Council housing help

[Scribbless99]

Hi, so please be kind in only asking for advice.

myself, hubby and 2 kids live in a 2 bed council flat however children are 11 and 2 boy and girl so can’t share, we went back in the council list before I went back to work and now I am at work again we are stable.

husband earns around 40,000 per year and I earn about 15,000 but I have just learnt the new threshhold for our area is 50,000 income per year, so I don’t think we are now entitled after being on there and waiting for 4 years.

we are not in a position for a mortgage as property in our area for 3 bedroom house is around 400,000 and we don’t have very good credit ratings.

we also don’t want to move out the area and private rent here is £1500 per month which is alot just on rent, and it’s dead money we won’t ever be able
to get out or save.
I worry that we set up our forever home and then could just decide to sell up one day and we have nothing.

I feel we are in a situation where we earn too much for council house, but not enough for a mortgage and we really don’t know what to do?! Any help or information would be great.

You're on a pretty good joint income. Can you buy your current property and extend?

Temp drop your hours down for the period they need your proof of income.

Or, if its take home income (ask, this may be the case), increase your pension for a short time to bring you under the limit.

So I have even considered quitting my job, or cutting down but they use husbands last years tax return with is 40000 and I have earn 9500 so far this year, so we are right on the border currently but obviously the tax year hasn’t finished yet!

No so it’s a really old 2 bed flat in which they don’t let us buy and it’s second floor so no options there it’s just so tricky to know what to do

Maybe some kind of divider in the bedroom. Not ideal but needs must

How much is your joint tax home pay? £1500 does not feel unreasonable on 55k gross. I'm not sure you would yet be classed as overcrowded but could you go on a transfer list for a 3 bed?

Go on a transfer list.
But if you're not happy with the council accommodation then you will have to pay rent, dead money or not. We earn the same as you and have to pay it. Its unfortunately how it works and there are plenty of people not earning as much as you who would be grateful for your property.

Have you looked into swapping? Sometimes there are people wanting to downsize from a bigger house to a flat.

Home Swap maybe?

Also, you might still if it's a new rule and you're an existing tenant? I'd look into that, if I were you, first.

What’s a transfer list? So we are back on housing list for 3 bed, and have come top for a house, but now have realised together income is too much so I think they will reject the 3 bed and stay where we are

Right, because council houses are there for people who don't want to pay rent yeah 🙄

Private rent or house swap or consider moving to a cheaper area. I know you don't want to move but these are the only options really.

Definitely look into Mutual Exchange. You can look at properties on the apps without even registering.

But neither you or any of us here know that, OP.
You're just talking about what you think will happen. You need to check what the policy is and if it applies to all tenants or any after a certain date.

Not a perfect option by any means here are two ideas:

Put the DC into the largest bedroom with clever room divider. You take the smaller room.

Put the DC into separate rooms and you take the living room. This will need investment in an everyday sofa, every night bed sofa bed.

furl do them or I can vouch for IKEA Nyhamn I had an older version in the noughties, one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept on and had a nice high back so was comfy as a sofa too.

Why wouldn't they let you have the 3 bed? The council wouldn't have let you be on the transfer list if they weren't going to house you.

What about part rent / part buy? Also, dividing the bedroom or you and DH sleep in the living room with a

Space saving wall bed in the living room for you and DH - up in the day and down at night.

You stop having people over and turn your two bed flat into a three bed with no living room. Or you keep the living room and pull a mattress out every night for you and your partner. Or you buy a sofa bed .

Or your children share but you get a high sleeper for the oldest to give him his own space.

Those are the options you can control. Otherwise you wait on a list for X amount of time or offer your flat for a mutual exchange. Or you rent privately (would not recommend) or you buy a shared ownership property where you own part of it and rent the rest. Or you up your hours to earn more so you can get a bigger mortgage. Or you look at moving areas where 3 bed houses cost much less than your current area.

Speak with someone in housing needs impartially.

Just work your hours and pay your way like the rest of us.

Imagine if everyone decided to conveniently reduce their hours to allow them a council house and not pay standard rent like the rest of us.

Jesus wept. Your home income is 55k, pay your way like the rest of us whether it's 'dead money' or not.

The income thresholds are normally for new applicants, as you are requesting a move from one council property to another it probably won’t apply. Call them and ask!

Surely you can mortgage something on 55k joint income?
If your area is too expensive, then I’d consider moving even if not convenient at first.

Imagine if we all decided to quit our jobs so we'd get into the threshold for a council house.

Way to go!

How long have you been in the flat?