Housing Benefit Woe's

Buggles

Hi everyone

I'm hoping somebody can give me some advice.

My mum is moving in with her boyfriend very soon & I can't go with them for various reasons.

We currently rent a 2 bedroom house which will be too big and too expensive for just me to live in, so when the lease is up in January, I'm planning on getting a 1 bedroom flat in town (close to work etc)

I only work 16 hours a week (looking for a new job with more hours of course)

Now, the problem is, I'm only 22 so according to the LHA website, I'm only entitled to shared-room Housing Benefit. I went to entitledto.com & according to that, I'll only get something like £40 a week HB which means only £160 a month! Around here, the cheapest flat is £350 so somehow out of less than £400 a month's wages, I would have to find money for £190 rent, council tax, food, gas/electric, tv license & anything else I am missing. There is NO WAY I can do it. I really do not want to house share as I am a very private person. Yes, I realise that house share is the cheaper option but it really is not for me.

Has anybody else been in a similar situation? Moving in with mum & her boyfriend is not an option.

Am I entitled to any more help?

karenx

No you wont be entitled to anymore help. Best thing to do is just to keep looking for a full time job

hippy-chicy

I know it doesn't seem fair, but thats how it is unfortunately.
Are you getting high rate DLA care? If so the shared room rate will not apply to you.

The best thing that you can do is look into shared accommodation. There are some really great ones out there for working professionals. They are not all dingey student digs.
I was in a lovely shared house for about a year after i graduated and i loved it. Remember that its not only the rent its all the bills as well. In a shared house these are 1/2 or 1/4 which really helps if you are on a limited income.

Hope you find something . But i think your goingt o struggle if your looking at getting somewhere on your own.

GlasweJen

So you don't want to share with strangers, can't move with your mum and can't afford to go it alone, do you have a friend that could move into the other bedroom in the house that you're in just now?

Oldernotwiser

Very few people of your age can expect to rent a flat on their own, even if they're on good salaries, much less if they're only working 22 hours a week!

You need to either get a full time job or be more realistic in your expectations, rather than expecting the benefits system to subsidise you in living an unrealistic lifestyle.

Jowo_2

As per Olderandwiser, not many young part-time workers on a low income can hope to rent a self-contained property handy for their place of work. We've seen loads of threads from people struggling when they prioritise their style of accommodation over their budget.

Some houseshares have less sociability between tenants/lodgers and more privacy, it just depends on the household. I've been in places where there are no communal spaces other than sharing the kitchen and bathroom and therefore most of the occupants kept themselves to themselves.

You may find fairly self-contained accommodation, such as an annexe or separate floor away from a live-in landlord, cheap bedsit or a room in a shared house that has extra bathrooms or ensuite, for example, which means you get as much privacy from the other occupants and landlord as you did from your mother and her fella.

Buggles

Thank you for your replies. I have since looked into room shares & the cost is still the same. Working out at between £350 & £400 a month. Yes, bills are usually included in that, but I would still have to find all that rent.

I have no choice but to get my own place (whether shared or on my own)

lynzpower

You are geting it wrong here- you get LHA OR Housing benefit, not both.

You will get LHA- not HB as HB is paid only to those in council housing or HA.

You need to check out the LHA shared room rate, thats the one that applies to you.

Bougainvillea

Discretionary Housing Payments: Housing benefit have access to funds which they can use where the rent is 'restricted' They have a form to complete or there may be one on the council's website. However, you would have to make a very strong case and to try to show that your claim was exceptional. For instance, if there were health or other strong reasons for your not wanting to share, or relaitionship reasons as to why you can't move with your family, you would be more likely to receive a discretionary payment. It would help if you had a letter from your doctor to back up your case. Even so, discreationary payments are usually only paid for 6 or 12 months and might not be renewed if you put in another claim. The citizens advice bureau may be able to help with completing the discretionary payment form.

dmg24

lynzpower wrote: »

You are geting it wrong here- you get LHA OR Housing benefit, or both.

You may want to amend that sentence!

Buggles

Oh right, i thought LHA stood for Local Housing Authority, apparently not. The A is Allowance.