Housing Benefit and Domestic Violence

omen666

Is it possible for someone who is 20 years old and female who has suffered from Domestic Abuse to get housing benefit whilst at University. The boyfriend has been charged and she is no longer living with him but she is finding it difficult to get into a refuge as they are all asking for payment of sorts, understandably. But as she is at Uni they are all saying she probably wont get housing benefit and she does not have a job.

She is only getting a loan and not a grant as although she has not lived at home for more than three years she has no definitive proof of this as they are dismissing her claims on that one. The need is immediate but no money to hand.

Advice greatly appreciated

karenx

So how would she fund the deposit and first months rent?

Macro_3

karenx wrote: »

So how would she fund the deposit and first months rent?

Not applicable for a refuge.

OP, unfortunately, as a full time student not in a vulnerable group she would not qualify for housing benefit. Could she find housing elsewhere, perhaps through local council housing, family or the university etc?

omen666

Local councils are basically saying she is not a priority. she does have a joint application with an ex boyfriend she broke up with a year ago and she had that with him for a couple of years. Could she disjoint this application with him and go it alone using the 3 years she has already waited?

Macro_3

I don't know, but it obviously won't solve her immediate problem. If the LA are saying that she isn't priority, she could wait years - it's perfectly possible that she may never be housed.

Could she look for a student house share? It would probably be as cheap if not cheaper than council/private rented accomodation? It doesn't really solve the problem of paying for it - she would have to do as most students do and use loans/work part-time.

Marcheline

I would advise her to get an immediate appointment with the student services centre. They may be able to find her a place in the halls of residence. She should also immediately apply for the Access to Learning Fund from the university, which is a non repayable grant. I would also advise her to find a part time job.

Edited to add: I notice she is getting a loan. What is this being spent on? She really should be using this to fund alternative accommodation.

Kimitatsu

She wont get housing benefit whilst at Uni because she has an income in the form of her student loan.

However if she decided not to stay at Uni she would become a priority to house because she could not go back to the place she was staying with her boyfriend.

I assume that she rented a house with him so why can she not pay rent at a refuge? just trying to get to bottom of it so please dont take offence!

If she has not lived at home for three years why can she not prove that? She should have a bill of some sort in her name - council tax although she is exempt from whilst at Uni she still has to register for so that should count.

Macro_3

I presume she cannot pay for a refuge independently due to the expense - I know that the refuges locally here that cater specifically from women fleeing from domestic violence charge somewhere in the region of £6-700 per week due to the support services that they offer.

alwaysonthego_2

Get her to contact Women's aid who can offer her support.

omen666

She was not paying anything in rent as he was paying it as she was at Uni. She is trying to get letters from people she stayed with to prove she was not living at home over the past 3 years to go for the grant.

This uni course is her life and I agree she should not let it go in order to secure JSA, HB etc. Would have thought there would be ways for people in this sort of scenario or similar.

She is still waiting for her loan this year due to backlogs etc and it is only £1600 anyway so will not last even if put to rent and is trying to look for work.

thorsoak

As I understand the situation, she is still at the university - am I correct?

In which case, I would advise her to check with her NUS advisor and also her tutor - I know that it used to be the case that the university would support a woman in such a situation and help with accomodation on campus.