Benefits help please!

murtle1981

BigAunty wrote: »

Many local councils operate deposit guarantee schemes for those in housing need/low incomes which pays the deposit to willing landlords. See your local council website.

Hi BigAunty
Thanks for your reply.
Ive made enquiries with my local council re deposit guarantee schemes and unfortunately they have nothing to help her at the moment-it ran out before Christmas.(im tipping its funded and theres no funding left til the end of the tax year??) Its such a shame as we found her a lovely little flat at the end of our street, the landlord accepted people on the deposit guarantee scheme too:mad:
As for budgeting loans, thats correct but she wont get enough for bond AND first months rent. Think a single persons maximum for a budgeting loan is approx 300 pounds? Even if she did apply, she would need to be in receipt of JSA fos 26 weeks before she was eligible to apply for a loan.
Maybe a community care grant would be better....??

murtle1981

BigAunty wrote: »

It's not clear to me if the OP is in England or not - she mentions a Surrey pension and you have provided a link to a Scottish housing association.

We are in England

murtle1981

RAS wrote: »

At present mum is a short-term visitor so her presence should not affect yuor benefits.

If this becomes longer term (possibly if she start to claim contributions based JSA) then she becomes a non-dependent adult and needs to make small contributions to your household costs. These non-dependent adult contributions should be listed the Council web-site.

Hi RAS
How short is short term?
Im sure I read somewhere that you could have a guest stay with you for up to 3 weeks before them being there affects anything???

barnaby-bear

murtle1981 wrote: »

BigAunty wrote: »

It's not clear to me if the OP is in England or not - she mentions a Surrey pension and you have provided a link to a Scottish housing association.

We are in England

I posted it as an example - google "tied housing points housing" or similar and you'll find a large % of councils and housing associations give those who lose a home through losing a job/retiring an inflated priority....

BigAunty

barnaby-bear wrote: »

murtle1981 wrote: »

I posted it as an example - google "tied housing points housing" or similar and you'll find a large % of councils and housing associations give those who lose a home through losing a job/retiring an inflated priority....

Yes, but I was specifically addressing your assumption that this would be grounds to catapult her into social housing, not disputing the priority status or points she might get because of the tied housing. You said "she might be entitled and prioritised for social housing" and she may be offered it but there is no longer any legal responsibility for a council to offer social housing tenancies now to the homeless in England. Sorry if I did not make this distinction clear.

From 9th November, the local councils in England do not have to provide social housing to the priority homeless. They can discharge their statutory obligations by offering a suitable private tenancy (I thought it was for 2 years duration but think only a year's tenancy is required).

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/homelessness/help_from_the_council/settled_housing_for_homeless_people

BigAunty

murtle1981 wrote: »

As for budgeting loans, thats correct but she wont get enough for bond AND first months rent. ...
Maybe a community care grant would be better....??

I'm not an expert in the DWP grant and loans system but it doesn't seem to come within the criteria

https://www.gov.uk/community-care-grant/overview