£16,000 savings but can i get a council house? (scotland)

chesky369

PS I am assuming that quite a bit of your savings will be eaten up by buying new furniture for your flat and this shouldn't be seen as deprivation of assets, so you should then be entitled to benefits, even if some savings still remain.

GlasweJen

I'd be careful on the buying of furniture actually. Certainly furnish the flat but you need to do it reasonably, if they think you've spent too much money on furniture they'll act as if you still have the money that they think you should have left over. So don't be buying a plasma tv for each room.

Welshwoofs

Why on earth is your ex keeping two cars and leaving you with a young child and no transport? That seems really odd.

In your position I'd whack down a few months rent on a private unfurnished place and get what furniture I needed. By the time you've furnished the place I'd guess you'd be under the savings threshold and able to claim some benefits.

Oldernotwiser

wispagold wrote: »

Hi,

I've just left my long time partner. My name was never on his flat tenancy so he is staying there with the furniture and 2 cars while i get a £10,000 isa that i can't touch till April (i think) and £5,000 in a business account that i'm going to have to close now we are not together. Our 3 year old son is coming with me. Our split is so far freindly and he is happy for me to stay for a few days as obviously at this time of the year everywhere is closed.

I have no job, furniture, car, accommodation but i do have the above money and my son has about £5,000 in a savings account.

Doesn't sound all that "friendly" to me if he's keeping both cars and all the furniture whilst you and his son have nothing! I'd hate to see it if the split was "unfriendly"!

tr82

You might do better applying to one of the Housing Associations for accommodation. Their housing stock seems to be in better areas, better maintained yet still affordable, their staff are easy to contact and more responsive when problems arise (imho).

Try here ... just pick your area & it'll list the housing associations available in your location.

http://www.accessplace.com/housing-association.scotland/

You should be priority for accommodation obviously because you've got your child.

Private rented is an option I'd only advise as a short term fix, at least with the housing associations you've got better security of tenure etc.

Income Support's there to cover your own personal needs, although is affected by savings. You should also apply for Child Tax Credit if you haven't already done so. Housing Benefit is there to help cover the rent for wherever you end up.

All the best, wispagold, you haven't had a great way to end 2009, hope 2010 brings you better times.

TOBRUK

wispagold wrote: »

Hi,

I've just left my long time partner. My name was never on his flat tenancy so he is staying there with the furniture and 2 cars while i get a £10,000 isa that i can't touch till April (i think) and £5,000 in a business account that i'm going to have to close now we are not together. Our 3 year old son is coming with me. Our split is so far freindly and he is happy for me to stay for a few days as obviously at this time of the year everywhere is closed.

I have no job, furniture, car, accommodation but i do have the above money and my son has about £5,000 in a savings account.

What should i do about getting a place to live? Would the council help or should i just try to find somewhere private? and would i get any benefits eg housing, council tax, income support?

I'd just like a bit of advice if possible since everywhere is closed till Tuesday and i kind of want to know what to expect.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post and i live in Scotland btw, i know that it differs from England rule wise sometimes.

Hi wispagold, sorry about your situation. It seems to me that it is you who has to make major changes as a result of your split! As your 3 year old son is going to be with you wouldn't it be fairer that you should be able to stay at the flat and your ex partner goes and finds himself a place to live - regardless of the fact that your name was never on the tenancy.

It would be a lot fairer for him to find a place to live as he will be on his own. You say that your split so far is amicable but don't you think that perhaps he is having the best deal seeing that he doesn't have the upheaval of moving etc?!

System

Welshwoofs wrote: »

Why on earth is your ex keeping two cars

One is his personal vehicle and the other belongs to the business?
Depending on how things are set up he may not want to or be in a position to use the business vehicle for private use

wispagold

Thanks for all your comments.

We thought it would be easier for me to have all the money and him keep everything else, he has £15,000 worth of cars furniture etc, i can get one of the cars but i'd have to give him money for it. We had done what we thought was fair to each other but upon reading all the posts it seems i'd be better off taking one of the cars and giving him the money for it. I don't want to rip off the system or anything but it does seem that i'd be better spliting the money, cars, furniture with him rather than just taking the money then having to live off it. I did kind of think/dream i'd have £15,000 to spend on a car, furniture, carpets etc when i got a place, lol

So do the benefits people regard my sons money as part of mine? I was told by a friend that it was classed as his and not taken into account, doesn't sound like thats true now though.

No plans to get a job as yet, housing will have to be my first priority.

Can someone point me in the right direction as to where i can find out about the savings amounts with regard to getting benefits etc

I just want to try to get the most out of what i've got, if that makes sense.

Edinburghlass_2

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

Edinburghlass wrote: »

Edinburghlass, I wasnt laughing at the fact the OP would be homeless but the fact that they immediately think they are entitled to benefits when they have more money than most available to them!

Surely, if OP has £10,000 available now and another £10,000 in April how could they become homeless? He could pay to stay in a B&B in the mean time and has more than enough for security on a rented property

If you are truly stuck OP, Social Services could help with the care of your child and maybe find you emergency accomadation, but honestly cant see this if he you have available funds to pay for a property.

PP
xx

The OP is a she I believe, with no job, a child and is very shortly going to be homeless. She is asking if the council will help with a house or should she look for private renting and if there are any benefits available to her. She is not immediately thinking that she is entitled to any benefits, she is asking for advice. Now if you think that something to laugh about, then so be it.

Yes she is in the fortunate position to have some money to enable her to rent privately immediately, which she realises, with a deposit and enough money to keep her and her son until such time as she finds a job. I don't see anything in her post which indicates she needs to call in SS to look after her child.

wispagold hopefully some of the replies you now have will help you think things through before Tuesday and good luck in 2010.

Penny-Pincher!!

Edinburghlass wrote: »

The OP is a she I believe, with no job, a child and is very shortly going to be homeless.

I don't see anything in her post which indicates she needs to call in SS to look after her child.

Surely the homelessness of a child would be a matter of concern for social services