No DSS!!!???

tim123456789

newsgroup_monkey wrote: »

Would an AST become invalid if you lost your job the day after you moved in and became reliant on benefits?

Nope.

And if the people in this thread are right and this does cause the LLs insurance(s) and/or mortgage to be void, that's his problem!

So if you're still in the fixed term, there isn't a thing that he can do about it (except get alternative insurance/financing, of course).

And even if you aren't in the fixed term, it will be up to six months before he can get tenant out, so he'd still have an insurance/funding problem to solve in the interim

Which is, of course, why it's all so silly!

tim

Sandhy

newsgroup_monkey wrote: »

Would an AST become invalid if you lost your job the day after you moved in and became reliant on benefits?

That's a good question!
I doubt it, as the agreement is made between the landlord and tenant at the point of signatures, so if the rent is continuing to be paid...
There might be a clause that the tenant is obligated to notify any significant change in circumstances.

Anarchist

I'm sorry but it's all about risk.

If any of you do not agree that letting a property to somebody who is in a steady job, has been for ten years and earns a good salary, is GENERALLY less risky than somebody who is on 'DSS' (I'll leave the term here for simplicity, although we all know it doesn't exist) then you're living in cloud cuckoo land. We all know what life is like GENERALLY, on MOST council estates.

Sure, it might not be right to blanket refuse anybody on IS/JS/DLA etc, and im 100% certain there are some people claiming for these that are more reliable than some people who aren't. But there are enough people looking to rent properties who have good, steady incomes for them to not need to spend the time/money looking through their applications.

Sorry, it might not always be fair, but thats the way life is. I'll never be an olympic athlete but I can't go demanding that Lord Coe enters me into the 800m out of 'equality'.

On another note, OP, why are you moving to a random area when you don't have any idea of jobs there? It doesn't make much sense.

The letting agents would be far happier letting to you if you actually secured a job in the area first, and had an acceptance letter/start date. That is the normal way things work, and that is how I did it last time.

donnalou

I'm just reading through these posts as I'm looking to move and I'm currently on HB. My present Landlord has no idea of this though as I was working up to a few months ago. I'm wondering if their insurance wouldn't be valid if they knew?

I've enquired about a couple of properties and I've had the same response, that the landlord wont accept people on HB, My reason for wanting to move is that I can no longer afford to heat my home. It currently costs me £350 a month and that's just for heating and hot water! Thankfully my Mum has been helping me out with the costs but I can't go on like that.

joolsybools

smithson5 wrote: »

Hi

I'm moving to a new area and have been accepted for a flat advertised as 'No DSS', as I plan on getting a job as soon as possible when I move to the new area. However, finding something is proving more difficult than I imagined and I'm thinking I might have to sign on and claim housing & council tax benefit once I move in til I find something.

I haven't moved into the property yet (and have every intention of finding something, anything, for when I move in 3 weeks), but now I'm faced with a dilemma:

- do I tell the LL I may have to claim DSS? Or would this result in his offer being withdrawn? I've been told that I shouldn't bother mentioning anything to the LL as if I haven't found work by the time I move in and have to claim housing benefit, the DSS won't even inform the LL that I've made a claim and he'll never know, so why rock the boat.

- But then I've been told 'you should tell the LL and see if he might be OK with it (hmm even though he wrote 'No DSS' on the ad) because if he finds out you're claiming he could kick you out.'

I just don't know what to do! Any advice?

Also, why would a LL put 'no DSS' - is it just a preference thing or could being DSS invalidate the tenancy contract or something?

Cheers, Smyth

Can I just play devil's advocate for a moment?

You don't have a job and you have no idea when you are going to get a job. It could be 6 months from now.

How do you know you are going to be able to sign on and be able to get housing benefit? If you left your last job voluntarily you may not be entitled to JSA...I don't know the ins and outs but you need to check this out asap. If you have some savings obviously it's less of an issue.

Maybe you would be better off lodging with someone or renting a room for a short let so you have the flexibility to move to something bigger as and when you find work?

BitterAndTwisted

Not being entitled to claim JSA does not preclude you from being able to claim LHA/CTax benefits.

barnaby-bear

tim123456789 wrote: »

at the very least that has to be illegal under disability discrimination laws

Not all DSS claimants are the same

Errr.... :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Claiming housing benefit isn't a disability!!!!!

joolsybools

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Not being entitled to claim JSA does not preclude you from being able to claim LHA/CTax benefits.

What, so I could just walk out of a job and move to another part of the country and then claim LHA/CTax ben? Brilliant. No wonder this country is up the creek without a paddle.

RAS

joolsybools wrote: »

What, so I could just walk out of a job and move to another part of the country and then claim LHA/CTax ben? Brilliant. No wonder this country is up the creek without a paddle.

The problem is that if you walk out of a job, you can claim LHA and CTB. But you will be sanctioned, usually for 26 weeks which means you have no money on which to live.

However, if you are living somewhere where jobs are very very hard to get and on a zero hours contract, it may be better to leave that job and relocate to where you can get more stable work. So you claim LHA and CTB as long as your savings give you enough on which to live until you get work.

BitterAndTwisted

joolsybools wrote: »

What, so I could just walk out of a job and move to another part of the country and then claim LHA/CTax ben? Brilliant. No wonder this country is up the creek without a paddle.

It's all very simple until you factor in that not having a job could mean you have little in the way of savings, so it won't necessarily be a piece of cake coming up with a month's rent in advance plus a month's rent (or even six weeks) as a deposit.

Anyway, if someone lives in a part of the country where jobs are non-existent there has to be a way of folks "getting on their bikes", staying off benefits and earning their own living. Unless you think that everyone unemployed in places like Burnley or Oldham should just stay there and fester. In your eyes it seems like they may be damned if they do, and damned if they don't.