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From Council to private renting ....
Comments
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On the other side of the story, she may be genuine enough to want to change her life around, being in that area where drugs and alcohol problems are rife can't be easy for her, must be a constant battle with her conscious.
Doesn't sound like social services have been involved so must be a decent mother despite these problems and has the love of her children especially 12 yr old.
I hope there is a solution for all involved and the children aren't too disapointedForums can be/are a good guide to entitlement and it is good practice to back it up with clarification from the relevant department/specialist with written confirmation to safeguard yourself.0 -
I have two children (different sexes) and partner, and live in two bedroom flat.
The children can always change their clothes in the bathroom, and get two single beds, and that is what I am going to do.0 -
But then surely the fact that she's on benefits is going to hinder the search for private rented property anyway, as most landlords are reluctant? And, she wants to move to a nice area, so then I would imagine that (a) properties are more expensive and (b) landlords would want a credit ref.
Currently LHA is calculated at the median of local market rents, meaning that (in theory) around 50% of properties are affordable to those on benefits.
This is now being changed to the bottom third. It is known as the change from the 50th to the 30th percentile.
Generally, it is a struggle for LHA claimants to find both a decent property that they don't have to pay a top-up towards the rent and to find a landlord who is LHA friendly.
In future, it will be even harder and claimants will be under pressure to select the bottom third cheapest properties, which invariably means less quality.0 -
On the other side of the story, she may be genuine enough to want to change her life around, being in that area where drugs and alcohol problems are rife can't be easy for her, must be a constant battle with her conscious.
Doesn't sound like social services have been involved so must be a decent mother despite these problems and has the love of her children especially 12 yr old.
I hope there is a solution for all involved and the children aren't too disapointed
Social Services have been involved many times over the years, and as recently as just before Christmas, as have the Courts, so it's a difficult and precarious situation to say the least. Unfortunately, our fear is that this 'move' is just lip service to appease a 12 year old who is getting more self conscious and wishes to have her own room, which is understandable. Sadly my stepdaughter has been let down too many times to mention in the past, and because she's relaying what she's being told by her mum, we wanted to get some facts before sitting her down and telling her that it's very unlikely they will be moving anywhere for the forseeable. Listening to her going on and on about how they will rent privately, new bedrooms etc., is heartbreaking to say the least.0 -
Currently LHA is calculated at the median of local market rents, meaning that (in theory) around 50% of properties are affordable to those on benefits.
This is now being changed to the bottom third. It is known as the change from the 50th to the 30th percentile.
Generally, it is a struggle for LHA claimants to find both a decent property that they don't have to pay a top-up towards the rent and to find a landlord who is LHA friendly.
In future, it will be even harder and claimants will be under pressure to select the bottom third cheapest properties, which invariably means less quality.
And the third cheapest properties will most likely be those with either one or two bedrooms, which is no good anyway. My eldest son moved out 2 years ago and rented a 2 bedroom flat for six months for £575 pcm, which was good for round here! Unfortunately it crippled him and his mate, with rent and council tax, and they're both working. He's now living in a bigger shared house which works out a lot cheaper but means less space for himself. He's happy though, as he's only young and has more disposable income now. But, it is difficult for those who are working, so for those on benefits it must be nigh on impossible.0 -
Listening to her going on and on about how they will rent privately, new bedrooms etc., is heartbreaking to say the least.
Looks like you'll have to be ready to pick up all the pieces when the penny drops for mum. If it does, and as she still has drug and alcohol problems the likelihood of that happening is vanishingly small......................I'm smiling because I have no idea what's going on ...:)
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It must be. I guess the best you can do is try and get her to understand that hardly any private landlords let their properties in really nice areas to people who haven't got a job, are on benefits and in debt to the council. Especially as they are very expensive to rent and the council won't pay all the rent and council tax.
Looks like you'll have to be ready to pick up all the pieces when the penny drops for mum. If it does, and as she still has drug and alcohol problems the likelihood of that happening is vanishingly small.
Well someone has to tell the poor kid the truth don't they? You can see her wistfully creating the bedroom of her dreams in her mind, and whilst there's nothing wrong with daydreaming, she's being told it will be a reality and it clearly won't. They don't have internet, and she really struggles with homework because a lot of it is online, and mum has been promising internet for 3 years now. Now that's changed to 'once we've moved, we'll get internet as there's no point having it put in here'. Perhaps if she realises they won't be moving any time soon, she can work on mum to at least put a few quid aside each month for internet. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind don't you, and we don't want to be the bearers of bad news, but living a lie is definitely worse.0 -
What your ex proposes to do - rent a 3 bedroom private property - is perfectly feasible but is hard for motivated, sorted and organised benefit claimants to do, and so very much harder for someone with significant social and personal problems to achieve.
I think the biggest barrier will be the tenant screening checks (credit record) and her ability (or not) to find someone to be her guarantor - someone who is willing to effectively sign a blank check for the entire duration of her tenancy to an addict who can't manage her money.0 -
They don't have internet, and she really struggles with homework because a lot of it is online, and mum has been promising internet for 3 years now. Now that's changed to 'once we've moved, we'll get internet as there's no point having it put in here'.
Can Dad not look at buying his daughter a payg dongle which would encourage the mother to top up without excuses.Forums can be/are a good guide to entitlement and it is good practice to back it up with clarification from the relevant department/specialist with written confirmation to safeguard yourself.0 -
Well someone has to tell the poor kid the truth don't they? ...Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind don't you, and we don't want to be the bearers of bad news, but living a lie is definitely worse.
This strategy is risky and could backfire when she chooses to shoot the messenger rather than accept the message.
Step back and just support her disappointments if, as and when they happen.
I'm sure deep down she knows it's a fantasy but can't help but get excited at the prospect. If your ex is anything like the addicts in my wider family, she'll be really convincing in her promises and in contrast, you will just seem like a party pooper who is willing the whole project to fail to say 'I told you so'.
Your ex will come up with a convincing excuse to explain either her lack of progress in the move or why it won't happen but chances are she won't have to exaggerate - she can probably just truthfully admit that she can't find a landlord to accept her because she's on benefits. Let your ex be the bearer of bad news rather than you.0
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