Is there anything I can do? Can I get housing benefit?

TOBRUK

I really don't know what to say to you, but I wouldn't rush into anything, tell your mother that you are thinking of looking for your own place - don't shut her out. Who knows perhaps you will get along better if you lived apart. Would you move to somwhere nearby? You will still need your family around won't you?

Well as someone said, look into what your LHA would pay because you would hae to pay the difference if the rent is higher. Think about other costs for example:

tv licence - I pay £12.12 a month
Contents insurance you should consider when you are renting (I can't give you an idea as I have a house and pay building and contents)
water rates I pay £19 DD a month on water meter
Electric I pay £46 a month DD
gas I pay £17 a month DD I have gas central heating and gas cooker.
Telephone rental I pay £41.25 per quarter
tv - freeview would be free sky would be more or you can get sky free to view (more channels than freeview.
That is based on me living alone and here 24/7

Just thoght you would like some idea of the cost of bills.

You would be eligible for HB and free coucil tax.

Hope this helps you.

dmg24

lauranurse wrote: »

They have all been lovely posts

So if that site says I can have £155 a week, would i actually get that amount if i found a flat that cost that or do i have to be on a waiting list or something first? Sorry, it's not something I have ever looked into before.

Yep, if that is the amount for a one bedroom property in your area you would get the full amount. You could either rent privately or apply for social/ council housing. Many areas have waiting lists for social housing, but if you check www.rightmove.co.uk you can have a look what is available privately. As TOBRUK mentioned, you will need a deposit - do you have any savings? You will probably need around £1000.

With regard to IS, if no one is claiming Carers Allowance for you, you should get £158.05 per week. This is on top of your LHA, and you will keep your DLA also.

dmg24

TOBRUK wrote: »

I really don't know what to say to you, but I wouldn't rush into anything, tell your mother that you are thinking of looking for your own place - don't shut her out. Who knows perhaps you will get along better if you lived apart. Would you move to somwhere nearby? You will still need your family around won't you?

Well as someone said, look into what your LHA would pay because you would hae to pay the difference if the rent is higher. Think about other costs for example:

tv licence - I pay £12.12 a month
Contents insurance you should consider when you are renting (I can't give you an idea as I have a house and pay building and contents)
water rates I pay £19 DD a month on water meter
Electric I pay £46 a month DD
gas I pay £17 a month DD I have gas central heating and gas cooker.
Telephone rental I pay £41.25 per quarter
tv - freeview would be free sky would be more or you can get sky free to view (more channels than freeview.
That is based on me living alone and here 24/7

Just thoght you would like some idea of the cost of bills.

You would be eligible for HB and free coucil tax.

Hope this helps you.

If you use a cashback site, you should be able to get contents insurance for £50 a year (or less if you have no claims discount - I paid £11 this year!).

Electric and gas can vary - I pay £45 for them both.

If you don't use the telephone much you can get the BT Basic package for £4ish per month.

I've just realised how difficult budget planning is - we vary so much!

TOBRUK

dmg24 wrote: »

I've just realised how difficult budget planning is - we vary so much!

You are right there dmg. I just wanted to give her an idea, my bills are based on a 2 bedroom house and I am here 24/7 and so would be cheaper if I went out working. My house is also double glazed and walls are insulated as is my loft - it all counts!;)

lauranurse

Thank you so much for all the useful ideas and advice.

TOBRUK that is really helpful to have an idea of bills, as I dont really have a clue any more.

Would I really get that much extra income support a week - im sure i only get about £90 something at the moment?!

I have had a nice bath to try and calm my thoughts a bit, and feeling a bit better now that i have had other people's (yours) opinions. There are quite a few local places on rightmoves that cost that amount or less, so it is do-able if i want to do it. I think I have got lots of thinking to do. I dont want to shut my mum out, but we dont really "do" talking - we get on ok and chat about everyday things but never really talk properly.

Thank-you so much all of you, i cant tell you how much you have helped

Oldernotwiser

lauranurse wrote: »

And i think mum would be hurt if I said i was moving out.

I think that this may not be the case.

missmontana

I'm not posting to offer advice as such, the others seem to have done a pretty good job as per usual! I just wanted to send a big hug, I know how hard it is coping with depression.

Maybe once you have taken the big step of moving out and are living in your own place, got yourself settled... may I suggest you get a pet? I have 2 cats and they have got me thru some very dark days, they are great company, you are never alone and always have someone to talk to. Plus they show you so much love.

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do x

wuckfit

Nothing useful to add either, but just wanted to add my support.
making the move out on one's own can be a daunting prospect. I remember being a bit bewildered for the first few weeks I moved into my first flat on my own.

There's so much to remember and to budget for - electricity and gas, council tax, insurance (it's definitely worth getting contents insurance, you'd be surprised how much all your possessions are worth when you add them all up. Even a couple of hundred CDs or DVDs is going to cost a couple of grand to replace. It's relatively cheap too, maybe around a tenner a month for basic cover)
Anyway, best wishes from me.

Fire_Fox

I too think it's a good idea you move out of home, and start realising that you can rely on yourself a bit more. However it's seriously difficult to live alone on benefits, electric heating especially is VERY expensive. Have you considered moving into a shared flat or lodger arrangement, not one full of giggly kids but with more mature people? :money: I have had mental health problems and at my worst it really helped to have housemates for company, and to share the load of organising the bills. I have a rescue cat who is my saving grace as MissMontana says but, again, that may be a cost too far for you living alone on benefits. You might consider fostering for a rescue tho tho, as all the costs are covered for you!

pinkfluffythings

I have 2 cats too, really help me when I'm feeling a bit down, they make me laugh and give me a reason to get out of bed when its a bad day for me xox