Can I get an NIHE house whilst I already own one? Please help!!

shelly33

Can anyone advise how I would stand on getting to rent a housing executive house in another county, I currently own an exec house for 3 yrs but found I had to move to another county due to unforseen circumstances, as I got a discount when buying my home I am obliged to hold on to it for 5 yrs or I would have to repay the Exec my discount back, I cant afford to sell as it would leave me with a mortgage and no home due to drop in house prices. As a lone parent I am in diffs as the private rental properties are so expensive, can any one advise as to whether this is possible or is it as I own a home I cannot have one? I plan to rent out my property for it to pay for itself however it is on an interest only mortgage, therefore will never be paid, will sell when it will cover mortagage. any advise is appreciated?

Snoozle

My sister owns a house outright, no mortgage, with her ex-husband. She does not work, and she and her partner claim housing benefit, and get the rent paid on another house which they live in.

Whether it is all above board or not (she voluntarily gave up living in the house that she owns, her husband was not living there when she moved out), I couldn't tell you, but the bottom line is that despite owning another house, she has still been able to get her housing costs paid for.

I don't know if this is any help to you, but I just thought it sounded like similar circumstances.

NASA_2

Snoozle wrote: »

My sister owns a house outright, no mortgage, with her ex-husband. She does not work, and she and her partner claim housing benefit, and get the rent paid on another house which they live in.

Whether it is all above board or not (she voluntarily gave up living in the house that she owns, her husband was not living there when she moved out), I couldn't tell you, but the bottom line is that despite owning another house, she has still been able to get her housing costs paid for.

I don't know if this is any help to you, but I just thought it sounded like similar circumstances.

That doesnt sound as if it is above board.

The other property is treated as capital and would mean no Income Related benefit is payable.

shelly33

I dont get housing benefit as I work and I think it is based on earnings including working tax credits. anyway thanks for trying

grogdog

Snoozle wrote: »

My sister owns a house outright, no mortgage, with her ex-husband. She does not work, and she and her partner claim housing benefit, and get the rent paid on another house which they live in.

Whether it is all above board or not (she voluntarily gave up living in the house that she owns, her husband was not living there when she moved out), I couldn't tell you, but the bottom line is that despite owning another house, she has still been able to get her housing costs paid for.

I don't know if this is any help to you, but I just thought it sounded like similar circumstances.

and we wonder why the country in skint?

Lobell

No. In simple terms, you can't get social housing when you own your own home and are able to live in it.

Social housing is in short supply and waiting lists are ever increasing. To even be in with a chance of social housing you need to be declared homeless. For this you need to fulfil certain criteria:
Be homeless or under threat of becoming homeless within 28 days
Be unintentionally homeless (or threatened with becoming so)
Have no home in the UK which you have a legal right to occupy.

Your circumstances fulfil none of these criteria.

You could rent out your property and rent another to live in in the vicinity of your workplace until the 5 year period has elapsed to allow you to sell your own home.

My sister owns a house outright, no mortgage, with her ex-husband. She does not work, and she and her partner claim housing benefit, and get the rent paid on another house which they live in.

Whether it is all above board or not (she voluntarily gave up living in the house that she owns, her husband was not living there when she moved out), I couldn't tell you, but the bottom line is that despite owning another house, she has still been able to get her housing costs paid for.

I don't know if this is any help to you, but I just thought it sounded like similar.

This is fraud. Assets should be declered on a housing benefit application and outright ownership of a property would give your sister capital that would put her well beyond the threshold for benefits entitlement.

Snoozle

grogdog wrote: »

and we wonder why the country in skint?

I agree - I realise my post may have sounded like I was condoning it, but I really don't.

But in the end, the OP asked a question, and I only answered with what I know to be the case i.e. that I know someone who owns a house but yet has her housing costs paid. I personally also believe this to be fraud, but my sister insists that she has been truthful in her application, and I have no way of proving that she wasn't.

I come from a large family, and the rest of my family are successful, hardworking, tax paying members of society, and my father was a successful businessman. We have no idea where my sister came from......swapped in the hospital, I would imagine, but I can assure you that we all feel ashamed of her attitude and sense of entitlement, and that there has been a huge amount of friction within our family about this very matter. (I have been cut out of her life for months at a time, for daring to suggest that she get a job). As I said to her once, she might as well empty out my purse when my back is turned, because by playing the system she is just stealing from me in a different way. But she swears she is in the right, and its not her fault if the system wants to give her money

Rach39

I know someone who owns their own home but due to redundancies cannot afford mortgage and is going to sell up - she has registered with NIHE for a house albeit that she won't actually need one until her house is sold. She was entirely truthful in her application and was told many people have been put in a position where they need to do this in the current climate. Have they changed the rules as I thought she would have been forced to rent privately until completely skint?!

Lobell

Rach39 wrote: »

I know someone who owns their own home but due to redundancies cannot afford mortgage and is going to sell up - she has registered with NIHE for a house albeit that she won't actually need one until her house is sold. She was entirely truthful in her application and was told many people have been put in a position where they need to do this in the current climate. Have they changed the rules as I thought she would have been forced to rent privately until completely skint?!

Anyone can register for housing regardless of their circumstances. However, whether you stand a chance of actually ever being allocated something depends on your circumstances.

Loss of home through financial hardship is an acceptable reason to be considered threatened with homelessness. However, she will not be classed as homeless until 28 days before the sale/excahnge of contracts is finalised so is very unlikely to receive an offer of anything until that stage.

jenheiffer

I blame Mrs Thatcher - people should never have been allowed to buy their own council houses, especially not at such a knockdown price. Why should they make a profit when they sell it after 5 years courtesy of the taxpayer, leaving the public housing stock depleted?:mad: