The Dole? or Move to the Woods? You Decide!

powned

Hello to all on MSE,

Hope I can get some advice from this fountain of knowledge we call the forum, sorry in advance for the sob story! :rolleyes:

I have worked for the NHS since I was 16 (never had a day off sick in 14 years!) about 2 years ago I left to start my own business but sadly a few months ago my business failed. I have been looking for work since and living on savings for the last 3 months but I have had no luck finding work.

My situation is now getting pretty bad, fortunately I am a single guy with no kids to look after, I have no home and now my savings are almost dry. I have been living with friends, earning my keep by helping them decorate the house, doing chores etc but they have a baby on the way so I need to get out ASAP.

As my job prospects look grim (1 interview from 120+ CV’s sent! :mad:) I think I need to accept the fact that I may need some help. Having never claimed any benefit in my life I had no idea if or what I am entitled to or who to turn to. I did the benefit calc at www.entitledto.co.uk (found it thanks to MSE!) and I *think* I can get jobseekers, council tax and housing benefit.

My questions are: As I am currently technically homeless... -Can I move into a rental property and *then* apply for council tax and housing benefit? -Would this be seen as cheating? -Could I be refused benefit for this? ...I am worried because if I move in and am then refused benefit I will have debts that I can’t pay, my only other option is to live in my tent in the woods!

I’m sure these questions will seem silly to some but I have no idea what I’m doing here, would really appreciate any advice ...or good jokes to cheer me up!
Thanks for reading :beer:

dmg24

If you move into a rented property you can claim LHA. However, it would be worth checking the rates that you would be eligible for. You can find these on the website of your local council.

Do you have any savings left? Anything over £6000 would affect your benefit entitlement, and anything over £16000 would mean that you do not qualify for any payment.

You need to apply for JSA asap, as it will not be backdated without good reason.

Fran

Re accommodation you should contact Shelter who will be able to advise on your local situation and get yourself on your local council housing register.

You can put in a claim for HBen etc. once you have moved in.

As you are potentially homeless and are running out of money it would be sensible to check with local welfare rights advisors eg. Citizens Advice first to make sure all areas of your situation are covered and that you fit the criteria for the benefits and so you know what you might receive in your area.

You can apply for Jobseekers Allowance through your nearest JobcentrePlus.

loisa

I wouldn't call the threat of homelessness a simple issue, it never hurts to get specialist advice.

Have you applied for many NHS jobs? I had an interview with them recently and missed out because someone else had more 'relevant' experience and I've read similar things from others on here, so I think you stand a much greater chance if you've worked for them before. Good luck!

powned

Thanks for the replies so far, :beer:

I have enough savings for the deposit and a months rent on a cheap flat, checked my entitlement on the councils website and it is £390pm for rent.

Found a couple of flats for £350-400, they are in bad areas but to be honest i would still be more than grateful to live in one. At the end of the day i suppose i have nothing to lose by going for it, it just feels cheeky renting a place then asking for benefit but i guess its time to swallow my pride.
Interesting that they pay the benefit into your bank account now and you pay the landlord which i presume is why you dont see the 'no dss' notices in adverts now.

So much for the green shoots of recovery, i have applied to everything from tescos to taskers most dont even dignify you with a response.

Can jobcentre plus advise you on all aspects of dealing with unemployment with regard to benefits? Am i right in thinking they are your first point of contact when you are out of work?

@Oldernotwiser, i agree, i have been trying to modernise my CV over the last few days. I have only ever had 3 interviews also so i guess i need to practice in the mirror too

dmg24

powned wrote: »

Thanks for the replies so far, :beer:

I have enough savings for the deposit and a months rent on a cheap flat, checked my entitlement on the councils website and it is £390pm for rent.

Found a couple of flats for £350-400, they are in bad areas but to be honest i would still be more than grateful to live in one. At the end of the day i suppose i have nothing to lose by going for it, it just feels cheeky renting a place then asking for benefit but i guess its time to swallow my pride.
Interesting that they pay the benefit into your bank account now and you pay the landlord which i presume is why you dont see the 'no dss' notices in adverts now.

So much for the green shoots of recovery, i have applied to everything from tescos to taskers most dont even dignify you with a response.

Can jobcentre plus advise you on all aspects of dealing with unemployment with regard to benefits? Am i right in thinking they are your first point of contact when you are out of work?

@Oldernotwiser, i agree, i have been trying to modernise my CV over the last few days. I have only ever had 3 interviews also so i guess i need to practice in the mirror too

Whilst JCP will be able to process your JSA application, they are not always the best to advise on your entitlement. Many of their frontline staff are still pretty new, and will not have received training in that area. If you have any further questions, we are happy to help!

There is nothing wrong with claiming LHA once you have moved into somewhere - you need a home, and that is what LHA is there for!

I see nothing complicated in your claim that would make it anything other than straightforward, unless you plan to live with your mate who is also your girlfriend who is also a relative, or something bizarre like that!

LondonDiva

Remember you will also need to be able to afford the rent after you find a job - would that be doable on your expected income?

Look into a flatshare on https://www.gumtree.com and such like as an interim thing.

sp1987

Get an application in for JSA and LHA in tomorrow

There is no shame in claiming something you are entitled to. Get the cheapest rent you can in the short term so the LHA covers all of it as when people need to pay extra is where they run into big problems.

Get the people at the jobcentre to give you some proper help with regard to your cv/interviews. You may be a brilliant employee but a terrible form filler so are probably selling yourself short!

Best of luck

Kazzea

You say you are entitled to £390 rent per month from LHA . I know this may seem obvious but you do know that the LHA rate should be multiplied by 52 (weeks in the year) and then divided by 12 (months in the year) to find out what you can afford rent wise per CALENDAR month. I know most people will know this already but I didn't at first so thought it might help someone (anyone) to point it out.

Good luck with your situation anyway.

We_Are_The_Mods

Good luck with finding a flat whilst unemployed, even the ones in the dodgy areas near me wont take on unemployed folk. Best I could find was if you could put 6 months rent upfront, I've given up and am looking to move back in with a parent.

dookar

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

b. there are no "criteria" for being able to claim LHA

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm curious about this.

There must be some kind of criteria? I work full time earning in the region of £25k, surely there is a criterion which would exclude me?

I'm not being facetious but know nothing about LHA and would like clarification of my misunderstanding