How soon before I'm homeless? Urgent

BigAunty

Ashwagandha wrote: »

Well until now I'd managed to keep up with the rent for 4 years and 8 months without issues, so

Yes, well I don't want to add to the stress and pressure you are under, and that comment was made before you posted about your health issues.

But what I was getting at then and I think is a valid point is that it didn't seem to take many missed pay days to send you to the point of potential homelessness. It is often said that a person is only 3 pay cheques away from homelessness.

So I wondered if you had given any thought to coping with a potential dip in income in the future so this cycle doesn't get repeated either at this flat or another property.

I wonder if you've got a low income coupled with high expenses and this is why you don't have savings as a buffer, or perhaps don't qualify for HB on nationality grounds or something or are perhaps entitled to benefits but hadn't checked your eligibility for example? To check your benefit entitlements, use the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

Ashwagandha

BigAunty wrote: »

Yes, well I don't want to add to the stress and pressure you are under, and that comment was made before you posted about your health issues.

But what I was getting at then and I think is a valid point is that it didn't seem to take many missed pay days to send you to the point of potential homelessness. It is often said that a person is only 3 pay cheques away from homelessness.

So I wondered if you had given any thought to coping with a potential dip in income in the future so this cycle doesn't get repeated either at this flat or another property.

I wonder if you've got a low income coupled with high expenses and this is why you don't have savings as a buffer, or perhaps don't qualify for HB on nationality grounds or something or are perhaps entitled to benefits but hadn't checked your eligibility for example? To check your benefit entitlements, use the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

I had 5 months living expenses as savings and I lived on that during my time of being jobless. It took me a long time to find another job but that's hardly unusual in the present climate. I was not aware that most ordinary working people necessarily had much more than 5 months living expenses in terms of savings. I've not inherited any money or been in jobs that have enabled me to sock away more than a hundred quid or so a month so it's unclear how I would have amassed more substantial savings.

BigAunty

Ashwagandha wrote: »

I had 5 months living expenses as savings and I lived on that during my time of being jobless. ...

For your information, Housing benefit is a means tested benefit which means that those with capital (such as savings) up to 6k but low income can be eligible for the maximum sum of HB for their circumstances (age, size of property, income level, location of property etc, all used to calculate entitlement). They can continue receiving HB at a reduced rate until their capital reaches 16k. At 16k, means tested tested benefits like HB and council tax discount will stop.

Therefore, if you are entitled to HB, it is not necessary to run down your savings to zero and go into rent arrears before claiming.

Tenants that face rent arrears can also negotiate an early surrender to their tenancy with their landlord. The landlord does not have to accept the early surrender but some would definately consent to tearing up the tenancy agreement if the tenant informs them that they will struggle to pay the rent in the future.

I know this info may not be applicable to your current situation, and that your health issues have aggravated it, but hopefully this info is of some help.

Ashwagandha

BigAunty wrote: »

For your information, Housing benefit is a means tested benefit which means that those with capital (such as savings) up to 6k but low income can be eligible for the maximum sum of HB for their circumstances (age, size of property, income level, location of property etc, all used to calculate entitlement). They can continue receiving HB at a reduced rate until their capital reaches 16k. At 16k, means tested tested benefits like HB and council tax discount will stop.

Therefore, if you are entitled to HB, it is not necessary to run down your savings to zero and go into rent arrears before claiming.

Tenants that face rent arrears can also negotiate an early surrender to their tenancy with their landlord. The landlord does not have to accept the early surrender but some would definately consent to tearing up the tenancy agreement if the tenant informs them that they will struggle to pay the rent in the future.

I know this info may not be applicable to your current situation, and that your health issues have aggravated it, but hopefully this info is of some help.

Thank you. I earn a reasonable salary. I'm not on a lavish salary but I'm not on minimum wage either. Rents are extraordinarily high in London. Even given that I live in one of the cheapest and most unpleasant boroughs, there are still no flats here that are particularly inexpensive. So the person who suggested I was "living beyond my means" was off the mark. I am living in the worst accommodation, I never go out socially, I don't smoke or drink or have cable TV. I'm even now limiting the amount that I eat, to save money. There is nothing extravagant about my expenditure. When it comes to the private rental market it's very, very hard for tenants. There is nothing you can do about that apart from move out of London I suppose.

sinbad182

Or flat share

Ashwagandha

My flat is in a block of many flats. Of the other flats on my floor (the 5th floor), 4 of them have been evicted in the past 6 months, another of them keeps getting visits from some kind of bailiff or creditor who hammers repeatedly on the door, another two have signs taped to their doors demanding repossession of the property. Most tenants I've met over the years only seem to stay 6 months. My landlord, an investment buyer, had expressed in the past how happy he was to have a tenant (me) who stayed and stayed and never caused any trouble. Given the track record of the building his next tenant will probably end up being far more of a hassle than me

Ashwagandha

sinbad182 wrote: »

Or flat share

that's not an option for me. Do you flat share?

BigAunty

Ashwagandha wrote: »

Thank you. I earn a reasonable salary. I'm not on a lavish salary but I'm not on minimum wage either. Rents are extraordinarily high in London. ..When it comes to the private rental market it's very, very hard for tenants. There is nothing you can do about that apart from move out of London I suppose.

I know. I used to live in London. I moved to Scotland. My housing costs and overall living costs were slashed.

Though I'm a home owner, you can get a 1 bed rental property in my low crime/high amenity area just 2 miles from the city centre very cheaply. A studio will start around £325 while a 1 bed will be from £395 onwards. Commuting by bus or train will cost about £15 a week and get you into town in under 30 minutes. Cinema tickets are cheaper, meals and drinks are cheaper, everything is cheaper than London.

You could look into things like housing cooperatives, property guardianship, applying for social housing (I know this would be like panning for gold in London but someone must be getting some social housing tenancies there somehow), moving to an area outside London with cheaper costs but still good job opportunities (Reading? virtually any city in Scotland?!).

Ashwagandha

BigAunty wrote: »

I know. I used to live in London. I moved to Scotland. My housing costs and overall living costs were slashed.

Though I'm a home owner, you can get a 1 bed rental property in my low crime/high amenity area just 2 miles from the city centre very cheaply. A studio will start around £325 while a 1 bed will be from £395 onwards. Commuting by bus or train will cost about £15 a week and get you into town in under 30 minutes. Cinema tickets are cheaper, meals and drinks are cheaper, everything is cheaper than London.

You could look into things like housing cooperatives, property guardianship, applying for social housing (I know this would be like panning for gold in London but someone must be getting some social housing tenancies there somehow), moving to an area outside London with cheaper costs but still good job opportunities (Reading? virtually any city in Scotland?!).

Moving outside London is a good idea. The idea of getting a place to live for £395 is My psychiatrist is something of a lifeline to me and she's based in London but maybe I could even travel back into London for my appointments with her.

tim123456789

Ashwagandha wrote: »

I have been served a Section 8 Notice. The Grounds are 8 (at least two months rent is unpaid) and 10 (some rent lawfully due is unpaid).

They have given me until 4th March to quit.

I am under an Assured Shorthold Tenancy that does not expire until next year.

I am 3 months in arrears with my rent due to being laid off but unable to claim benefits either.
.

Am I alone in not understanding why you could be laid off yet not entitled to benefits?

(Unless you had some savings which you were expected to use towards the rent)

tim