Six months rent due, no money

Cissi

As hard as it is, you do need to tackle your problems head-on - and well done as coming here asking for advice is a first step which can't have been easy. Try to follow every suggested avenue to make sure that you get all the benefits and support that you may be entitled to. In the end, you will have to accept that if you can't pay rent then you will need to move and you may not have free choice as to where this is.


It sounds as if your landlady has decided that she wants you out (and to be honest it doesn't sound as if you'll be able to pay the rent going forward anyway) so the best you can do is to try to plan ahead. As has been explained, she CAN'T force you to leave immediately so you still have some time. Whatever you do, don't give up and bury your head in the sand but keep up the good work trying to get as much help as possible. Good luck.

anotheruser

GDB2222 wrote: »

The hospitals are mostly closed - care in the community is the thing now.

Maybe the OP would qualify for the hospitals that aren't closed.
In fact, I watched a programme the other day about a "centre" where people live while they get better.

OP: Yes it's stressful but only YOU can get yourself out of this mess.

Let me guess, you have no family / friends that can help you out with shelter (don't have them give you money, you will just waste it as you have said).

Have you thought about local churches? They may be of some help, certainly the ones round here are.

If you have a laptop or PC, have you thought about selling it?
Paying out loads on mobile phone contracts? See if the company can do anything for you. However I guess the latter is a no.
Sorry for my cynicism but it's really hard to believe all this, so much so I am almost calling troll...

harrys_dad

The Housing Benefit will almost cover the rent. £115 is a weekly amount, so over a month that will amount to 115 * 52 /12 = £498.33 which is only £1.67 short.

Try and get to CAB. If you have no phone go down to the office anyway and see when they can fit you in. They have the ability to refer you to a food bank, and/or Salvation Army.

You MUST use your Housing Benefit to pay the rent.

Maybe you could show this thread to your girlfriend and get her to post up about income/expenditure then we could all try to help more with more information.

Have you contacted MENCAP? They might be able to help as well.

ScaredCrazy

General situation update, my girlfriend's grandfather has relented and said he might help with the rent (paying it and letting us pay him back), but it will be conditional on her agreeing to do certain things his way. Do not know what to make of this now. Should I proceed to Citizen's Advice / Council under the assumption he wont (just in case) or would this be fraudulent? If he pays the six months up front, does that invalidate our ability to claim the money to pay him back?

BigAunty wrote: »

However, it is imperative and absolutely essential that you use your housing benefit to pay your rent.

The intention was (well, still is) that the housing benefit will be used for rent and the ESA for food. The housing benefit application went though first, whilst the ESA kicks in next week, so this week's food needed to come from the housing benefit instead (with the ESA payment restoring said money, same net result just a little out of sequence).

BigAunty wrote: »

Also, you can request discretionary housing payment with the local council and they could consider paying you more HB than your basic entitlement for a period of time (but they don't have to). Ask your local council for DHP.

Thanks, this is looking like our best option, although I'm having trouble finding the eligability criteria.

BigAunty wrote: »

Please understand the importance of paying your rent.

Sorry, perhaps this is miscommunicated again. I do not see paying rent as unimportant. The landlady provides an important service, it is important she is recompensed to the best of our ability. It is just that I see any financial issue as less important than whether people have a home or now. I know I'm thick/autistic and don't understand concepts right, but I really don't see how little bits of paper and metal have a higher value than real people suffering - I am told this is the case, but am incapable of understanding it.

BigAunty wrote: »

they may take a dim view that you have spent your HB on things other than your rent, believing that it is your behaviour and actions that have caused you to lose the home that you live in

Surely they would understand the nessecity of food? It doesn't make sense. Her bank is also taking money from it, but this is them doing it not her. I've applied for a basic bank account for her, which the benefits can then be paid in to, but until that happens her current bank takes its fees whether she wishes them to or not.

BigAunty wrote: »

See if you can get a referral to a local food bank - usually it requires the referral by a professional such as Citizens Advice, doctor, social worker or similar.

Thank you, but it may serve better to keep this as a last resort - I am unfortunately quite compulsive about my routines for food, and trying to force past them more often results in wastage and breakage than eating. Though if it comes to this, at least my girlfriend will be fed and I am not in the same kind of danger if I go without food for a few days.

hickles69 wrote: »

Hi Scaredcrazy could I just ask if you have a support worker?Hicks

I am stuck in a slow process of getting my autism diagnosed, I've been told there will be an opportunity for a support worker later, but don't have one yet (at my last appointment they told me I'm definately autistic, but I don't have anything on paper yet - seems to be taking them forever to send a letter).

anotheruser wrote: »

You can't blame everything on your "mental problems".
Getting a new place through the council or whatever will only move the "mental problems" there - not SOLVE them.
You need to be working towards solving them otherwise you will never get out of the place where you currently are.

