am i entitled to any help with housing...?

nipper76

Hello.
i was wondering if i was entitled to any help with housing benefit / council tax.
i work a full-time 38 hour job. yet im struggling to meet the costs of living.
i know there's a lot of people in the same situation, but i just wondered if there was any help about.

im 27 and have a one bedroom flat.
i (aswell as everyone else under 35) fall into the bracket where the local housing authority's insist that i should be in a shared accommodation.
but this doesn't really suit everyone.
I have 3 children that i like to have over at least every weekend and a night during the week when i have a late start, but if i was in shared accommodation then having my children over is something i don't see as possible.
so i really feel i need to keep this one bedroom flat just so i can have them on a regular basis.
the thing is then rent, council tax, general bills (i don't have any luxury's like sky or broadband) running a car to get to and from work, eat all of my wages and im slowly but surely slipping into dept.
im looking for evening work but things are quiet in the area i live in at the moment.
is it just tough luck... or am i over looking something.

beecher2

Post a Statement of Affairs on the Debt Free Wannabee forum to get help on how to budget without falling into debt. There may well be areas of your budget where savings can be made.

princessdon

No you are in one of the worst positions for benefits really being a singleton and under 35.

As above post and see if there are cut backs to made but any income rises will come from you.

If you have children and your Ex is claiming the child benefits and you have them 3 days they may be willing to share them with you.

Mojisola

princessdon wrote: »

If you have children and your Ex is claiming the child benefits and you have them 3 days they may be willing to share them with you.

This could be the answer - would your ex let you claim CB for one of the children?

Horseunderwater

nipper76 wrote: »

Hello.
i was wondering if i was entitled to any help with housing benefit / council tax.
i work a full-time 38 hour job. yet im struggling to meet the costs of living.
i know there's a lot of people in the same situation, but i just wondered if there was any help about.

im 27 and have a one bedroom flat.
i (aswell as everyone else under 35) fall into the bracket where the local housing authority's insist that i should be in a shared accommodation.
but this doesn't really suit everyone.
I have 3 children that i like to have over at least every weekend and a night during the week when i have a late start, but if i was in shared accommodation then having my children over is something i don't see as possible.
so i really feel i need to keep this one bedroom flat just so i can have them on a regular basis.
the thing is then rent, council tax, general bills (i don't have any luxury's like sky or broadband) running a car to get to and from work, eat all of my wages and im slowly but surely slipping into dept.
im looking for evening work but things are quiet in the area i live in at the moment.
is it just tough luck... or am i over looking something.

As you work over 30+ hours per week - you might possibly qualify for working tax credits - you are single over 25 and work enough hours. But obviously if your income is above £15,860 or so you might not. Use the benefit calculator on here under the family income tab up top to see what help you may get.

Charityworker

You say your car eats all your money? Do you really need a car? Could you walk, get the bus or share a lift with someone?

sulkisu

More financial information is needed before anyone can say whether you would qualify for help or not. However as you mention your car running costs being the problem and with three children I am guessing that child maintenance also accounts for a significant portion of your outgoings, it is unlikely that you will be entitled to help.

BigAunty

You can put your figures through the Turn2us online benefit calculator to identify if you are due any other benefits.

However, as identified by the earlier posters, you earn a full time wage and your LHA entitlement would be low if you even qualifiedf for it (shared accommodation rate), plus your children are not taken into account if their primary address is your ex partner's.

There's nothing to stop you from trying to negotiate the receipt of some of the child benefit or tax credits that she receives, or reducing your child maintenance, if you can reach an agreement on this at all.

Download the budget planner on MSE and work out how to slash your living expenses. Can you ditch the car and switch to a moped or cycle or public transport? That's bound to be your major expense after rent.