Getting a council house! is it possible anymore?

TotallyBroke

Agree with avinabacca we would all like to pay less for everything in life but most of the time it is not the way.


Why do you have childcare costs if you are at home on maternity leave?
Go back to work now full time put every spare bit of cash you have to pay off your debts. Then with spare cash you can consider renting a better place.

If you do not ventilate your house correctly then mould will continue to grow and spread. If you have vents on your windows then open them fully. If you don't then have a window open somewhere for a while to get fresh air into the property and to blow the mould spores out of the house. Do not put the heating on in the bedrooms that will not help your asthma or the mould.
A baby will only need 1 extra layer of clothes to you so if you are wearing a tshirt then baby should be wearing a vest and tshirt. If you put on a sweatshirt then I would suggest a vest, tshirt and cardigan for the baby. Babies do not need to have the central heating blaring to survive, years ago people didn't have central heating.
There are some tips on the oldstyle board that can help with killing the mould in your flat but as I said you will have to ventilate it well.

hethmar

I havent read all the pages on this thread, but it does seem to me that people will jump on those who post here genuinely asking for help. The astonishing thing is, that there was a guy in Lithuania or an eastern bloc country the other day on the site asking whether his $700 dollar a month pension would get him a nice place in London for his family and then going on to say he was disabled and where were the best NHS rehabilitation centres.

Now the people on that thread were mostly over the top bending backwards to help someone who quite clearly had no intention of contributing to a country once he got here but then this OP who is born here, has worked hard to maintain their family, gets 90% of the responders harranguing her for wanting what that would be immigrant decided was his by right.

Its a mad world.

lynnexxxo

OP a few points -

Surely it would make more sense to try and get a better job with more money rather than try and get cheaper rent? 21k between the two off you doesn't sound a particularly good wage, isn't it time you and your other half thought about trying to improve your chances of getting a better job - ie further training, course etc?
If your rented house is so rubbish why don't you move? I notice your partner has a commute, why not move to nearer his work (maybe you have family nearby and don't want to - you don't say).

With all respect, the only person who can change your situation is you. Do you really want to be living on a crumby council estate next to the young mums and druggies that everyone assumes gets all the council houses? Or do you want to look back in ten years time from your nice rented/mortgaged house and congratulate yourself that you and your partner did that college course/worked hard and got promotion and now have, through your own endeavours, enough money to have a nice house and nicer things.

hethmar

lynne - its a brilliant idea, but Ive been in the situation of the OP, you just manage to survive day by day - a course would mean less money coming in and more going out. It becomes a catch 22 situation.

OP - didnt you say your bro in law got a nice council flat? Can you not speak to him about the process? Take your kiddie with you to the CAB and tell them you urgently need help because the damp etc. in the house. They have a lot of contacts in housing and may be able to tackle the matter from a different angle for you. I wish you luck.

Grimbo_Green

Hi Single Sue

Yes we called WTC about getting any more money for childcare costs. They did some calculations on their computor and "computor said no"! but we will call them again later because im sure that's not right, my friend and her partner earn more between them and they get £40 per week WTC. ?

Unfortunately we are stuck with BT for a year as we had to get the line reconnected when we moved into the house. We will definately do that 3 in one thing once the year is up though.

Yes we were very shocked when we got the first bill. We changed to British Gas as when we checked on the comparison websites they were cheaper. but they all keep putting their prices up so we haven't saved actually any money! Although I am starting to wonder if they have us on some strange bracket like economy 7 from years ago and it has never been changed. We will give them a call about that too.

hethmar

Grimbo, as I mention above, go in person to the CAB. When I was a volunteer there we had a computer program which could work out any/all benefits a person could rightly claim. On top of that you can explain personally how this housing problem is affecting you.

lynnexxxo

Hethmar

Yes I see your point about while your doing a course you've actually got less money, but as the OP only works part time couldn't she do evening classes (i'm assumin her partner works 9-5 and could look after the baby). Else there is often courses that you can get free childcare with.

Or what about doing Avon or something until the little one is three, at which point the nursery funding would kick in and the childcare expenses would go down. Or maybe they have family how would be willing to help with childcare so that the OP could go to college?

I'm sure the OP said somewhere she worked for the council, they usually have schemes in place where you can study for qualifications related to your job.

Its certainly not easy but in my opinion the OP needs to change her attitude, so that instead of wanting cheaper rent she wants a bigger salary to afford a nicer place.

Running_Horse

Being turned down for a council flat was the making of my life. It forced me to change jobs, move to a cheaper area, and save up to buy. If that had not happened I would probably still be living on some rubbish London estate.

As for lying on the application, everybody does that don't they? It is normal for the pregnant teenager to get her parents to pretend to throw her out to move up the list, or to exaggerate medical symptoms and get a doctor's letter. That's not a myth, I've seen it happen. I even know one father put a for sale sign up outside his house get his daughter housed quicker.

Council housing used to be for the "respectable" poor, but is now for any lying chancer on the dole. They're welcome to it, and your children will have a better future in private accommodation.

Grimbo_Green

Thanks 'hethmar' I will try the CAB I didnt think of that.
Yes you are right we can't afford to go to college it is a catch 22!

My BIL got his 2 bedroom house (in a nice area too) by 'exagerating' his situation. Even when he exagerated they still weren't as bad off as we are now in our genuine situation - they earnt more, had no health issues, yet for some unknown reason they got offered a nice 2 bed house within 3 months??
This is why we are now considering telling a few porkies to get one.

'Totally Broke' As I originally said I KNOW ITS WRONG but when you spend your whole life doing the right thing and it gets you no where then what choice do you have? but I wouldnt go as far to put me in the same category as drug addicts and people who never work a day in their entire life because they are lazy.
I will leave the windows open for an hour in the mornings. I did not realise it was bad to have the heating on at night with asthma? I have is come on during the night as I worry my baby will get cold.

'Lynne' thanks I will look into ways of earning extra cash. Avon I didnt think of that. But with regards to doing a evening course, unfortunately I dont drive so I wouldnt like to walk home in the dark. I guess I should remember that our LO will be in school one day and I will be able to work more hours. Maybe we should just hang in there untill then.

hethmar

The thing is, they expect people to exaggerate their situation, so if you dont ...............

Yes, do go to the CAB, explain the situation fully - Ive known 18 year olds get flats cos their parents have flown off to a new life in Spain and just left them behind. Ive no doubt if the parents could afford a villa they would have been able to set the kids up - but there you are.................