House sharing advice for universal credit/disability

[SwansAreMajestic]

Anyone had experience with house/flat sharing on benefits/universal credit? I am having trouble finding something I can afford and also being accepted for universal credit because I am disabled and unable to work. I am pretty desperate to find somewhere within Milton Keynes because I am getting help for my mental health as well, I likely have PTSD but I am having further talks to find any other issues that need addressing before therapy begins.
My relationship broke down and my ex has asked I leave by roughly end of June/early July hence why I am panicking to try find somewhere.

So what's people advice on trying to find somewhere? Do I even try ring a charity like Shelter? Do I ring the council?

Also tips on what to look for in flat/house mates to make sure it's a safe environment would be appreciated :)

I think not 100% sure but I read somewhere recently that disabled do get priority for C Housing . Shelter would certainly be able to advise
Brighton Housing Trust are an example of charities that have sprung up recently to give advice . Yes a local Housing Association and or charity may be a good bet. Asking the above organisations if they have sheltered housing may be better/safer than expecting this from a private landlord

Definitely go and talk to your local council if you are at risk of homelessness in future.

Hi OP, sorry you have so much to deal with atm

Firstly, a few questions:

• is your current home owned/rented by your ex in his name only?
• do you claim PIP as well as UC?
• has there been any domestic abuse? (just wondering as you mention PTSD although I realise it could be due to something else, please don't feel you have to share if you don't want to)

Some initial advice (which I might expand on depending on the answers to the questions):

• you should definitely contact your local council's housing advice team, because they can advise you about your options. You might be eligible to be housed by the council, by applying as homeless, but there are strict criteria and it depends whether they decide that you're in "priority need"; it can be difficult to get this on health grounds. Some info at england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/homelessness/your_situation/disabilities_and_health_conditions_help_if_youre_homeless

However, even if they decide they won't house you (because you're not in "priority need") you can still apply for social housing (council or housing association) - with a long wait likely but still worth getting on the list - and they can still give you advice about finding a private tenancy. Some councils can help with deposits if you need it.

Assuming that you live in Milton Keynes now (as you said that's where your looking) here is the council housing/homeless advice page:
www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/housing/need-somewhere-to-live

Thanks Emma

My ex is listed as a tennant and I as an occupier. My ex really wants me to leave though and I don't feel 100% safe, he kinda threatened me the other day so I just want to go asap. There is no physical abuse but I'd say a bit of emotional abuse has been ongoing. The PTSD is unrelated and from past events.
No I do not claim PIP, I've tried in the past and was unsuccessful.
I have contacted the council and I am waiting to hear back from them currently. If I apply for social housing do I still need to try find somewhere in the meantime? I've had no luck so far with finding a room to rent in the area, mainly because of budget & claiming UC.
I do have my parents to fall back on, however, I think part of my PTSD is because of living with them in the past and even today I was reminded why it would be bad for my mental health to go back. So I am really trying to find somewhere else.

Sorry you don't feel safe What did he threaten exactly?
I advise you to call Women's Aid, either the national helpline or look up your local one. There are two reasons for this; firstly to get advice and support but secondly contact with Women's Aid can be used as evidence of domestic abuse. You could also talk to your GP about the abuse and that would be additional evidence.
If you are willing to disclose the abuse you will be entitled to a place in a shelter or other homeless assistance.
See england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/homelessness/your_situation/domestic_abuse
It will be temporary though.

Are you under 35? If so you're only entitled to the LHA rate for shared accommodation which is £70/week in Milton Keynes, so I wouldn't be surprised if you struggled to find somewhere.

I hope the council gets back to you soon. From a quick read of the website it looks like social housing is very limited there but hopefully they could help you find a suitable private tenancy.

PS This won't help in the short term, but if you could succeed in getting PIP (eg with the help of Citizens Advice or local benefit advice charity) then it would give you more budget for housing because you'd get the 1 bedroom LHA rate which is £149.59/week.

get the person you are currently living with to write a letter or email to you, stating that as relationship ha broken down he wants you to leave his flat by, date.
this will shew that you are being turned out and have no where to go.
this might help in approaching local authority/ housing associations.
can your mental health team advise, do they have a social worker who could advocate for you.
cast your net wide. good luck. dont tell anyone you could go back to parents, else you will get zero help.

Due to past experience, like to use an indoor lock and had it on the living room door, I forgot to unlock it and it's happened a couple of times in the past, he gets annoyed easily about it so when he thudded on the door I lept up quickly to remove and it apologised saying how sorry I was, he walked past me and said "you will be". I did ask him later what he meant by that and said he'd take the lock off me. I'm not sure I 100% believe him but it was scary he spoke to me like that. I don't think it counts as domestic abuse though, I just need to leave asap.

