Looking for a little advice...

gtcelica6

Hello forum people.

Looking for a little advice, I am currently homeless and living in my car… it has heating but no shower or toilet!

I am in a catch 22; I am applying for housing from a local housing authority but after waiting 6 months to sort everything out and bidding, them helping me or trying to fund a deposit, upping me on a bidding list to gold under my circumstances I find my self out in the cold again, I am still on the tenancy from my old house with my ex, still paying half the bills as my son lives so I feel it my right as a father.

But they will not help me or house me because I am on the tenancy, if I remove my self they can’t help me for 2 years as I am voluntarily making my self homeless, but I don’t live there and am not welcome there. My self and ex have a good understanding but I can’t live at the property.

I work hard and always have done, just wanted a hand and Im stuck.

They say that I should save for a deposit but after paying

£14water
£12.50 gas
£12.50electric
£11? tv licence
£30 mainance

all on my old place and...

£60 diesel for work
£33 gym memebership (free showers and somewhere to go at night)
£30 loan
£40 food

does not leave a lot!



Any Advice?

princeofpounds

Speak to Shelter first of all, that's what they are there for.

Consider applying for a hardship loan to your local authority to use for a deposit, most councils have them.

Stop paying some of the bills for your ex. She has her own benefits to look after things like the TV license. I applaud that you want to support your child but living in your car is a sure sign that you need to take care of yourself a bit.

RAS

Your ex is responsible for paying the costs of the house in which she lives with your son, which is why she can claim the benfits and you have to pay CSA.

How much would CSA be?

Are you over 25 years old or now over 35 years old?

gtcelica6 wrote: »

But they will not help me or house me because I am on the tenancy, if I remove my self they can’t help me for 2 years as I am voluntarily making my self homeless, but I don’t live there and am not welcome there. My self and ex have a good understanding but I can’t live at the property.

I work hard and always have done, just wanted a hand and Im stuck.

They say that I should save for a deposit but after paying


£14water - this is not your responsibility
£12.50 gas - this is your ex-'s responsibility
£12.50electric this is the ex's responsibility
£11? tv licence - this is definately your ex's responsibility
£30 maintance - you should be paying 15% of your salary to your ex as Child support. - how much is that?


all on my old place and...

£60 diesel for work
£33 gym memebership (free showers and somewhere to go at night)
£30 loan
£40 food

does not leave a lot!



Any Advice?

You probably need to look for lodgings or a house share, unless you are over 35 years old. Certainly check the LHA rate if there is any chance that you might not be working.

gtcelica6

Hello I am 31, and dont pay through CSA, I pay cash to her... I know!

I have been looking for lodgings and a house share but none that will let me have my son 3 / 4 nights a week..

Really quite stuck and really quite cold.

RAS wrote: »

Your ex is responsible for paying the costs of the house in which she lives with your son, which is why she can claim the benfits and you have to pay CSA.

How much would CSA be?

Are you over 25 years old or now over 35 years old?



You probably need to look for lodgings or a house share, unless you are over 35 years old. Certainly check the LHA rate if there is any chance that you might not be working.

gtcelica6

princeofpounds wrote: »

Speak to Shelter first of all, that's what they are there for.

Consider applying for a hardship loan to your local authority to use for a deposit, most councils have them.

Stop paying some of the bills for your ex. She has her own benefits to look after things like the TV license. I applaud that you want to support your child but living in your car is a sure sign that you need to take care of yourself a bit.

I have spoken to the homless people and they have said that Im on the tenancy for my old place and that Im not homeless? I have told them that I am and sleeping in my car, sent them 6 letters from people that have let me sleep on there sofa's.... but have out stayed my welcome, but still Im not homeless and I dare not remove my self from the tenancy.

I still pay the bills as my names still on the tenancy and dont want to get lumbered with them..

BitterAndTwisted

You need to stop paying any bills for a property which you do not live in! To be honest, you also need to stop paying your ex maintenance until you've got a roof over your own head. Let her chase you through CSA. By the time that's sorted you could have somewhere of your own. She and your child have shelter, bathing and laundry facilities and some nice, cozy heating, and so should you.

Warn you ex that you intend to contact the suppliers and have the bills transferred to her name. You can't easily "take your name off the tenancy". What sort of tenancy is it?

BigAunty

Being considered as making yourself voluntarily homeless is about leaving a property when you did not have to. Quite how they judge this for a relationship breakdown, I don't know.

Under current CSA regulations, you are obliged to pay a percentage of your net income to the parent with child, I think it is about 15% for a single child. Check the site. There is also a CSA forum on this website. Of course, you are free to pay more to her.

I suggest that you consult your ex that you will be notifying the service providers that you have moved out and encourage her to take over the bills. Your maintenance money, paid by BACs, will contribute towards the cost of raising your child/household expenses, along with her employment or benefit income. Paying her in cash does nothing other than potentially give the impression that you haven't paid a penny to her. Child maintenance does NOT affect any benefits she may receive so you don't need to do this under the table.

Even though you are on the tenancy agreement, you are not obligated to continue to pay the bills in your name - these are separate things, so I am not sure why you feel unable to end the accounts in your name now you no longer occupy the property and just because you are on the tenancy agreement. All you have to do to take yourself off the tenancy agreement is to serve notice. When does your tenancy agreement end or does it run on a month to month basis (periodic)?

