Will we be "intentionally homeless"?

HappyMJ

mark86 wrote: »

Not a clue, i hadn't even heard of LHA before today, or how to apply for it.

LHA is a rate that is set for private rentals for benefit claimants claiming housing benefit. If your LHA rate is £120 a week then the council will either use that rate or your actual rent whichever is lower to calculate your housing benefit claim.

Okydoky25

Might be worth asking in local letting agents to see the average CT Band for similar properties. If you moved to something with the same rent you could at least save on the CT.

julie03

https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx check here, then put all your details into http://www.turn2us.org.uk/ to check if you are entitled to any hb

BigAunty

I appreciate that the OP probably wants to live in particular areas because of family links and transport options.

In my area on the southside of Glasgow a couple of miles from the city centre, there are traditional 2 bed furnished tenement flats for rent at £400-475 (could always negotiate them down further). Some of them are in not nice parts (Govanhill) and others are in nicer spots like Langside, Battlefield, Cathcart, Mount Florida, Shawlands, Pollockshields but they seem to come in at band B - D in terms of council tax.

But if the OP could find a cheaper area that fits the bill for travel to work, etc, then they could save themselves £100 per month on cheaper rent and council tax.

BigAunty

mark86 wrote: »

The block we are in was built 6 or 8 years ago? I dont know if the age of the building that makes a difference, or if its location, or both.. ...

Yes, council tax is based on valuation so newer properties are often valued much more highly than older properties whose valuations were taken around 30 years ago and are still in current use for CT valuation.

My friends in Glasgow purposely avoid new build flats because the CT is extortionate compared with traditional tenements, often 2 or 3 bands above.

BigAunty

mark86 wrote: »

...

We've decided that we need out now and are thinking of giving our month notice in and moving back in with my partners mother, as it's the only option we have (Private 2 bed flats in my area are £450-£500 minimum, we can't afford move into another.) Her mother and her sister live in their 2 bed council flat and we'd essentially be moving into her living room.


Edit: We live in Glasgow, Scotland.

If she has a tenancy with GHA, here is what they say on this
matter. Many social housing landlords have similar policies. She should check her tenancy agreement.

"you must not allow your house to become overcrowded. You must tell us who is living with you and any change in people living in your house."

http://www.gha.org.uk/content/mediaassets/doc/GHA_TenancyAgreement_Web.pdf

beecher2

I'm in Shawlands where the flats are big enough to allow many 1 beds to be converted into 2 beds, still with plenty of space. OP could get a flat for £450 at a much lower band, with good links to transport. There's far cheaper than Shawlands in Glasgow too.

bloolagoon

I think 1 full time and 1 part time working between 2 parents of young children is hardly work shy or relying on benefits. It works out as 7 out of 10 so 70% productivity with very young children.

But I think your issues are spending OP as your rent is actually rather low and must be a lovely home and area for a band E, you need to look at savings as your income with no childcare is on the high side.

notanewuser

bloolagoon wrote: »

I think 1 full time and 1 part time working between 2 parents of young children is hardly work shy or relying on benefits. It works out as 7 out of 10 so 70% productivity with very young children.

.

Neither works full time.

xylophone

Our Doc's are useless, we even had a hospital appointment to discuss if she was intolerant to dairy or just lactose, she can handle some dairy foods okay, but milk is a no no.

The guy there basically said "well what do you want me to do about it" Said there wasn't anything he could do and just "try her on milk every few months and see if she changes"

We know that if she has milk, she is up all night screaming followed with diarrhoea, they didn't want to bother confirming it though.

So they never confirmed what she had, and so that means we get no prescriptions.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Lactose-intolerance/Pages/Introduction.aspx

You return to your consultant and request that your child is properly tested?