Housing benefit -will I be entitled?

hm2be

At the moment I live at home with my parents. I have a 14 month old baby and am claiming income support (childcare problems). I really need to leave (personal issues) and am looking for a private place that will accept housing benefit- very difficult. When I went to the council for help finding estate agents accpeting HB they asked me if my parents had thrown me out. I said "no" the man gave me a funny look but gave me the list anyway.

Now its got me thinking- Is someone in my circumstances- moving out from parents entitled to housing benefit? (Im 25 by the way) I really didnt want to get into it with the guy there.


Thanks in advance for all help.

healy

Yes you are entiltled to Housing Benefit if you move out.

Scarlett1

hm2be are you on the housing register ? if you are going to be made homeless then you will get a property quicker (if available and after you have been in a B & , but if not and you leave of your own accord you are intentionally making yourself homeless so you wont be housed.

yes you are entitled to housing benefit as you are on income support, but you would have to have moved into a property first, then it can take up to 8 weeks for the claim for benefit to go through.

good luck in you're search, there are landlords out there who will rent to dss :T

Athravan

I don't know if this helps or if anyone else can confirm but here in Cardiff when I was talking to the council originally about getting HB and saying there was a huge difficulty even in shared accomodation with people listing "No Housing Benefit".

I was told that I did not have to inform the landlord that I was in receipt of any benefits, and that the council could only ever contact my landlord if I gave them permission to do so.

I hope this is accurate as I have never informed landlords about my financial status. I have always simply used a guarantor (parents) in lieu of proving any income or providing job references.

I don't know if this will help you but if it's true for your area to and if you can get hold of a guarantor you may well not have to restrict yourself to people who advertise as allowing HB.

A guarantor has to have a credit check and as long as they pass they are listed as responsible for paying any rent of bills/damages that the landlord is left with should you be unable to pay or do a runner. I have always listed my mother as one but she has never had to be called upon!

Scarlett1

Athravan wrote:

I don't know if this will help you but if it's true for your area to and if you can get hold of a guarantor you may well not have to restrict yourself to people who advertise as allowing HB.

A guarantor has to have a credit check and as long as they pass they are listed as responsible for paying any rent of bills/damages that the landlord is left with should you be unable to pay or do a runner. I have always listed my mother as one but she has never had to be called upon!

yes i forgot about that, you now need a guarantor to rent if you go through a letting agency, my friend is finding that out and is finding it hard finding someone to act on her behalf

hm2be

Thanks for the advice.

I live in London and even when I was working I found it very difficult to find someone who would take me on without work references, bank references, previous landlord references as well as a guarentor.

Thing is as everyone is asking for these things there is no way I can hide that I'll be going on housing benefit. Well I dont hink so anyway.

Scarlett1: Parents are not throwing me out just really need to leave. I was under the impression that you could apply for housing benefit before having moved in or is that just the case if you are already claiming housing benefit and then move house?

black-saturn

Could you ask for assistance from your parents with this. Ask them to write you a letter saying it's inconvenient for you and your baby to be living there and they want you out by a certain date (I think it's got to be at least 8 weeks from the date of the letter). Take it to the council and it should push you further up the waiting list.

astonsmummy

I would say your best bet is to go to the council and register as homeless (otherwise u will be waiting years) you will be a priority as you have a child, so they have a duty to either house you or help find suitable accommodation. As long as you didnt make yourself intentionally homeless. I'm not sure wether this is the same for all councils but ours it is.
You will need your parents to confirm u cant stay there no longer, and be prepared that the council will try to fob you off saying they have nowhere for to put you but stick your ground.
You could go down the private renting route but the depostis etc can be very costly.
I hope you sort things out hun, just remember dont give up, things will work out ok in the end xx

peter999

Athravan wrote:

I was talking to the council originally about getting HB and saying there was a huge difficulty even in shared accomodation with people listing "No Housing Benefit".

Scarlett1 wrote:

yes i forgot about that, you now need a guarantor to rent if you go through a letting agency, my friend is finding that out and is finding it hard finding someone to act on her behalf

Landlords have always discriminated against the unemployed/people on benefits.
It's all about the money & making sure they get paid.
It's a nightmare & a massive problem if you're on benefits.

Over last 10 years my record with paying rent & letting agents has been 100%.
I've always been told by letting agents I am one of their best tenants.
But I'm sure I would still have a big problem finding new accomodation if I had to.

Letting agents are playing safe asking for guarantor as they can get away with it.
Who would guarantee the rent for someone else, apart from parents & maybe close family.

In fact in life who would guarantee anything for anyone else ??
I'm surprised Letting Agents can get away with it.

Walnut_whipp

I had the same problem... my parents wrote to the local council as did my health visitor... the out come was... tough!!! I didnt get further up the list... nor did they have any suitable accomodation in the local vacinity. letting agents even private landlords often place ads saying no dss... the way round this... other than lying... is to save up the deposit on for a private rented property. as soon as you in the property apply for housing benifit... they can pay it direct to you and your landlord does not need to know...

I did this and have had no problems at all... I eevn told my landlord eventually and he said " i dont care where the money comes from as long as you pay the rent"

duracelbunny

Dont hall Hiss as im new here, but i happen to work for Jobcentreplus on the processing side. As a 25 yr old single mother on IS you will be entitled to Housing Benefit provided your property rent is not over and above normal market value. You can arrange with your local council to have the benefit paid to your account and then onto the landlord to get around the whole (dss) malarky...you may also want to point out that jcp (dss) customers are guarenteed rent and can be more reliable than private tennants!

As for the funny look, dont take this the wrong way, but there is legislation regarding young people (U19)and estrangement from family maybe you just look young for your age? :-)

Last point regarding Council housing lists, id agree with the prior post, hold your ground, we deal with about 5 different local councils and even in the same vicinity the service they offer to the public with regards beenfits and finding accomodation ranges from excellent to diabolical

hope you find this useful.