Housing Ben's and Housing issues

Oldernotwiser

Having looked at your other thread I can see that you wouldn't be able to cover your mortgage and loan from renting out your house. On the other hand you might well find that the difference between the rent for a 3 bed house and a 2 bed flat could be about £200, with cheaper council tax. If you follow the recent suggestion, you could be more than £200 per month better off.
Alternatively, as was suggested on the other thread, you could rent a room or two out. You really can't be expecting the Housing Department to rehouse both you and your wife. Or is this what you are hoping for?

Justie

with the debts you have it seems the only way out is to maximise your assets and to maybe take on extra work in the evenings (when you've not got the kids) for a time to cover any short fall. Round here renting out our house would only cover the mortgage and not much else but it would mean renting a smaller place would be possible exactly as Oldernotwiser says. I know you want to keep 2 spare bedrooms for the kids but that just may not be possible for the time being until you've got back on your feet a bit. A 2 bed place would mean they could have a bed each and you would have to sleep in the living room when they stay over but would give you enough flexibility that you could manage with minimal interruptions for the kids. If necessary you could move into a 1 bed give the kids the bedroom when they stay over etc... all things are possible if you're willing to find a way.

I don't see that you have any other options than to either rent out a room or two in the house while you stay there (which could have all sorts of implications for the kids) or to move out and go down the private rental route.

One of my friends lived in a studio flat with her son cos that's the only option she had - it wasn't ideal but it was warm and safe and eventually she was earning enough to move into a 2 bed flat so it doesn't have to be permanent.

if you're earning you have options and you should use them not rely on the council to get you out of the debt you're in...

shaunc196

I know your suggestions are valid, and good ones. But here is the real world. My wife, is not allowed to leave, and this is making her homeless. I am not allowed to force her out, as again leaves her homeless, and then the police get involved, and remove me ( renting would do this )

She cannot stay in the house, and me leave, as she cannot afford it, and I cannot afford to pay for 2 places, no matter how small. As she has jumped the boat, and tried to get IS and HB sorted, before finding places like this for advice, she has really shot not only herself in the foot but me also.

Now all the advice I have recieved from here, I have battle plans so to speak to go to the CAB with. She is going to the CAB basically saying help me, where everybody on here, has already done that.

No matter which way you look at it:

a) Renting is not an option for her
b) Renting is not really an option for me
c) I can work evenings thats not a problem
d) We cannot live together, as this is making me ill
e) she cannot afford to keep property
f) We cannot sell the property
g) She is "not allowed " to volentry move out as this breaks the HB laws
h) If I move out, then i cannot stay at parents on the never never, nor afford a place of my own as well as my house

The list is endless. So hopefully, but this time tomorrow night, we shall have a clearer picture of whats what.

People on hear, have been to me, invaluable. Advise, guidence, and general moral support, have been just amazing. If I could I would say thankyou to every post replied.

Just wish, the wife has thought the same as me, and think investigation and tools is better than size 9's and persistance.

WOW i actually like that saying

So to sum, she is not allowed to leave, and I am not allowed to leave and not pay. Yay, another Catch 22 Situ with the Government rules :T

Good old government

I hope this give you a clearer picture of my situ, as I have been totally honest since signing up to this forum, as why should I lie, if I need advise?

This forum, has to be the best I have EVER bookmarked

Morglin

Shelter are also good with giving advice around this sort of thing:

http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/index.cfm

Lin

Scarlett1

shaunc196 wrote:

a) Renting is not an option for her

g) She is "not allowed " to volentry move out as this breaks the HB laws

have you been advised that if your wife moves out and privately rents she wont have her rent paid by housing benefit ? this isnt strictly true although it may depend on what LA you come under. I know a couple who have split up and the house sale is going through and she has been advised to privately rent a property and when he share of the equity goes down to under £16,000 she is then able to claim HB and CTB.

you should see if there is a welfare rights officer at your local council and go there for some advice

Oldernotwiser

Shaunc196
I wonder if you're getting confused between your wife's right to HB as opposed to her chances of getting rehoused by the council. The two issues are completely separate and it would be the Benefits Agency who would advise her on her right to HB, not the council.
If this is not the case, then apologies.

TAG

When my ex and I separated we were joint tenants on a LA house.

I moved out into a private rented property with our children and even though my name was still on the LA tenancy agreement. I was paid full HB for my new home.

I think you need to check it out further.

shaunc196

Thank you to all your suggestions. Well its kind of funny. She went to CAB, and they said, stay there, have him removed with an Injuction order. I went to CAB different office, they said, stay there, she cannot have you removed as you are the owner

Income Support people, have placed my wife under investigation and doing home visit, what the hell is that about. How the hell do you prove you are living seperatly in the same house, they want me to build a partition wall :rolleyes:

Just a shame that I have found a loophole after wife has contacted IS and HB people.

Going to get her to ring that Shelter contact above, she what they say, but its looking grim for me. I have searched, and dug around, and basically, if the crunch came to the crunch, the court would award her the house, but she cannot afford to pay for it :mad: and the Housing Benefit will only pay the interest of the mortgage, which works out £13.

About time we got some "real" people in parliment as we are trying to keep this really nice for the kids and us, but the system wants me to screw her for everything, and they want her to screw me for everything.