Any advice for my sister-in-law please?

locutus2003

Hi

I hope one of you knowledgeable people can help me please - I'm after some advice for my sister-in-law.

She has lived in a 1 bed council house with her partner for the last couple of years (they had a 1 bed council flat before this). Tragically, her partner dropped dead on 23 Dec. She's very worried that she's going to lose her home. I thought that she wouldn't / couldn't because she was only in a 1 bed house and so what would the HA gain from this? However, my DH (who's her brother) told me just now that her partner's name was on the rent book, not my SIL. Now I'm concerned that she will have no entitlement to the house and she'll be made homeless.

Does anyone with any knowledge at all have any idea what is likely to happen? She's going to see the council on Monday and I'm hoping that they will be able to advise her but she's, understandably, extremely upset, and I want to prepare her for anything she might need to say.

Thanks very much in advance

Ms_Chocaholic

Might be worth giving Shelter a ring tomorrow

It's a freephone no - 0808 800 4444
Open 8.00 am - 8.00 pm - 7 days per week

Sorry I can't be any more help

hethmar

How very tragic for her. I cant believe the council could evict her, just to have to rehouse her again. The very best of luck. Contact the Citizens advice bureau asap.

PasturesNew

hethmar wrote: »

How very tragic for her. I cant believe the council could evict her, just to have to rehouse her again.

On the other hand, she wasn't on the rent book, so probably has no rights to be there - AND - as a single person won't count as any type of priority.

I can see it would be highly likely in many areas that she would be given notice to quit.

I might be tempted to find out the score and not tell them he died. although that's not possible if any benefits are involved.

locutus2003

Thanks very much - I think the situation would appear to be as grim as I thought it might be.

I'll post back to let you know how she gets on - if nothing else to help anyone else who might have a similar query in future.

Many thanks

hethmar

Yes do let us know how she gets on.

Doozergirl

I thought that the tenancy was able to pass to a partner or family if they had lived there for a certain period of time? I have certainly read something along those lines in an assured tenancy agreement - surely it's the same as if they were a regulated tenant?

Not being married isn't a problem these days, is it? if they lived together as man and wife and there is evidential proof that she has lived there?

Doozergirl

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]From http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_49381.html

"If you are the tenant’s husband or wife, partner or civil partner (someone who has entered into a formal arrangement, known as a ‘civil partnership’, to give a same-sex couple the same legal status as a married couple) or other family member of the person who has died, and the house was your main home, you may have the right to take over the tenancy. If you were the tenant’s partner (that is, you lived with the tenant as if you were their husband, wife or civil partner), the home must have been your only or main home for at least six months."

Appreciate that is in Scotland but Bristol website talks of needing to live as partners for twelve months rather than six but succession can only happen once.
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Housing/Council-Housing/estate-management/council-tenants---giving-your-tenancy-to-someone-else.en;jsessionid=56E70CBF5906133A61BAC772C58B4D5E.tcwwwaplaws3

I think she'll be okay.


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feisty1

try this, it may throw some light


http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_topics/families_and_relationships/death_in_the_household

locutus2003

Thank you all ... the website links are great. Reading both the council ones and also the shelter site, I think she might be OK. She'd lived with him for longer than 12 months, although they weren't registered civil partners.

I'll let you know - but it sounds better than I thought it might!

Huge thanks