So I`m losing my home... :(

jamespir

locutus12 wrote: »

Due to the downturn, I lost my job two years back. I worked for the start up firm for three years but a combination of the directors spending like drunken sailors and our American client disappearing taking 80% of our monthly turn over with them finished it for me. Since then, I’ve had a couple of months temp work here and there but nothing concrete, this is despite a minimum requirement I put upon myself of ten applications a week. Most of the time firms don’t even bother to reply these days. The trouble is there are a few million just like me.


I recieved a letter today, ten days before Christmas from the local council . In it, they state that the allowance the government pays for my rent will be cut in half from January due to a government policy change. They warn that this “may” mean I have to consider moving into “shared” accommodation. With the cut they are making, If I piled in everything I had a month, I would be left with £30 to pay a months food and bills. For the record, I live in a small, two up two down British terraced house like any one of these:


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Whittle_terraced_house_8g07.JPG


I chose this house when I was working, because a friend who owned it offered me sixth months rent free on condition that I did it up. (it was derelict, hadn’t been touched much since 1982) I spent more than the rent I saved. Twice as much in fact, but I love the house. And over the years, I bought house stuff, filled the place, made it home.


Then a few months back, my friend decided to sell up. So there’s me struggling like hell to find a buyer who wont kick me out of the home, rip out everything I did, split it up and rent it room by room to students. Amazingly, I found a guy, and he’s been great. He bought it three months back, and since he knows I did the place up, I haven’t seen him since. Rents paid (£425 a month), he’s happy, I’m secure.


But then this letter. A letter I cant fight, I cant complain about, I cant talk to anyone, nothing. After all the stress of saving my home, now im going to lose it because of a politician and some bankers.


What they don’t even bother to think about is HOW am I supposed to move? I have no money for removals, nor deposits on new places. What little I had saved went into this house (at the time I didn’t figure on losing my job). Even if I did go into sharing a home with strangers, I have a house and own everything in it from the floor to the ceiling, and then what about the damned cat?! Ive had her for nine years, she’s like my best friend, but whose also highly annoying and ignorant as only a cat and two thirds of the front benchers can be.


And the most insulting part of the letter, on the rear it states that if I have been convicted of a serious sexual offence or am a convicted murderer and my housing was arranged as part of my release then I would be fine...!


I mean couldn’t they have waited till after Christmas? Couldn’t they have at least done that?! I’m 29 years old and the only assemblance of normality I had left without an occupation was my home and my feline friend. I don’t want to be that lonely guy with no possessions, no job, and no hope, hiding from the world in a room of someone else’s home.

can you not contact shelter housing to see if they could help http://england.shelter.org.uk/

rogerblack

locutus12 wrote: »

I recieved a letter today, ten days before Christmas from the local council . In it, they state that the allowance the government pays for my rent will be cut in half from January due to a government policy change. They warn that this “may” mean I have to consider moving into “shared” accommodation. With the cut they are making, If I piled in everything I had a month, I would be left with £30 to pay a months food and bills. For the record, I live in a small, two up two down British terraced house like any one of these:

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/dwp-anger-at-defeat-of-bedroom-tax/6519687.article - this has been somewhat watered-down.

I'm unsure if it applies to under 35s.

locutus12

rogerblack wrote: »

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/dwp-anger-at-defeat-of-bedroom-tax/6519687.article - this has been somewhat watered-down.

I'm unsure if it applies to under 35s.

Thats the one thats got me. This is good news for now, the question is though, whats to stop the local authority continuing with its policy?

Morlock

locutus12 wrote: »

Thats the one thats got me. This is good news for now, the question is though, whats to stop the local authority continuing with its policy?

No, that is a different policy which may apply to social housing tenants where they are considered to have too many rooms for their requirements. This would leave a 'choice' between either downsizing a property or a housing benefit sanction.

You are being affected by the raising of entitlement to one-bedroom LHA rates from 25 to 35.

fluffymovie

This is a very significant change that local councils have to abide by. It's govt policy not your LA.