As for PIP, yes right now it's something I can't do but thanks for the info, if I am ever successful in future with a claim, it would help :)

I did ask my ex a few days ago if he would sign something just to say he'd asked me to leave but he acted strange about it, breathing hard like he was really angry? Then said he wouldn't sign anything without context, I did explain I'd asked the council for help but it didn't seem to help. He expects me to go back to my parents now I assume, he doesn't understand the extent of the strain it's had on me and I'll just explain a couple things that have happened: my mother threatened to call the police after I left the house [when I was 26] due an argument and refused to come straight back. Yesterday when she realised I was looking to rent from a private landlord, said how they are all strange and weird, and install cameras in the rooms she is very paranoid and hysterical at times and my Dad has even said she's very possessive over me. So it's not a good place for me to go back too

As you are a named occupier on the tenancy, your boyfriend should give you written notice to leave. He doesn't need any more "context" than that! You do have some rights although not as much as if you were a tenant.

All he needs to do is to say that due to the end of the relationship, he would like you to move out by x date, then sign and date it, then you can show it to the council.

It's not exactly much to ask is it?!

No you wouldn't think so but he's being very difficult at times, I hope if it comes to it, he will.

i don't understand about the lock.
do you mean you installed a bolt on the inside of the living-room door and then locked yourself inside it.
frankly if that was my tenancy that would make me very annoyed too.
you seem to be trying to exclude him from part of his flat.
if you are scared of him, you should move out immediately, call womens' aid.
but it sounds more like he finds you or your behaviour too eccentric to live with, and he wants quiet enjoyment of his own space. that is not unreasonable. his huffing and puffing is understandable. i would lose patience too.
as to not signing the leave notice, maybe he now does not trust you not to falsify something he has signed to implicate him into further responsibilities.
i am not saying you would do any such thing, just trying to put myself in his shoes. it seems he doubts your judgment, your reliability.
also you need to be realistic. sorry if it sounds harsh, but probably his expecting you to return to your parents is not because he does not realise how stressful that would be for you. nor will he, so don't try and tell him. he simply wants you out, asap. he doesn't care where.

I did not install anything, it is a temporary lock that makes no marks on the door. I've had in the past experience another ex walk into my parents without permission and enter my bedroom which has left an impact and some months ago a man entered the flat to fix a window and tried to enter the bedroom (despite it was a living room window that needed fixing). It scared me because again I was asleep. He knows all this and it was never my intention to lock him out. I realise my paranoia is an issue and I was recently told I likely have PTSD and I am looking for treatment for it.

He's known me 7 years, he knows me very well, he also is difficult to live with, angry a lot, stressed, yelling at me over small things and now threatening me. I really wanted to just try find my own place but time is running out so I am returning to my parents temporarily soon.

I've always been honest with my ex, it's the reason he likes me because I see no point in lying. He knew of my illness, limitations, depression, family life etc but now suddenly it's an issue and even brining in 1k in UC "ashames him" despite demanding I needed to somehow find income whilst living here.

I didn't want to vent about what was happening but I feel you are being unfair so I want to defend myself.

I used to rent a room in a shared flat. I got housing benefit for my share of the rent (the council gave me a form for my Landlord to fill out confirming what my share of the rent was, whether anything was included etc). I wasn't entitled to anything towards council tax but can't remember why. I had to pay my share of the bills out of my Job Seekers Allowance.

The Government like it when single people flat share due to the current property shortage. If you get a proper tenancy agreement from your Landlord, your Landlord shouldn't need to fill out any paperwork. My Landlord had to fill out the form because my tenancy agreement was dated 12 years ago.

I remember it took six weeks to process my housing benefit claim so I owed my Landlord six weeks rent which was paid six weeks late as I had no savings to fall back on. I was already living in the flat when I became unemployed and started claiming benefits.

Myspareroom.com is a good place to see what's available in your area. You will need a deposit and rent in advance though.......

@LOVELYDOVEY05 Brighton Housing Trust have been around for years!

Just an update, I am leaving tomorrow back to my parents. Not ideal but I'll feel a lot safer there.
Thank you for the replies :)

Glad you are moving out OP, best of luck with it tomorrow. Sounds like a good idea to stay with your parents; even though it's not ideal it's a temporary solution to get you out of there.

Is your name on any of the bills; Council Tax, energy, water, broadband? If your name is on the gas/electricity account, you should take meter readings tonight or tomorrow morning. Then after you've moved out you'll need to notify them all. You should also email the landlord (or lettings agent) to say you've moved out and ask them to remove you as an occuper on the tenancy agreement.

Thank you!

I am not on any of the bills, just occupier and yes tomorrow or day after (because it's a long journey tomorrow) I will notify the estate agent that I no longer live there