Privatley renting property on income support

Kentmumof1

HI,

I hope someone can help, I currently rent a two bed flat for me and my son privatley from my parents through the council (all above board) and receive payment from LHA for 2 bedrooms. I am due to give birth soon and was hopeing to move to a three bed property, as i am having another son I am not due any more LHA but you can rent some three bed properties for the same amount as the LHA pays for a 2 bed, my problem is that I am having trouble getting together a deposit and months rent in advance, as I am renting from family I never paid a deposit before moving in so am not due a deposit back, is there any help to get a deposit together at all ?

thanks

karenx

Some councils offer a rent deposit scheme where they pay the deposit and you pay them back weekly over the next year. So bear that in mind for your budget, usually £10 per week. You won't get help with first months rent so you need to fund that yourself

Kentmumof1

thanks karen, I will have to contact the council to see if they offer this deposit scheme thing. As for the rent do you know if you have to reapply for all this if you rent a different property or does it just change the address and carry on being paid, im only thinking that when I first applied there was a hold up of say six weeks or so for the first months rent to be paid, and im just thinking if I have to do all that again I would also have to find that money and not just the first month but maybe the second even third ???

viktory

If the second child has not been born then you have plenty of time to start saving. Surely the child will be in a cot in your room for up to a year and then could share with your other child.

Can the children's father not help out?

karenx

you need a deposit and first months rent to be paid before you move in. Yes you just need to update the council of a change of adress and they will send you a new award form with the details on

Kentmumof1

My second child is due in the next 10 weeks so not that long to save, but I can save some you are right and I have been saving some money, also the childrens father is not around having done a runner, and I have no way of contacting him, and before we go into the social aspects of all this single mother lark I am not a kid, Im 38 and had been with the father for 10 years Im just trying now to make the best of a situation for my kid(s).
Yes the second one will be in a crib for a while in my room but I was hopeing if anything came up in the meantime there might have been a loan I could take out as karen suggested.

Kentmumof1

thanks karen i wasn't sure if you had to do a whole new claim or if the current claim just carried on but with the change of address and so on.

karenx

I'm sorry to hear about what happened. I was left a single parent at 19, 6 years later iv still not had a penny through CSA. Don't let it get you down though, it just makes you a stronger person! Iv now got a 5 month old with another guy and he has taken on my other boy! Keep your head up, being a single parent isn't the end of the world, things do get better!!
could you ask your parents for a loan?
Also do get in contact with the CSA, give his name and last known adress and employment, date of birth and also national insurance number if you know it. They can try track him down!!

Kentmumof1

thanks karen, I won't let it get me down I have a beautiful little boy and another on the way, im well strong enough to cope without that !!!!!!, proberly better off in all honesty. Anyway i will do the CSA thing but i won't hold my breath. As for my parents usually it wouldn't be a problem to ask them to help out but at the moment they are struggling financailly due to the credit crunch, dads business is really going down so wouldn't want to burden them anymore, but i will deff get in contact with the council just so I know for the future if its possible to borrow the deposit, thansk for the advie x

leemack

if you've been on is for at least 26 weeks you could apply for a budgeting loan, you would normally get around £800. you pay it back weekly from your income support. you can get the form from the jobcentre.

krisskross

You'll be due the £500 sure start grant I expect. I would try for free or cheap stuff for the little new one (he won't mind honest) and use the grant as your deposit.