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House move

15 replies

Buffy6956 · 04/03/2021 12:39

Hi I currently live in a 3 bed housing association semi and have lived here for 34 years. Only one of my children still live at home and therefore I’m being hit by the bedroom tax of £84 monthly and can’t afford to pay it so I decided to go onto the bidding site for a smaller 2 bed property and was put at band A which is highest priority. I must add here that I have rent arrears due to bedroom tax at my current home but had an agreement to pay this monthly to avoid court action and which I’ve since broken (four months ago) due to my son leaving college and me no longer getting any money for him. I’m on universal credit as I had to have a small heart operation last March and haven’t been able to find work since due to covid. Anyway... I digress.... I was considering moving to avoid bedroom tax and I got offered a 2 bedroom new build house from a different housing association to the one I’m already with and they stated if I move with them then I’m no longer at Fisk if loosing my home should my current housing association decide to enforce although I would still owe them my rent arrears however because this is a new build and even though it’s terraced and smaller it’s mire expensive rent wise which is mostly covered by universal credit but I’m now going to be hit by the benefit cap and will have to pay a proportion of the rent myself which is £77 so by moving I will be approximately £7 per month better off. I’ve looked around the new house and for a 2 bed it is actually quite spacious and the layout downstairs is almost identical to my current home... stairs on the left kitchen on the right lounge at the back with french patio doors leading out to the garden. I love the bright airy feel of the new house and the location is quiet on a road not an estate overlooking woods and fields and around a mile further away from where I am at the moment. My home at the moment is probably 700 yds away in either way from my two daughters who live in opposite roads. Every time I’m at new house I can plan where things would go etc yet as soon as I’m back home I’m in utter panic and turmoil at the thought of leaving. I’ve recently decorated laid new flooring and carpet at my current home. I feel happy content safe and everything is familiar here at my current home. I love it here and the only reason to move was financial really and maybe a little curiosity thrown in but now I’m faced with reality I’m struggling in a daily basis on what I should do and I’m terrified of moving to new house to then panic and continuously miss and be unhappy because I can’t get my old house back. On Monday the new housing association said I had to sign for the keys or they would give it to someone else so I signed for them then immediately felt panicky and cried and so the very next day I sought information from shelter and asked them have I automatically forefitted my tenancy with my current home because of signing a new tenancy with another housing association and the answer was “no” and that’s because quite often when people are moving to either get a larger house or smaller one they are asked to sign up on viewing day so quite often people have two tenancies running concurrently until they give four weeks written notice to quit to the one they don’t want so I do still have entitlement to my current home so if I wanted to change my decision that I obviously made when I signed for new house then I can. I also have a tenancy sustainment officer for my current home and I’ve asked her to check with the rent department where I stand regarding whether they will take court action soon to try to evict me or not because obvious if they are then taking the new house is the best option but if they say they won’t providing I continue to from now on pay bedroom tax (Son now giving me £100 per month) then I can decide to stay if I choose too. Please help me decide what’s right and what you think I’m wanting to do by reading between the lines.. I’m so stuck right now and desperate for others opinions ty

OP posts:
Acovic · 04/03/2021 12:42

You need some paragraphs.

BigTastyMmmmmm · 04/03/2021 12:46

@Acovic Just the kind of helpful advice the OP was looking for, you prick.

Buffy6956 · 04/03/2021 12:53

I tried to edit it but it won’t let me

OP posts:
orangenasturtium · 04/03/2021 13:07

The new house sounds lovely but if you are only going to save £7 per month, how are you going to be able to afford it if you can't afford your current home? Won't there be other costs involved with the move like removals, carpet/flooring? How will you pay for those? How are you paying 2 rents at the same time? How much do you owe the HA?

Have you spoken to Stepchange for debt advice?

www.stepchange.org/

user1471538283 · 04/03/2021 13:15

I don't see how you are going to be able to pay arrears, pay for moving costs and the new proportion of rent at the same time.

Wouldn't you be better to stay where you are, pay off the arrears and save up to move?

Andwereback · 04/03/2021 13:19

Fill out a discretionary housing payment form to ask for help with dealing with your rent arrears. If you can't afford the new property ask for help with bedroom tax for a year to give you time to find an affordable property to move to and say the arrears are preventing you from moving if they are. Look at both home swapping and bidding.

Buffy6956 · 04/03/2021 14:12

The new house has new carpets and flooring throughout and nothing needs doing. My son in law I’ll move my stuff as he has a big van and my son now pays me £100 per month towards rent... I was moving due to financial reasons at the beginning but it’s more about how much I love my home I’ve been in for 34 years and although I love the new house I’m terrified of moving then panicking because I can never go back to my old home and that I will miss my home forever

OP posts:
AfternoonToffee · 04/03/2021 14:37

I realise this sounds pressured but you need to make a decision quickly as you will be expected to pay rent on both properties, which means you are likely to get into more money problems. I am surprised that the new HA have allowed you to sign knowing you have arrears and that this move is unlikely to alleviate your hardship.

Are your figures absolutely correct? New builds with HA tend to be on affordable rent rather than social rent, hence the difference in rent, but it still seems a massive difference. However, if I am being absolutely honest then no I wouldn't move to save £7 a week from a home of 34 years, I would want to save more than that.

Buffy6956 · 04/03/2021 15:29

Ty for your reply... yes my rent on my 3 bed semi detached is £604 per month this is including the bedroom tax. The rent in the new property is £780 per month for a 2 bed terrace... I am subject to a benefit cap so only £703 of my new rent will be covered by benefits... I do pay £40 per month to my current landlord for current rent arrears but my new association are saying that if I take the new house that would not be affordable so they said that my current landlord could only get a money order and I would have to pay possibly £2 per week. I didn’t include this as part of me bring better off because I will still owe rent arrears and I want to keep paying it like it is otherwise it will never get sorted

OP posts:
Buffy6956 · 04/03/2021 15:32

I was as surprised as you are that they allowed me to move with rent arrears but it’s because of a certain clause that states they have an obligation to regime me if I’m being kept in financial hardship by staying where I am which I was due to bedroom tax

OP posts:
QueenStromba · 04/03/2021 15:48

I don't see how £7 a month could make a big enough difference to your finances to make the move worth the stress and hassle, let alone leaving your home of 34 years. Could you get a lodger?

radioband · 04/03/2021 15:58

You can apply to the council for a housing benefit overlap to cover both properties whilst you’re moving. Does seem silly to move to save £7 though and if you’re happy where you are why bother.

greengrey · 04/03/2021 16:52

This might sound harsh but I think you should move to the smaller property because there is a high demand for larger homes for families and honestly, I think it's selfish that people stay in these bigger homes that they don't need anymore. Just because you raised your family there is not a reason to stay.

Next, the child living with you needs to pay more rent.

Then, what happens when he then moves out and you have bedroom tax again?

Loveacheekysausage · 06/03/2021 06:48

I’d be concerned that this new place isn’t going to be affordable in the long term. What happens when your son moves out? Is he planning to mow out soon? I’m not sure you can rely on him giving you £100 a month forever.

Could you look at a 1 bed place which would be more affordable or another 2 bed?

I think the crux is you need your next place to be less that what you are currently paying, not more.

springisintheair2021 · 06/03/2021 07:13

I'd stay where you are and think of renting a room out ( sorry it's not clear if you actually have a spare room)
Also what is your son now doing to support himself? Is he working? Or claiming UC?
I think I'd be making sure he got work of some sort ( I know really really hard atm for young people but even if he did odd jobs )and started contributing more at least towards your bills

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