First time flat occupant - What grants are available?

Dunroamin

KxMx wrote: »

So I am to disregard what my local authority told me about the shortage of 1/2 bed and believe there isn't one based on a single forum post?

I'm surprised at both of you, you're normally reasonable posters!

Don't be daft - it just points up the fact that you can't say that there are shortages everywhere.

sulkisu

And back to OP .......

On £95 per week, I also think that you are going to struggle financially. It's probably doable if you have everything that you need or already have an established home. It is easy to underestimate all of the additional things that you might need. Even something simple such as doing the laundry is easy to take for granted when there is a washing machine in the house but expensive when you add the cost of using a laundrette. You still need a TV licence for watching television online, utilities - gas, electric and water are not cheap. However a HA tenancy is not to be sniffed at so I can understand why you would jump at the chance and an apprenticeship should mean a decent career in time.

It is probably worth filling out an SOA, to get some idea of how much you will be spending and then budget accordingly.
Good luck, hope it works out.

heartbreak_star

There aren't shortages everywhere - but Ashington probably wouldn't top most people's "desirable" list.

HBS x

princessdon

KxMx wrote: »

So I am to disregard what my local authority told me about the shortage of 1/2 bed and believe there isn't one based on a single forum post?

I'm surprised at both of you, you're normally reasonable posters!

It shows that in northumberland where there are many people waiting to downsize and affected by the tax (from data odset posted gained from FOI), they didn't bid on this one. Have you checked your LA? I've been keeping an eye in mine and a lot of 1 beds are going to band 4 with bedroom tax being band 3, so they clearly had no intention of moving.

MissMoneypenny

heartbreak_star wrote: »

There aren't shortages everywhere - but Ashington probably wouldn't top most people's "desirable" list.

HBS x

It's's a roof over a head. If people want choices in life, then they need to work and not claim.

Ashington isn't that bad. It's a lot better than Tower Hamlets, and look how many claimants want to live there!

penguineater

sulkisu wrote: »

And back to OP .......

On £95 per week, I also think that you are going to struggle financially. It's probably doable if you have everything that you need or already have an established home. It is easy to underestimate all of the additional things that you might need. Even something simple such as doing the laundry is easy to take for granted when there is a washing machine in the house but expensive when you add the cost of using a laundrette. You still need a TV licence for watching television online, utilities - gas, electric and water are not cheap. However a HA tenancy is not to be sniffed at so I can understand why you would jump at the chance and an apprenticeship should mean a decent career in time.

It is probably worth filling out an SOA, to get some idea of how much you will be spending and then budget accordingly.
Good luck, hope it works out.

Appreciate the advice.


I decided to not take the flat because of a few things, a couple being the installations are incredibly outdated and no idea when they will be updated, no shower (can't really fit inside a bath tub because of my height) and a few other things.

The property has been empty for around 5 months is what I heard from the neighbors and it's a property I bid on almost 2 months ago which means I wasn't nearly the first to say no on these conditions..


Thank you all for your help & advice, much appreciated.

nannytone_2

Dunroamin wrote: »

So much for the great shortage of one bedroom accommodation!

or, so much for councils giving priority to people wanting to downsize!

the flat above mine received 53 bids. 6 that i know for definate came from people that are underoccupying.
it was given to a 22 year old man who was living with his parents.

he was given priority as the people under occupying were already 'adequately' housed

lor6126

sulkisu wrote: »

And back to OP .......

On £95 per week, I also think that you are going to struggle financially. It's probably doable if you have everything that you need or already have an established home. It is easy to underestimate all of the additional things that you might need. Even something simple such as doing the laundry is easy to take for granted when there is a washing machine in the house but expensive when you add the cost of using a laundrette. You still need a TV licence for watching television online, utilities - gas, electric and water are not cheap. However a HA tenancy is not to be sniffed at so I can understand why you would jump at the chance and an apprenticeship should mean a decent career in time.

It is probably worth filling out an SOA, to get some idea of how much you will be spending and then budget accordingly.
Good luck, hope it works out.

you do not need a tv licence to watch catch up tv online,

princessdon

penguineater wrote: »

Appreciate the advice.


I decided to not take the flat because of a few things, a couple being the installations are incredibly outdated and no idea when they will be updated, no shower (can't really fit inside a bath tub because of my height) and a few other things.

The property has been empty for around 5 months is what I heard from the neighbors and it's a property I bid on almost 2 months ago which means I wasn't nearly the first to say no on these conditions..


Thank you all for your help & advice, much appreciated.

Gives you plenty time to plan and save then

lighting_up_the_chalice

nannytone wrote: »

or, so much for councils giving priority to people wanting to downsize!

the flat above mine received 53 bids. 6 that i know for definate came from people that are underoccupying.
it was given to a 22 year old man who was living with his parents.

he was given priority as the people under occupying were already 'adequately' housed

No-one is given priority because of another persons circumstances. EVERY area gives priority to those who are under-occupied. He got the flat because no-one with a priority placed a bid. Clearly not as high demand as you would suggest. This lack of demand is further evidenced by how easy it was for YOU to secure the flat when you weren't even registered. Looks like they couldn't give it away!

As a matter of interest, which LA is this covered by?