BR and social fund question

lizandalfiecat

hiya

I have had my home reposessed (justwaiting for eviction order) Doing all the homeless things with the local council but still have no where to go to. single with a dog, so not much hope at mo, bad credit record due to needing to go BR resulted in private landlords not touching me with a barge pole.

Must go BR (prof advice given and taken), trying to save for fees, but don't have any money/savings except for ESA every 2 weeks.

I know I am not allowed to apply for credit, but I desperatly need to get the money to move home and/or put my belongings into storage. I can't lift and carry my own posessions (ESA) and don't have anyone else to help me, so will need to arange for a man with a van or something. If I end up in a B&B, I'll need to store my posessions and the cheapest is £98 month. Stressing out here!!

Question: I was advised to apply to the Social Fund for funds for removals/storage costs- I think I need to apply for a Budgeting Loan for this? I'm worried that in doing this, I'll be in deep water with the BR process, becaseu I was told not to apply for any kiind of credit

Thanks for your help

L xx

debt_doctor

It is not unlawful to apply for credit whilst you are bankrupt.

What you must do is that if you are asking for more than £500 then you must inform the potential lender that you are bankrupt.

DD

lizandalfiecat

thank you for that. I had read in the forums here how the OR looks down on applying for credit. I'm not BR yet, but I know I have to apply for it as soon as I can get the fees together. I will make sure the Social Fund know this, and take my letters of advice to support this with them.

fermi

debt_doctor wrote: »

It is not unlawful to apply for credit whilst you are bankrupt.

They are not bankrupt yet. So that requirement does not apply.

I think the OP is worried that taking out credit shortly before going BR would be looked down upon.

Commercial credit, it certainly would. A social fund loan for something that is essential now and cannot wait, doesn't really fall into that category.

If you need it, you need to take it out. End of.

Even if you go BR, the Social fund loan is recoverable/deductable from your ongoing benefits until you are discharged, so going BR won't necessarily mean all or any of it is written off.

debt_doctor

fermi wrote: »

They are not bankrupt yet. So that requirement does not apply.QUOTE]
Whoops- poor speed reading!:o

DD

lizandalfiecat

Blimey! I hadn't even considered not repaying the budgetting loan, my only worry was getting into trouble when I do go bancrupt for taking out this kind of loan. I have every intention of making hte reapyments from my ESA.

Fermi - yes, I need the loan, I've tried everything else and when the eviction notice lands any day now, I need to move my sruff. I know I can get access with prior arrangement with the morgage company after I have left, but for the sake of sanity and health (I'm in the process of getting through a nervous breakdown - directly linked to situation I'm in), I need to get out in one go...

Thanks everyone for your help and advice
Lizzie :T

script

Lizzie,

I'm sure you have already done this.

But would you go to every housing help centre, the CAB, Shelter - everyone and anyone who can get you a place to live.

And on behalf of us all on the forum good luck and we hope you get the home that you need.

Script

Ineedaname

Depending where you live in the country, there are various rent deposit schemes (for if you do find a private rental). Specifics varies but generally they pay the deposit (and sometime first month rent) for you and you don't pay the deposit back as the scheme gets it back at the end of the tenancy. Obviously if there's any deductions from the deposit by the landlord then you owe that amount to the scheme.

lizandalfiecat

Thank you all so very much

I am doing everything in my power to get somewhere.

One thing that I have found, and I'm sure I'm not the first, is that due to horrendous credit history while waiting to go BR, in my locality - private landlords just do not wnt to know, neither do letting agents. As a single person with a dog, its local authority help in some form or nothing!

I am waiting to see if my local authority will accept my applicatin for being homeless (again, not a good localtiy for this - they all differ in how helpful they are)

They spent 5 weeks telling me it was being processed, then admitted they had lost all my paperwork when I had a rant and burst into tears in their office last week, on the day my home was re-possessed. It looks like B&B or Hostel at the mo, though my support dog is causing them some headaches... they don't recognise him as a support dog becasue the never heard of support dogs for mental heath... I just keep going, one day at a time.

I learned lots about my rights (Shelter have a fantastic free phone line), know where to get help now and how to keep the pressure on to make sure my rights are not abused. Its all very hard work when you've never encountered the benfit/housing etc culture and the way the officials talk down to you...

...but the new start is comming, I just have to get to it

Many thanks for the moral and factual support
L xx

wildheart83

lizandalfiecat wrote: »

Thank you all so very much

I am doing everything in my power to get somewhere.

One thing that I have found, and I'm sure I'm not the first, is that due to horrendous credit history while waiting to go BR, in my locality - private landlords just do not wnt to know, neither do letting agents. As a single person with a dog, its local authority help in some form or nothing!

I am waiting to see if my local authority will accept my applicatin for being homeless (again, not a good localtiy for this - they all differ in how helpful they are)

They spent 5 weeks telling me it was being processed, then admitted they had lost all my paperwork when I had a rant and burst into tears in their office last week, on the day my home was re-possessed. It looks like B&B or Hostel at the mo, though my support dog is causing them some headaches... they don't recognise him as a support dog becasue the never heard of support dogs for mental heath... I just keep going, one day at a time.

I learned lots about my rights (Shelter have a fantastic free phone line), know where to get help now and how to keep the pressure on to make sure my rights are not abused. Its all very hard work when you've never encountered the benfit/housing etc culture and the way the officials talk down to you...

...but the new start is comming, I just have to get to it

Many thanks for the moral and factual support
L xx

I understand exactly where you're coming from. A very dear friend of mine (whilst he did not go BR) had a nervous breakdown 5 years ago and is slowly rebuilding his life.
He has been living in privately rented accommodation with his support dog for the past 4 years so it can be done, although as you have found, it differs between areas / Local Authorities. I must ask him how he found the whole process of finding somewhere to live with his dog.

I wish you all the very best, and keep us updated with how you are getting on

Ineedaname

Unfortunately, although it is generally recognised that dogs are extremely beneficial for the mentall ill, in this country there is still no option for registering a support dog for mental health. So your local authority does not have to accept your dog is a support dog in any way at all. Although they may be willing to make a concession, they don't have to and might come up against legal/insurance issues or complaints from other tenants surrounding allowing a non-registered support dog into accomodation which is designated not for dogs. It's a dangerous precedent for them to set.

Hopefully this will change in the future and we'll have registered support dogs for mental health. But of course they won't be chosen pet dogs but fully trained dogs supplied by the charities as with all other support dogs. It might be possible to have a pet dog trained to become a support dog, but not all dogs are suitable for the training.

Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news, I have mental health issues myself and two terriers who have kept me going through some very dark days. But I know if I needed rehoming and my local authority said 'no dogs' I wouldn't have a leg to stand on.