The shared room rate won't apply immediately from January but on the anniversary of your LHA rate. I have advised some customers to break their claim next week which means the LHA anniversary date will be December 2012. However if your rent was affected by the reduction to the 30th percentile, you may be getting transitional protection which breaking your claim would stop.

As some others have said there is a dhp fund and recent guidelines say that we can look to use this to help with moving costs, deposits etc

mel12

It sounds really stressful and difficult to be facing losing your home after having put so much effort and work into the place, and through no fault of your own. And really overwhelming to have the worry of what to do next hanging over you especially at christmas

There are people you can talk to about it, who can give you expert advice on your options. For example you could phone shelter, or visit the citizens advice bureau.
Some of your options might include:
- getting a housemate (you would need separate tenancy agreements paying rent directly to the landlord not as a subtenant paying rent to you - this would then be no different from the point of view of the benefits system from moving into shared accomodation elsewhere),
- look into breaking your housing benefit claim and reclaiming as fluffymovie says, to possibly get an extra year at the higher rate
- applying for a discretionary housing payment to either help with the rent or moving costs
- applying for a payment from somewhere else (such as the social fund or local grant making trusts)


Hope that helps.


There's also some info about the changes on shelter's website here.

Oldernotwiser

locutus12 wrote: »

If your both right about tennancy agreements (and provided the LL will say yes, if its too difficult i can see him dumping me for the student market ) that may be a solution! But how to find/pick someone ? :think:

You put an advert in your local paper and interview applicants to see if they have similar attitudes and lifestyle to yours.

Oldernotwiser

fluffymovie wrote: »

This is a very significant change that local councils have to abide by. It's govt policy not your LA.

The shared room rate won't apply immediately from January but on the anniversary of your LHA rate. I have advised some customers to break their claim next week which means the LHA anniversary date will be December 2012. However if your rent was affected by the reduction to the 30th percentile, you may be getting transitional protection which breaking your claim would stop.

As some others have said there is a dhp fund and recent guidelines say that we can look to use this to help with moving costs, deposits etc

Is this official policy or are you just doing this off your own bat?

withabix

locutus12 wrote: »

Since then, I’ve had a couple of months temp work here and there but nothing concrete, this is despite a minimum requirement I put upon myself of ten applications a week. .

What jobs have you been applying for? Just those you want to do, or ANYTHING?

Get yourself to a construction labour agency. There is much more construction work around than people think.

Outdoor work isn't to everyone's liking, especially in the winter. But it is WORK.

FBaby

being unemployed for 2 years at your age is a very long time. You say you apply to up to 10 jobs a week, that is a lot, surely if nothing is coming out of it, something is not right, not with the work market, but maybe your applications? Unless you are applying to jobs you are totally unqualified to do, or your work experience and education is close to nil, you must be doing something wrong that out of 40 applications a month, you are not getting even one interview.

I personally think this is a right move. Yes, it is stressful to change homes, but people do it all the time because of jobs relocations. Stress affects all people, not just those on benefits. At the moment, you get your rent paid for a house that is luxury for someone on their own. Shared accommodation is not the end of the world. I had my own nice place for a number of years, lost my job, had to move, found another job, but for a year, I could only afford shared accommodation. It was a bit tough for my self-esteem, but I actually really enjoyed it, and it helped me feeling motivated to get on with life. I too lost the things I had bought months after months, never on credit, always looking forward to get it and felt proud to be able to afford, and when I moved, I had no choice but to have a massive car boot sale and sold some precious things to me for only a few pounds. I went home and cried my eyes out... I was 26 then. I'm now 41 and have moved on. At that age, you have plenty of time to start again. I did, starting from scratch (finding another job) and build everything up again. This time, I was more careful making sure to build some savings. I progressed up the ladder, was able to buy a house and went from there.

Don't fall into the trap of blaming everyone else for your situation but yourself. Concentrate on your job prospect, get proper support trying to understand why you are getting nowhere, and what you need to do, and if in the meantime you have to move and share somewhere for some time, then accept it, it is not the end of the world and will give you even more determination to start again.