I am of the understanding that autism cannot be cured, and hence I will always have a problem. Past experience has shown me that the times when it has the worst impact on my life are the times when life becomes too stressful and complex, the most effective way of keeping myself functional has been to limit how many stressing factos I am exposed to at once - when I don't have an awful lot of complex demands and threats placed on me, and am in a safe and secure routine, I can be quite functional. I am in the process of getting diagnosed so that I can get professional help, but I don't see how this will ever 'solve' it as you put it, just limit the damage. In fact, a big part of the reason I don't want to be forced to move is because that will take me away from said professional help and may remove some of my coping mechanisms, making me worse.

Cissi wrote: »

Try to follow every suggested avenue to make sure that you get all the benefits and support that you may be entitled to.

Thank you, I am trying to follow these things up one by one, but it is a tricky situation - I'm having to fight my anxiety/avoidance issues here, so trying to contact too many people too fast I fear will get on top of me, but I have been working my way though the list of recommendations.

Cissi wrote: »

In the end, you will have to accept that if you can't pay rent then you will need to move and you may not have free choice as to where this is.

The problem there is that there doesn't seem to be any significantly cheaper option, and moving in itself will incur costs we have no way of paying. Whilst unpleasant, I am prepared to endure moving if nessecary, it's just that I can't see any way that will be any more affordable than staying here.

anotheruser wrote: »

Maybe the OP would qualify for the hospitals that aren't closed.
In fact, I watched a programme the other day about a "centre" where people live while they get better.

Thank you for the suggestion, I have been considering it, but am not sure it will leave me any better off. If I go in there for a few months and recover, I may be better mentally, but where would I go when I come out? And what would happen to my possessions left here? Additionally, I provide care for my girlfriend, and would need to find someone to look after her in my absence.

anotheruser wrote: »

Let me guess, you have no family / friends that can help you out with shelter (don't have them give you money, you will just waste it as you have said).

I don't recall saying I would waste money. I have no contact with my family. I'm not sure what you would and wouldn't class as friends (there are a couple of people I talk online with, but only once or twice a year lately).

anotheruser wrote: »

Have you thought about local churches? They may be of some help, certainly the ones round here are.

Thanks, I didn't even realise churches did this sort of thing. Would I have to be religous to apply? (please forgive me if that's a stupid question, I have no idea how it works).

anotheruser wrote: »

If you have a laptop or PC, have you thought about selling it?

I have a desktop PC, but have not thought about selling it. I'm not sure how much it would be worth, it's cobbled together from old parts and has to be started by pressing wires together inside the case, not all the parts fit in the case, and the power supply is excessively noisy. At any rate, I would be reluctant to part with it - it's the easiest way for me to reach the outside world, where I get advice and instructions, how I've been finding help for my autism, how we get our shopping, and my sole source of entertainment (the TV is broken and we have no license).

anotheruser wrote: »

Paying out loads on mobile phone contracts?

I do not use a mobile phone (I'm scared enough of the land line) - I possess three, and whilst reasonably functional they apparently have no resale value.

harrys_dad wrote: »

You MUST use your Housing Benefit to pay the rent.

Maybe you could show this thread to your girlfriend and get her to post up about income/expenditure then we could all try to help more with more information.

Have you contacted MENCAP? They might be able to help as well.

Thanks, I'm trying to get through to my girlfriend but it's difficult - between my mental problems, hers, trust issues, and the stressful situation, communication is somewhat strained at present, but over the last couple of days I seem to be making some progress (her grandfather reaching out seems to have calmed her down enough to talk).

I will add MENCAP to the list of charities I have to contact, thank you.

kelpie35

I really think you should contact Social Services with regards to your mental health issues.

I do understand that you have many difficulties that need addressing, but you need to access agencies that will support you and your girlfriend.

I would pay a visit to you GP and tell him/her that you are desperate for help and he/she may be able to contact someone, who can help, on your behalf.

I wish you and your girlfriend the best of luck for the future.

