Not got the first clue - HELP lol

Aruffell

Basically, me and my dad argue a lot, and i'm 23 this year and feel i need to move out as i have a medical condition with my spine, due to the arguments, the stress makes it worse, and my dad being epileptic, causes him stress too.

I'm currently on income-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and am in the process of filling out my disability forms as i have Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoratic Arthiritis.

If i go to the council, they will attempt to put me into a bedsit but most likely a hostel first. Only problem with this, is that it will be a shared accomodation, and generally speaking, full of a lot of people who use drugs for recreational purposes. I'm on a lot of painkillers, and i don't think it would be right sharing an accomodation with people who can have access to my medication.

So how do i go about finding a place that i like and then claiming housing benefit for it?

I have found a place i like for £600pcm and it's a well presented 2 bed apartment with fitted kitchen.

I have a king size bed and a lot of furniture including a very big desk for my computer, hence requiring a second bedroom for it etc...

I simply haven't got the first clue about how i do things.

Also, i pay £80 pcm to my parents for rent due to them not having much money as my dad is registered disabled, so im wondering if i move out, what i should be expecting to pay in gas, electric, water etc... Will it be much more than £80 pcm as i know i can get housing and council tax catered for.

Any information on this, would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Andy

BitterAndTwisted

Check with your local authority's website for what their LHA is for a person under 25. You might find that the maximum they are willing to pay may not cover a self-contained one-bedroomed flat never mind a two-bed. Heating costs can vary hugely depending on the build and the quality of insulation, if any, so it might not be possible to give you an accurate estimate. I just paid £150 for my last quarter's heating and electricity and my water-rates are £8 a week/

Aruffell

The LHA site says - If you are aged under 25, are single and do not live with any dependants, you can only get the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate.

1 Bed Self Contained in my area is £109.32

Is that right?

My postcode is ME5 7HA and i'm 22, sorry for my ignorance on all this.

Andy

Trollfever

The LHA for your area can be found here:

https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/Default.aspx

P.S.

There are extra rules if you are a care leaver aged under 22 or severely disabled

For more information about these, please contact your Local Authority.

BitterAndTwisted

What is your local authority's shared room rate for LHA?

Aruffell

£65 for shared facilities.

Just looked and found this too:

"There are extra rules if you are a care leaver aged under 22 or severely disabled"

So i'm guessing i would be better off filling out my disability forms and getting that sorted first?

Andy

BitterAndTwisted

Yes, most definitely but I'm not sure if Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoratic Arthiritis counts as a "severe disability" although to anyone suffering them it will be

Fire_Fox

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Check with your local authority's website for what their LHA is for a person under 25. You might find that the maximum they are willing to pay may not cover a self-contained one-bedroomed flat never mind a two-bed. Heating costs can vary hugely depending on the build and the quality of insulation, if any, so it might not be possible to give you an accurate estimate. I just paid £150 for my last quarter's heating and electricity and my water-rates are £8 a week/

I agree with the above, please don't underestimate the stress of heating a flat without anyone to share the cost. IIRC B&T was pretty careful with her heating to achieve the above figures. I suspect with your conditions you may need continuous heating - you would expect an all electric one to two bedroom modern flat (well insulated) to cost in the region of £100 a month in winter, more if you are home a great deal.

Jowo_2

Under the Freetools section on the right handside of this website is a budget planner. This will help remind you of all household bills that you can encounter, such as water, insurance, travel costs and so forth which are easy to miss out when preparing a budget.

As indicated by previous posters, the LHA rate you are currently entitled to (under 25 without receiving DLA) will probably only stretch to a room in a shared house, therefore a bedsit or a bedroom with shared use of a kitchen/bathroom.

If you receive DLA or reach the age of 25, as you are now aware you will only be entitled to a 1 bedroom rate, not the two bedroom rate so that you can have a separate office as you hope.

Are there any two bedroom flats available for the LHA rate of £473 per month you will get for that area upon receipt of high level DLA or when you reach 25?

If not, you should think of swapping your cumbersome furniture for something smaller in the meantime so that you can fit your stuff into a studio or 1 bed which might be more comfortably within your budget. You might be able to get a smaller PC desk, for example, for free on Freecycle or cheap from a local charity furniture shop.

The Shelter website has good information on how LHA operates.