If a person cannot afford to pay their home rent, what happens?

simmed

Scenario. A single unemployed person (on JSA), moves to a new area and expects to find work. His/her rent payments eat into his savings, he can't find any work. Eventually their saving run out and they can no longer afford rent. Do they get kicked out? If so, would the council give a temporary home?

jobbingmusician

Yes. What else would you expect a landlord to do?

No. (Or alternatively yes. When they reach their turn in the queue. Unless they have major disabilities or other things that score them points, they will never reach the top of the queue.)

Owain_Moneysaver

If they had no savings, they would be eligible for income-related JSA and Housing Benefit.

If they are evicted for non-payment of rent then they are deemed to have made themselves intentionally homeless and are not eligible for statutory rehousing.

simmed

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Yes. What else would you expect a landlord to do?

No. (Or alternatively yes. When they reach their turn in the queue. Unless they have major disabilities or other things that score them points, they will never reach the top of the queue.)

So you are saying that the unemployed person would be kicked out of their home and have to live on the streets?

MinaMina

It took me 15 years to get to the top of the list for council accommodation, but that was in 2007 when i was offered a place.

I would of thought the housing list is even worse now :-(

simmed

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

If they had no savings, they would be eligible for income-related JSA and Housing Benefit.

If they are evicted for non-payment of rent then they are deemed to have made themselves intentionally homeless and are not eligible for statutory rehousing.

So they could use housing benefit to pay the rent.. and not be evicted?

UsernameAlreadyExists

simmed wrote: »

Scenario. A single unemployed person (on JSA), moves to a new area and expects to find work.

And their expectation was wrong. Mistake.
So why move in the first place? was their current situation "at risk" ?

iluvmarmite

You say the person is already on JSA and moved to find work, I assume that means they are still claiming, then they should apply for housing benefit, it depends on age as to how much rent will be paid as under 35 will only get a shared room rate, they won't get the full rent paid if they live in a flat on their own for example.

They will only get as much rent paid as the local council think their needs are, a single person would not get the whole rent paid on a 2 bed flat or house so it's highly likely they will still end up paying a proportion of their rent out of JSA anyway.

Their is no longer a requirement for a local authority to house people in social housing now and families are in emergency accommodation or bed and breakfast places for a couple of years or so, maybe longer so a single person has virtually no hope of getting rehoused unless they are vunerable and being evicted through not paying your rent and ending up homeless is not classed as being vunerable.

I really hope you can get sorted out and maybe you can go back to your original area where your family is or friends and they can help you.

sammyjammy

MinaMina wrote: »

It took me 15 years to get to the top of the list for council accommodation, but that was in 2007 when i was offered a place.

I would of thought the housing list is even worse now :-(

It depends where you live. I live in Sheffield and could sell my house, bid for a one bed flat and get it within months.

Doesn't mean it wouldn't be the scariest place to live though!

dseventy

simmed wrote: »

So they could use housing benefit to pay the rent.. and not be evicted?

Depends if the LL accepts people who claim benefits to pay the rent.


D70

Caz3121

simmed wrote: »

So they could use housing benefit to pay the rent.. and not be evicted?

Housing benefit is paid in arrears so they are still going to have to cover the rent until it kicks in and as has been said it may not cover all the rent