And also onto CMS and put your exes wages in and see how much he will be due you?

If you look at those numbers then it will help you plan ahead at least.

Whatever happens with the accommodation, I wish you a healthy pregnancy, and enjoy those lovely squishy baby cuddles when the time comes.

You may well be entitled to UC once baby is born. and they will help towards housing costs. It all depends on your wage. Do a hypothetical benefit checker based on your wage and if you had 1 child and the rent amount. if you’re only going to get basic SMP from work UC will help.

councils don’t consider an unborn baby in an application until after 28 weeks but anyone can apply for social housing, chances are reduced if you have somewhere to live already.

@2bazookas I don't. I will have to move out of my parent's house ASAP. and I am not able to rent and provide for a child from my wages which will reduce on my mat leave anyways.
That's why I've asked what help can I get if any

Just apply but in my area (London borough) you won’t be housed for at least 10 years.

@ItsThePlayBusDingDing I was told I can only apply for a house in a council I have a history in. Do you know if I can apply to councils outside too and what the process looks like?

Thank you so much <3

Sorry OP, but waiting lists for council or HA properties in and close to London are years long. You'd likely be waiting 8-10 years for a flat.

If you declared yourself homeless you'd likely be placed in temporary accommodation like a hostel or Bnb.

I would definitely not bank on the council helping.

Your best bet would be moving to a cheaper area.

You should apply for council housing but the waiting times are ridiculous. You will probably need to find private rental accommodation and if your salary won't cover the rent you will get benefits to top it up.

This is what loads of people do in London - your situation is very normal and I have no idea why people are having a go at you.

If your wages are too low to cover private rent, then you'll be eligible for housing benefit.

After baby is born, you can claim child benefit and UC if your salary is low. You are also entitled to CMS from the baby's father.

You are unlikely to be given a council flat without a very long wait (years if not decades). You may qualify for temporary accommodation as homeless, but this is likely to be both unpleasant and more expensive than private rental. Your best choices are either staying with your family, or using benefits to rent privately.

If I will decide to move out to a cheaper area - shall I apply via their council? I was told I can only apply if I have a history of livingng there

I would suggest that you approach the local authority where you are currently living. Each local authority has a duty to prevent homelessness wherever possible. They really are the best people to talk to as each L/A has different strategies in respect of what that means and who can access what. The resources do vary considerably from borough to borough. The homeless legislation says that to be accepted as homeless the very last thing the L/A has to consider is local connection. That usually means living in the borough for 6 out the last 12 months or 3 out of the last 5 years, having family members who have lived there for 5 years or working in the borough. The rules are very complex and there's a huge emphasis on prevention of homelessness. Please contact them and maybe speak to Shelter for some support.

@TheYearOfSmallThings thank you :)

@loislovesstewie I will, thank you :)

@LisaSs you can apply to housing associations directly too. That’s how I got my house

Apply where you are and tell them that you're willing to move out of the area.

I had a friend in Cornwall do this, and a friend in London, they both got moved out of the area, but have happily been in their homes for years now.

What is your current salary?
Have you been on the entitledto.co.uk website to see if you would be entitled to any UC topups to help with your housing costs?

Following the birth of your child, as long as you earn less than £50k you will be eligible for child benefit which is around £90 every 4 weeks now I believe.

I waited 13 years. You are not a high priority if you have somewhere to live. There are homeless families waiting.

In London the waiting list for a two bedroom social home is 10+ years pretty much everywhere, and that’s only if you’re in a priority band - the lower bands are often never housed. And most councils will now try and help you secure private rent and find a landlord who accepts benefits, rather than put you on the housing list. You can try and apply to your local council but your best bet would be trying to find a suitable private rent accommodation

In my council they are scrapping band c (non priority) by 2025 I imagine most London councils will be doing the same at some point (they’ve already said those in band c even now will likely never be housed due to a change in the allocations policy) so if you was in my council you will never get housed.

If you go through CMS, your ex won't have a choice in how much maintenance he will pay. Him saying he will "pay the minimum" isn't his choice!!

Also, looking on rightmove, there are lots of 2 bed flats available for less than 1200 a month, within 10 miles of London. You may get support with private renting once baby is here.

@LisaSs first of all congratulations on the baby 💐

It sounds like you've been through so much lately, so try not to take to heart what some people you will never meet say to upset you. It must feel like being kicked when you are down, and you shouldn't have to feel like that just for asking for help and advice.

The housing situation at the minute is a really difficult one. You are right when you say that a house share would not be an option with a baby. Do you have any friends who you could rent somewhere with? That could give you a bit of breathing space until you sort something else out.

Would you consider moving further away? I'm not sure if your job allows you to work from home, or relocate, but could that be an option?

As hard as it must feel right now remember that it won't always be like this, things will get better.

Hi OP

So sorry to hear you are struggling!

To echo what others have said, council housing is pretty much going to be a no as you are not homeless. Most councils will also only accept you if you have links to the area for a certain amount of years, so moving will not change this.

The best advice it to speak to CAB and make sure you are claiming everything you possibly can - universal credit, council tax reduction, childcare reduction etc etc.

Just a heads up that I really struggled to move while on maternity leave as they based my affordability on my maternity pay rather than my salary.

Keep an eye on Rightmove and set alerts up on your phone - even if you start by moving into a studio, its gotta be better than the overcrowding at your parents!

Good luck! And make sure you put the CMS claim in.

@Jellytotsburnmytongue I am willing to relocate, as I don't think I have any other option unfortunately.

Thank you for understanding and your kindness :)