Accommodation woes!

prowler

Hi,

I was made redundant last year, looking at the bleak winter ahead I decided to go away overseas and see family and friends and see a little bit of the world to sort my head out with the view that the jobs market would hopefully have improved this spring.

Well, I have been back 6 months now and I still have not managed to find a job although i have had a couple of interviews for less well paid jobs. Whilst I have been job hunting I have been doing some consultancy work that pays me about £400 per month and I have also recently started receiving jobseekers allowance.

I live in a small village with my parents where I have lived almost all of my life. My friends and my life is here, unfortunately my parents are selling and moving away from the area.

I could go with them, but I will not see my friends and not have the life I have enjoyed all these years and will be living in unhappiness I am sure as the only thing really keeps me going is being able to see my friends.

The question is I guess, is there any help with housing or accommodation I could expect to receive until I get myself back on my feet? There is very little accommodation at the cheaper end of the spectrum where I currently live with the cheapest rental property around £750PCM. I could try and rent a room locally and this would be £400PCM. I would have bills on top such as food, internet, phone and running a car potentially.

My income is £400 from consultancy per month.
Tax credits £200 per month approx.

Total income £600

My current outgoings are
Phone £30
Internet £17
Car (current SORN) but if I move out of my parents I will need it.

The other problem I face is that if I rent a room off someone, they probably won't want me sitting around the house all day and I doubt they would take someone like me on with no real job.

Renting somewhere is going to be an uphill battle as deposits, no job etc.

So, am I destined to be living in a place I hate and with my parents? Or is there any help for people in my situation, I do not think I can carry on living with my parents for much longer, especially if I am going to have to move with them to an area I don't want to live in away from my life.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Caz3121

Private rents are based now on LHA rates - have a look here https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/Default.aspx and you will be able to get the rate for your area. I am assuming you are over 25 (as you are getting tax credits) so it would be 1 bedroom rate (unless you chose to go into shared accomodation in which case that is the rate they would use)
Do you have a disability or are you really working 30 hours a week for £400 per month?
This amount is the maximum amount payable and would only be paid if you had no income, as you do then this would be reduced
if you plug your figs through https://www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk/entitlementcalculator.aspx once you know your LHA it will give you an indication of what help you may get

karenx

There might be help from your local council to pay a deposit but you will have to pay it back weekly. You will also need money for a months rent up front and possible the second incase your claim isnt sorted in time.
You say you are recieving JSA but you are earning £400 a month. Does JSA know about this?

prowler

Caz3121 wrote: »

Private rents are based now on LHA rates - have a look here and you will be able to get the rate for your area. I am assuming you are over 25 (as you are getting tax credits) so it would be 1 bedroom rate (unless you chose to go into shared accomodation in which case that is the rate they would use)
Do you have a disability or are you really working 30 hours a week for £400 per month?
This amount is the maximum amount payable and would only be paid if you had no income, as you do then this would be reduced
if you plug your figs through once you know your LHA it will give you an indication of what help you may get

Thanks for that, plugging in all the numbers seems to show that I would get some housing allowance on top of my tax credits.

The next problem I see is that renting a room off someone seems a bit tricky due to the limited supply and also as mentioned I doubt they would want me to be on benefits and working from home.

Renting a property also seems like a bit of a headache as I am not sure what the lettings agencies are like locally with regards to people on housing benefits, also my credit record is a little shabby.

Any advice?

prowler

karenx wrote: »

There might be help from your local council to pay a deposit but you will have to pay it back weekly. You will also need money for a months rent up front and possible the second incase your claim isnt sorted in time.
You say you are recieving JSA but you are earning £400 a month. Does JSA know about this?

Thanks,

I am on Tax Credits and I declared my £400 income with them at the beginning.

I can probably sort out a deposit OK as I have been saving every penny I can as I thought I might have this problem looming!

karenx

You will need a deposit and first months rent and poss letting agency fees ontop of that.
You will need to find a letting agent who will accept tenants who get housing benefit too. And supply income documents also

prowler

karenx wrote: »

You will need a deposit and first months rent and poss letting agency fees ontop of that.
You will need to find a letting agent who will accept tenants who get housing benefit too. And supply income documents also

This sounds like it will be near on impossible, there are only two rental property listed under a grand PCM and they are both with an agency that I think will say no! :-(

It is a very rural area which has been ruined by Londoners buying up all the housing for holiday homes.

Duncombe

Im confused

OP - How are you claiming JSA and also earning £600pm?

prowler

Duncombe wrote: »

Im confused

OP - How are you claiming JSA and also earning £600pm?

I am not claiming JSA, I am claiming Tax Credits on top of my meager £400 earnings from freelance work.

It looks like I will be an economic migrant and forced to live away from my friends and the life I have had over the last 26 years. It sucks.

AnxiousMum

prowler wrote: »

I am not claiming JSA, I am claiming Tax Credits on top of my meager £400 earnings from freelance work.

It looks like I will be an economic migrant and forced to live away from my friends and the life I have had over the last 26 years. It sucks.

Like many others! When needs must and all......
We had the same situation in Canada, and had to move to the UK in order to find work, and relocate a family with five children, not knowing anybody, starting in a totally new education system, not having family around etc. But guess what? As we integrated into the new community, kids in school, us in work etc., we got to know people and life is great! Or, we could've sat at home on unemployment - doubt that would've made us happy.

To be honest - you are admitting in your posts that you have no prospects to let you remain where you are. You were able to go world travelling for however long, yet you say you can't relocate with your family?

How old are you? You do say in a post above that you work in a consulting role for £400 per month, claim tax credits and you just signed on for JSA.......or was the JSA bit an error?

Long term - what holds the best prospects for you?

Duncombe

prowler wrote: »

I am now forced to give up everything I live for.

Sadly, this is a fact of life.

You are lucky enough to have a roof over your head, a family who are willing to support you and a good set of friends albeit not living in the same area as you.

You really could have it alot worse. You might realise that one day.