Not sure where to go from here.

Hepsibah

Long story I suppose.

I have been separated from my husband for 7 years and divorced for 3. I have 3 kids, now aged 21, 18 and 15 and I am living with my partner and 2 of my kids in a rented house. The rent is £550 PCM.
My partner earns an average £500pm and I earn between £500-800pm.

I started work last September, before that we were receiving housing benefit/council tax benefit. Since then my 2 older kids have moved out for varying lengths of time, come back and left again etc etc. making calculating everything rather more complicated. My local authority have just got back to me with my recalculated benefits. It seems I am in debt to them for over £2000, I have to pay £350pm council tax and all but £7pw of my rent.

I certainly cannot pay the ongoing costs of remaining here on my income but finding a new place to rent (considering I have dogs) would be very challenging and I probably wouldn't find a place more than £100pcm cheaper at best.

For the cost of half my current rent I could buy a house locally. I'd be a little closer to my job and I could keep my dogs. The trouble is, with my income and my partner's, mortgage lenders feel we can only afford £150-175pm whereas the LHA feel we can manage over £500!

I also have the problem that since my divorce, I have had no credit which makes it difficult to get credit. The only thing I have going for me there really is my track record with paying my rent.

Can anyone make any suggestions for progressing from here? Is it possible to raise a mortgage on my income?

pmlindyloo

From what you are saying it is extremely unlikely that you would qualify for a mortgage. Have you got the money for a deposit?

You may like to put your details into the benefit calculator on here:

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

and check you are receiving everything you are entitled to.

You do not say whether both your children who live with you are in full time education. If they are, then based on your salaries you should be receiving tax credits, providing you and your partner are working at least 24 hours a week. (and one is doing at least 16 hrs) If one of you could increase working hours to 30 hrs a week this would mean extra tax credits.

If the older one is working then you should have a non dependent deduction from HB and CT. He/she would be expected to give you some money for their living expenses.

Are the figures quoted for HB and CT reduction based on repaying the overpayment?

If they are then you may be able to negotiate a more reasonable 'pay back' if you are experiencing financial difficulties. You would have to give the council a copy of your income and expenditure so that they can access your ability to pay.

[Deleted User]

You and your partner are both able-bodied adults (if the lack of benefits to support people that can't work is anything to go by) without children that need full time care, you really need to be looking to address the core problem: your earnings. Your eldest child would earn more per month working 1 full time minimum wage job than what you and your partner earn combined at the moment!

A mortgage is a long term commitment that is very different to renting, comparing the raw monthly commitment costs is a recipe for disaster. A person renting has minimal responsibility, any issues are managed (and paid for) by the landlord, a person that owns their own home is responsible for everything. Washing machine has broken? That'll be £200 to replace it. Boiler broken? £1000 please!

If you have a deposit, if you have money to cover fees, if your partner has good credit and if you can find a house cheap enough you may be able to get a mortgage, however it's not going to solve all your problems and will introduce many more.

Out of interest is there any reason you can't work more?