Council exchange advice please

essex_mich

Hi all I need some advice,Im currently a tenant of Epping district council,I have a 3 bed house in very good decorative order,my son moved out 3 years ago and I got divorced 2 yrs ago,which leaves myself and my 16 yr old daughter at home.
I am concerned about the 14% rent increase next yr so decided to look for a 2 bedroom house which I have now found and we both want to go ahead.
Problem is I am paying off a £2000 housing benefit overpayment from 2 years ago that occurred due to a tax credits issue, I am paying £5.00 a wk to clear this overpayment,and Im really worried that the council will block me exchanging unless I pay off the arraers in full which I cant do.
Im looking to move into a housing association property,(not sure if this makes a difference,but the council surely stand to gain by my downsizing from a 3 bed to a 2 bed that I no longer need.
I really want the 2 bedroom house, I rang the home options department and they said it is down to their discretion whether they let me exchange with a current overpayment.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
thank you

Michelle

Dunroamin

I'm afraid that it's quite common not to be allowed to exchange when you have rent arrears and this is likely to be even more so if changing LLs.

Do you realise that rents aren't actually going up but that tenants on HB will have to pay for unneeded bedrooms out of their existing benefits?

embob74

I once exchanged from HA to a council home and myself and the other exchange person had to pay outstanding debts before we could move.

Fire_Fox

Welcome! How much of the £2K do you still have to pay, can't you up your payments from £5 a week? Do you know where every last £1 of your income goes every week/ month? If you read around MSE you will be amazed at some of the challenges and the tiny amount of money some families are living on in order to pay off debts faster.

essex_mich

I understand that I will lose 14% of my housing benefit due to the new changes in April 2013,I only work part time so Im not in a position to pay the overpayment off quicker, so basically if the council wont let me continue to pay off the overpayment weekly I wont be able to move end of,which defeats the object of asking me to downsize,so how do I win ?:(

angelbob

if your daughter is 16, is she still at school/college? Or working? Can you not get more hours or another job, my local council wouldn't let you move with arrears neither, so the sooner you clear them the better, at £5 a week it will take you 7 years to clear. x

Fire_Fox

essex_mich wrote: »

I understand that I will lose 14% of my housing benefit due to the new changes in April 2013,I only work part time so Im not in a position to pay the overpayment off quicker, so basically if the council wont let me continue to pay off the overpayment weekly I wont be able to move end of,which defeats the object of asking me to downsize,so how do I win ?:(

Do you know where every last £1 of your income goes every week/ month? If you read around MSE you will be amazed at some of the challenges and the tiny amount of money some families are living on in order to pay off debts faster. Plenty of MSEers living on a very low income. How many rooms do you heat in winter? How many homemade vegetarian/ vegan meals do you eat a week?

essex_mich

My daughter Is in full time education therefore mine is the only income,if I work more hrs my rent will go up accordingly so no point in that,my question is will the council let me move with the outstanding debt and carry on paying it off, as I only have 5 to 6 wks to pay it off or lose the house that I want .

sniggings

overpayments are not the same as rent arrears, I would try and get hold of the person dealing with your case and explain the situation, just so no mix up can happen

They still could stop the swap but some councils are smart enough to understand the difference.

essex_mich

Thanks Sniggings that's what Im hoping that its a different thing to rent arrears,ive been advised to make sure my current rent account is in credit and to enclose a letter explaining the set up already made for repayment of the overpayment,fingers crossed.

Dunroamin

essex_mich wrote: »

I understand that I will lose 14% of my housing benefit due to the new changes in April 2013,I only work part time so Im not in a position to pay the overpayment off quicker, so basically if the council wont let me continue to pay off the overpayment weekly I wont be able to move end of,which defeats the object of asking me to downsize,so how do I win ?:(

But why do you assume that you'll still only be working part time and claiming HB next year?