Council would rather I put 2 children in to care!!

claire16c

If your earnings are that low, would you be entitled to housing benefit to pay for a private rental with an extra bedroom?

CH27

Could you put two desks in your bedroom for the older boys to study at?
Would a desk go on the landing?
Could you open up under your stairs to fit a desk?

newcook

nearlysorted wrote: »

Yes, we did ask for either the extension or loft conversation. Apparently extensions are cheaper and easier then loft conversions.

why not take the bull by the horns and get someone in to provide quotes for both an extension and loft conversion?

SkipE

Why not fund the extension yourself?

If you are so attached to the house and consider it your home then wouldnt it be better to just do it yourself? I understand that they will get the end benefit for it but you may have very many years getting benefit from the extension by keeping the family together. Isnt that worth more in the long run for the security of the children?

Your benefit as a family surely far out weighs that of the council making a profit on the house.

LannieDuck

Do you get child support from OH's ex?

I'm afraid I have little sympathy with your situation - you and OH chose to have 6 kids. Now you're finding you have to support them. Big surprise.

You have 3 bedrooms - with bunkbeds, you should be able to cope. Put the youngest boy in bunkbeds with the girl in the box room - won't do either any harm. Two sets of bunkbeds in the other room.

Mojisola

claire16c wrote: »

If your earnings are that low, would you be entitled to housing benefit to pay for a private rental with an extra bedroom?

I don't think it would be wise to give up a secure tenancy in a council property for the vagaries of a private rental.

The "downside" in this situation of staying with the council is that you have to work within their rules and, if they say no extension, maybe the only other option will be to move to a bigger house.

peachyprice

nearlysorted wrote: »

I think you will find it is very true!
Dh went from a job of 34k plus bonuses to a 9k job! His was a mon to fri and I work shifts

Why did he have to take such a pay decrease, surely it would have been better for him to have kept his job and paid for childcare for the two years until the youngest goes to school? A nanny, even if it was out of normal hours, would still have cost considerably less than the £25k a year pay cut he's chosen to take.

And presumably you're still earning over £34k, so that, with his £9k and child benefit it still a decent income when you're only paying council rent. Perhaps the council can come to an agreement where you could pay half each towards an extension?

pimento

nearlysorted wrote: »

Also I am not the one failing my children, I am trying to help someone else who has/is failing her children, (she has more children with someone else)

Are they not also your husband's children. Isn't he also failing them?

pimento

nearlysorted wrote: »

Yes we legally exchanged 8 years ago.
And yes you are right, I do not want to move out of our home. The area we live in, is one of the nicer estates, where I don't fear for my kids safety. We have family (on both sides) living close by and all of the children are now settled in their schools.

Perhaps your family could chip in to pay for the extension?

balletshoes

Check with the boys' schools OP - at my DDs secondary school there are 2 separate places, one the local library, which offers homework clubs twice a week for a couple of hours after school.

If space is really tight at home, the boys might prefer to do their homework there.