Hi

[xLondonLeighx]

hello

Hello, just looking for a bit of advice.

My partner and I have recently found out we are having a baby, due in August 2020.

We currently live with my Mum and my younger brother however this living arrangement will not be practical when baby arrives as there is simply not enough room. I have begun filling out an application for council housing but my partner is concerned we will not be eligible as we have a decent amount of savings between us (most of which is in his name) that he says would put us over the threshold.

Our savings are not enough to get a mortgage as of yet & would not last us with renting for very long as it is incredibly expensive in my area. It’s so frustrating as it’s nearly impossible to get on the property ladder

We earn between £2,600 - £2,900 between us a month currently but this varies and this will obviously change once baby has arrived.

I have spoken to and know a lot of my friends who have got council properties and not declared their partner as living at the property. I have no desire to do that myself as I do not want to live in fear of them finding out.

I was mostly just wondering if we would be still be eligible with our savings and earnings and if not could I apply without him and then declare him living there once I have moved in?

I also just wondered what the bidding process is like once we were to be accepted. I have been told that you only get 3 chances to bid on a property but does that mean I have to bid on the first 3 properties offered or if I can chose which properties to bid on and when?

Also, can I apply without my MATB1 form and attach that later or do I have to wait until I get that to finalise the application?

Thank you!

If you earn up to £2900 a month, why can't you rent privately?

As I said, it’s expensive round here & our financial situations will change once our baby arrives as we will likely go down to one wage.

So it’s likely we wouldn’t be able to afford it.

We are just trying to find the best and most feasible option for us. Private renting is most probably not that.

You’ll unlikely get any council housing if you have savings and can afford to rent privately.

What is your current housing situation?

I would suggest that you can't afford to drop down to one wage. Keep living with family, add to savings and then either buy or rent

Why are you starting an identical thread? Better answers?

As someone who used to work in the housing dept for the council you will be very low down the priority list with a decent income and no additional needs. Being pregnant isn't the gateway to free council housing that some seem to think whether you declare him straight away or not in this area you could expect to wait well over a year, on average around 3 for a house anyway and you wouldn't be classed as overcrowding for awhile cause baby is expected to stay in your room at first anyway ... not exactly a quick fix