Advice for a homeless 18 year old please? UPDATED

Wicked_witch

A friend of my son's is currently 'sofa surfing' and has been for several months. Living with parents is not an option any longer unfortunately. She only turned 18 last week, but has not been helped by the council who fobbed her off while she was still 17 with the promise of a YMCA room in January - she's now been told the place won't be available until at least March. And now she's 18, the council's responsibility to ensure she is safely housed has, of course, disappeared :mad:

I know she has no chance of council housing, but will she be entitled to LHA for a private place- single room with shared facilities? The reason I ask is that she is still in full time further education and I'm worried this will affect her entitlement, as I know it does for higher education. Also, any income support etc?

Although my son has been friends with her for some time, we only met her and became aware of her situation recently I am really angry with the council for wriggling out of their responsibility towards a vulnerable child, but all I can do now is try to get the best possible advice for her and I know here is the place to come.

Sues48

I'm not sure about the housing situation, but she should be entitled to Income Support if she is estranged from her parents and in full time education, see here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018708

Indie_Kid

Can you talk to the council for her?

Because she's in full-time education, she isn't liable for council tax. She may need a certificate from her college for this.

She would be entitled to EMA. (Not sure if this affects income support?)

Wicked_witch

Great start sue, thanks. I've been looking at our local council's website and it looks as if she won't even be entitled to their deposit bond scheme :-(

Wicked_witch

sh, can and will if she wants me to :-) She hasn't claimed ema this year due to missing the cut off date in the stress of everything else, so is more or less relying on friends families to feed her. Luckily she is a very sweet and personable girl, so has plenty of friends, but it is becoming terribly stressful and upsetting to have to take 'charity' from strangers every night.

Hammyman

Any reason she can't find a job? School is only typically 9-3. No reason she couldn't get a part time job, work evenings or weekends or both.

Daft as it sounds, being in employment and on a low income would make access to housing benefits easier.

Oldernotwiser

Hammyman wrote: »

Any reason she can't find a job? School is only typically 9-3. No reason she couldn't get a part time job, work evenings or weekends or both.

Daft as it sounds, being in employment and on a low income would make access to housing benefits easier.

It won't be worth working as the money earned will be deducted from the IS and HB.

d123

sh1305 wrote: »

She would be entitled to EMA.

EMA closed to new claims as of 1-1-11.

Wicked_witch

Hammy, I will pass that on. She is on the same course as my son, they are both studying music and the hours are very irregular- some weeks they don't go in at all, others they are in 8-8 preparing for shows, they also have to do front- of- house duties at the attached theatre around 8 times a year and actually sign a contract agreeing that any jobs or other commitments will take second place to this work. However, that doesn't mean it isn't worth looking of course!

ONW, although the money would be deducted I think most rental places are easier to get into if you have income from a job as opposed to LHA. It's just a case of finding something flexible, which isn't always easy...

Oldernotwiser

Wicked_witch wrote: »

ONW, although the money would be deducted I think most rental places are easier to get into if you have income from a job as opposed to LHA. It's just a case of finding something flexible, which isn't always easy...

But she'll lose her IS first and is unlikely to be able to earn enough, particularly in the situation you describe, to pay rent and keep herself.

Wicked_witch

Mmm, seems a bit catch-22 really, but I know you know what you're talking about. I was helping her look for a private rent on the web yesterday and only came up with one possibility for 'dss ok' as opposed to six or seven which were the same price but didn't want LHA claimants. If you, or any other poster, know of any good websites to look for housing, that would be really helpful. I'm trying not to get over involved, but she seems to have had very little useful help from connexions or the other adults in her life.