I suggest that you consult your ex and inform her that you will contacting the landlord to take yourself off the tenancy agreement and to raise a new contract in her sole name directly.

As you are in employment, you stand a good chance of being able to raise the funds for a deposit for a new place via an overdraft or loan.

At the moment, it looks like you can't afford a self contained property but perhaps you may be able to, once you stop paying your ex an excessive amount. Other than that, you should move into cheap digs and do typical dad activities without them staying over.

Download the MSE budget planner which will give you a better handle on your income and outgoings. On your summary of expenses, you have listed monthly and weekly expenses together and it is not clear what you earn so we have no idea of your financial situation. What do you net each month?

Check the Turn2us website to double check if you are entitled to any benefits, due to your low income, and you can also use the benefit calculator to identify what your ex is receiving (should she be on a low employment income or benefits) to get an idea of her income, too. The Direct gov website will help you identify the LHA entitlement and rates for the both of you.

For example, if she is not in employment, she should be receiving approx £150 per week in income support/JSA, child tax credit and child benefit, plus the child support that you give her. She should not be paying any council tax and should be having most or all of her rent paid through LHA possibly free school meals for the lad. That sum is approaching what a single person in full time NMW employment will earn. She should be able to afford to pay her own energy, tv,water & telecoms bill and still have around £140 left for food and clothes, etc, depending on whether she has a top up to pay on her rent if it's above the LHA limit. Is this a much higher disposable income than you enjoy? Also, if she does receive lone parent or means tested benefits, then you are compromising this by paying the bills and being on the tenancy agreement as it looks like you still live there on paper.

Also, I note that you have a loan, it's not clear if it's £30 per week or per month, but the debt free wanabee board will be able to advise you how to deal with it?

G_M

I agree with much of the above.

The reason you will not be re-housed is that you are not homeless. You have a tenancy, which gives you the right to live in a priperty - ie a 'home'.

You have placed yourself in the worst of all worlds. Paying for a home but living in a car! If you have moved out, then you need the tenancy to reflect this. Is it a Fixed Term or Periodic tenancy? Start/end date? Joint names?

To be honest (and I admit none of us know the relationship circumstances) you should be moving back in to 'your' home. Your ex needs to understand she can't expect you to finance her expenses while you live in a car. If, on the other hand, she's kicked you out because you were physcally abusive for example, then she should be getting a court injunction against you returning..... which would make you legally homeless.

On a separate point - £33 pm seems a lot for a shower. Not sure where else to suggest (I've been fortunate never to have been in the position) but there must be cheaper places. Public swimming pool? Work (some offices have them)? And libraries are warm places just to 'hang out' - newspapers and books to read too! Or visit your ex for showers....... I'm sure others will hav ideas too.

I suggest that you consult your ex and inform her that you will contacting the landlord to take yourself off the tenancy agreement and to raise a new contract in her sole name directly.

It may not be that simple but until we know the details of the tenancy we can't advise.

19lottie82

G_M wrote: »

On a separate point - £33 pm seems a lot for a shower. Not sure where else to suggest (I've been fortunate never to have been in the position) but there must be cheaper places. Public swimming pool?

Not really. My council leisure centre charges £3 for a swim.

At barely more than £1 a day for showers and warmth, I'd say it was a pretty good deal for the OP

sonastin

gtcelica6 wrote: »

I have been looking for lodgings and a house share but none that will let me have my son 3 / 4 nights a week..

Does your son stay with you 3/4 nights a week where you're currently living?

You need to prioritise and take this one step at a time. Get a roof over your head (proper roof not a sunroof!). Get yourself off the tenancy. Sort out a proper maintenance arrangement with your ex so you don't have to pay more than your share. Save up for somewhere else to live where your son can come and stay over.

You never know, once you are set up in a house-share, your housemates might be understanding and let you have your son over despite what the official line is on guests. Camping on an air bed on Dad's floor every once in a while can be an adventure for a kid.

And as for the half-bills on the ex's flat. OK so you want to pay for your son but technically, she isn't - if there are 2 of them living there and they each use half of the gas, electric, etc then she should pay her half + half for him (i.e. 3/4) and you pay half of his half (i.e. 1/4). Even if this is just a short term arrangement until you are back on your feet, it is a fair way to look at what you should be contributing to the roof over his head.

gtcelica6

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

You need to stop paying any bills for a property which you do not live in! To be honest, you also need to stop paying your ex maintenance until you've got a roof over your own head. Let her chase you through CSA. By the time that's sorted you could have somewhere of your own. She and your child have shelter, bathing and laundry facilities and some nice, cozy heating, and so should you.

Warn you ex that you intend to contact the suppliers and have the bills transferred to her name. You can't easily "take your name off the tenancy". What sort of tenancy is it?

The tenancy is through a housing assossation, I am trying to get housed through them also, thats the catch, they cant help as im on there and say if I take my self off I am making my self homless, I cant live or stay there and cant take my self off? they said see a soliciter! Seems a really stupid situation.

If I stop paying the bills and they dont get paid I will also be liable for them?