help for my mum whose living in a caravan

buggsbunny

Hi, can anyone give me some advise for my mum,
heres her story...
she was living in a privatly rented house with her husband but he is a builder and work dryed up and they could no longer afford the rent on just her wages, the council were not willing to put them on housing list as they thought they could afford private renting. So the ended up getting in a mess and had to move into there tiny little touring caravan on a campsite.
they still cant get there names on the council housing list as they now have no fixed address as the campsite is classed as a holiday site. they have been there 10 months now and are at a total loss as to what they can do about there situation.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanx in advance for any replys

[Deleted User]

I think they should go back to the council and tell them that they are now homeless,take proof of finances(bak statements etc)and see wht happens,could they not afford to rent privately with help from LHA?

firesidemaid

you could try ringing shelter or visit their website for housing advice x

seven-day-weekend

Can't they apply for Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit) and privately rent?

fluffymovie

Seems wrong that they have been refused access to the Housing List as they are classed of No Fixed Abode. Surely that means that they are in need for housing!!!

Contact the council again but as advised, they could look to rent somewhere privately and claim LHA

sandiep

Where abouts in the Country are they? In Scotland "living in a caravan" is a status on the point list and give automatically about 2 points less than homeless.

Oldernotwiser

Why should they think that the alternative to getting council housing is living in a caravan - why can't they rent privately and claim LHA? In fact, why didn't they claim LHA when they "got in a mess" or did they think that this would be a short cut to getting housed by the council?

bestpud

Tell them to give up on the council housing as it isn't going to happen, no matter how many ways they try to get round the rules.

Then they can concentrate their efforts on finding a private rent and claiming LHA.

ninky_2

how much are they paying to stay in the caravan on the holiday site. last time i stayed in a caravan (last summer), it was actually not all that cheap. surely it would be cheaper to rent privately? i think if they were living in a caravan in someone's garden because they couldn't pay for a proper campsite they might have more grounds.

Jowo_2

Are they on benefits? Are you saying they are applying for council housing or are you saying they are applying to the local council as homeless? These are two different things.

Very few people are restricted from applying for council housing (though I expect having a valid address to receive documents could be a requirement). Many people apply, few get it since there is huge demand and low stock.

Very few people are restricted from submitting a homelessness application to their local council. There's no obligation for a council to give their applicant a council house, even if they decide the application for homelessness is genuine and they are obliged by law to assist them - they may offer them advice/help to find private accommodation, or sort them out with a B&B and hostel.

You'll find Citizens Advice or Shelter very informative about your parents rights and the obligations of the local council, including how to appeal a decision. The Shelter website is particularly informative about how councils process an application for homelessness.

here's another link

"
"Prioritisation

The fact that a person is eligible does not guarantee that they will be allocated accommodation. An applicant's priority is determined by the allocation scheme, and the demand/availability of social housing in the district.
As regards priorities, an allocation scheme must give "reasonable preference" to certain categories of persons. These are:

• people who are homeless
• people living in insanitary, overcrowded or unsatisfactory housing
• people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds
• people who need to move to a particular locality in the district of the authority, where failure to meet that need would cause hardship to themselves or to others

The scheme may give additional preference to people in the above categories who are considered to have more urgent housing needs....

How do I apply?

Procedures will vary from one area to another, but all councils have to follow certain rules. Every application will be considered, as long as you have followed the application procedure correctly...
All councils produce a leaflet explaining how their housing allocation works and how you can apply."

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/SocialHousingAndCareHomes/ApplyingForACouncilHome/DG_10021153

SuziQ

They're lucky they haven't been turfed off the camp site after 10 months as the rules are usually strict to stop people moving in long term.As others have said they need to find a private rent and claim LHA if they are eligible.