BitterAndTwisted

If your girlfriend's relative helps you with the rent this will not preclude you being able to claim local housing allowance.

silvercar

You have shown that you cannot manage to use your housing benefit to pay the rent. You are therefore in a perfect position to request that the council pay your housing benefit direct to the landlord.

This could be the answer to your problem. Please try and set this up.

harrys_dad

Combine some of the ideas above with the offer of help from granddad. Much better to get Housing Benefit paid direct to landlord, and get granddad to lend money to pay for food until other benefits kick in. As previously stated if rent is already paid by the loan in advance you may forfeit HB entitlement.

BigAunty

Yes, do still proceed with your appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau despite the grandad's offer. You've already indicated that you might not be happy with his conditions, there's always a chance the offer of the loan will fall through, and its best that you don't depend on him. Also, your problems span things like debt and benefit applications, request for food parcel referral, things he can't help with.

Ask the Housing Benefit Officer on the benefit forum to check the loan won't compromise any benefit entitlements. That poster can also tell you about the 13 week transitional protection for an initial benefit claim, the criteria for it. Also, ask the posters there if there are any loans available to benefit claimants, such as crisis/budgeting loans that can help with your situation. I think there are big changes to the loan systems and so I am not in the position to provide guidance on your other options, but there were plenty available to you that didn't involve antagonising your landlord by not paying your rent.

To clarify, there is no criteria for Discretionary Housing Payment - a council will process requests on a case by case basis, they aren't compelled to offer it and they can have their own preferences for who they give it to and for how long. So put in a request for DHP now. What does have a criteria is the transitional protection - find out if you fall within the rules to get full HB for that initial protection period.

To re-iterate, I know you currently have a dilemma between food and rent. I want you to know now for once and all that you have a contractual obligation to pay your rent on time and in full and every time you are late or in arrears, you risk being served notice at any property that you live at. Everytime you come up with an excuse or shrug off the responsibility for your current dilemma, I will repeat this to you.

I don't believe you are thick but you do lack perspective on your rent arrears and didn't seem to understand your landlord's previous negative reaction to late payment - you seem puzzled that she wasn't of a 'favoural disposition' when you paid late last time.

Ultimately, you seem to think that paying your rent is optional despite paying lip service to your obligation. You seem to feel that your landlady must get paid 'to the best of our ability' - no, you are legally obliged to pay it, its your primary most important bill along with council tax, as I keep telling you.

You aren't in rent arrears because you need to buy groceries with your housing benefit, though you justify it that way.

You are in rent arrears because you and your girlfriend lack budgeting skills, got into debt, were slow and late to put in applications for your benefit entitlements and slow and late to tackle your debts.

Granted, you are both extremely vulnerable and there are many factors that accelerated your decline into having to use your rent money for day to day bills. The long and short of it is that you have mismanaged your money, have been totally disorganised in paying bills, poor at applying for benefits, plus your girlfriend's secrecy with household/bill information has also contributed. This is why you now in rent arrears.

You have dismissed it as a toss-up between food and rent (which it now is) but that's actually not the reason why you now face certain eviction, its just the symptom of your poor actions, behaviour and decision making over many months (yes, I know there are good reasons why they are chaotic).

Your comment "I really don't see how little bits of paper and metal have a higher value than real people suffering" is very narrow. You do have a lot of problems so are naturally self absorbed so I will give you a different perspective.

In terms of people suffering - you have naturally focussed on your immediate needs and landlords aren't always popular on these forums but your landlord stands to suffer too if you don't pay your rent and she has to pay legal fees to evict you - some landlords lose their properties and become bankrupt when tenants don't pay.

Future tenants could also suffer because the landlady's experience may put her off from accepting tenants like you (students, mental health sufferers, housing benefit claimants).

We get housing benefit claimants come to the forum to say 'we are discriminated against? Many landlords won't give us tenancies. Why?' and we say 'because HB claimants have the reputation of getting into arrears, not accepting responsibility for them and being harder to evict as they tend to dig in rather than move somewhere else when their tenancy gets into trouble'.

In fact, the next time a HB claimant whines about the difficulty in finding a landlord to accept them, I will post a link to your thread to highlight why they are routinely shunned, that they are considered very risky for getting into arrears and spending their HB on things other than its intended purpose.

hickles69

Hi scaredcrazy my job is area manager for support workers. You will need to self refere to a supporting people agency in your area and they will come to your home and help you to get all you need tenancy wise. Did the council inform you of companies in your area?