mortgage and council house

[hshdbl]

can you apply for a council house if you own a home?

long story short, i bought a one bedroom flat before i found out i was pregnant.. my son is now 1 and i can't afford my mortgage payments because i get no help with it because i have a mortgage (can't get housing benefit etc) so my question is.. can i apply for a council house if i sell my flat?

It might depend on how much savings you have after selling your place. I think there’s a threshold but somewill will come along with more knowledge

You need less than £16k in savings

Have you thought about housing associations and other options? Council houses are very difficult to get and you could be waiting a long time

You can apply for a council house but you won’t be top of the waiting list and it won’t be free. You’ll have to pay full rent until your savings drop below the threshold (I believe pp was right in saying that’s £16k).

Good luck, I was practically homeless and couldn’t get a council house. It depends on the area really but I found out that the wait would take at least a year. Being 8 months pregnant I didn’t have that time. You basically have to turn up with absolutely no other option to get housing and if they find out that you’ve deliberately worsened your situation to get a council house then they won help you.

Mind you- show them evidence that you’re struggling to pay the mortgage and they might place you in the emergency category i you’re going to loose the house. If your circumstances aren’t that bad then they will simply suggest you rent privately somewhere cheaper.

so would it be better if i sold my house and moved back to my mums and then apply?
also if i make an appointment at citizens advise would they help with this?

I waited 10 years on the list for a,council house because I was able to pay to private rent. You must have a long wait in private

If you do that, the Council may deem you intentionally homeless. I suppose it depends where you are - in London there are massive Council housing waiting lists and you would stand no chance after owning a property. You would sit on a list for 10+ years and be expected to private rent in that time at the mercy of a landlord. I would suggest trying to make your current accommodation work. Can you rent it out whilst you move in with your mum or divide it up to provide an extra bedroom?

Could you perhaps move in with your mother for the next one - two years until the 30 hour childcare kicks in to reduce your costs associated with working, and in the meantime rent out your flat to pay the mortgage (with permission). Are you receiving what you should from the baby's father?