Can't rent, Can't wait.

bloggerb

I need some informed advice about my situation. Myself and my family (partner and two children 5 and 6) returned back from a working holiday abroad after my partners father died suddenly. We returned with only enough for a car as it was a quick transition in which we lost a lot of money. My partner found a job straight away, but me, having had a 6 year gap from working in the UK have yet to find anything in 5 months. I live with my kids at my parents, and my partner lives with his parent, almost 20 miles away, so we don't live together, and haven't for 5 months, which is slowly tearing us apart. We have no references for rent, a bad credit history having been away and my partner is self-employed without a set of books for the last two years, and I'm still unemployed, we can't save enough to cover the 6 months rent, along with furnishing a place and covering the letting fees and damage deposit etc, that one agent is asking and we are not entitled to help from the government as we have been out of the country but we need to live together as family or I'm afraid we will split from all the stress and pressure on me to earn money to fix this. Has anyone got an idea of how to fix that doesn't involve living seperate for a year??

RAS

bloggerb wrote: »

we are not entitled to help from the government as we have been out of the country but we need to live together as family or I'm afraid we will split from all the stress and pressure on me to earn money to fix this.

You need to be habitually resident to get benefits which would include Local Housing Allowance.

The fact that you have been out of the country for 6 years does not prevent you meeting those requirements although they were massively increased recently.

You need to demonstrate that you are committed to living in the UK and did not come back just to claim benefits.

Have you appealed the original refusal to meet the habitual residence criteria?

You need to read this

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/jobseekers-allowance-jsa

And see if you or your husband now meet the criteria?

And you will probably have to look for private landlords who will take a punt on LHA and accept a less nice property in the first instance.

BitterAndTwisted

Just because the OP hasn't worked for six years doesn't mean that they've been abroad for all that time. They have children aged 5 & 6 so that suggest to me the the OP has been a stay-at-home-parent for that time.

OP: how long were you away on this "working holiday"? You may not have lost your "habitually resident" status at all.

Have you been in touch with your Local Authority? They could have a list of private landlords willing to accept you for a tenancy on Housing Benefit/Local Housing Allowance and you could qualify for help from them with the initial deposit. Not all landlords will demand six month's rent in advance, especially if you can provide a guarantor.

PeacefulSlumber

Wait until you have been resident with your family for 6 months and can prove it with paperwork and then approach your local council (either yours or your partners depending where you want to live). Make an appointment to see a housing officer and make a homeless application based on the grounds of being a split household.
The council officer will fight tooth and nail to avoid taking the homeless application but it is your legal right to have one taken. Be sure to say you are a split household.
They will investigate the reasons why you are in this situation and as long as you did not voluntarily give up accommodation or make yourself intentionally homeless they may accept a duty to assist with housing. In any case you have the right to be given temporary accommodation whilst they make a decision on your case.
You can also ask about rent deposit schemes which may pay for rent in advance and / or deposit to get you into a private rented property.
Good luck!

Prothet_of_Doom

PeacefulSlumber wrote: »

They will investigate the reasons why you are in this situation and as long as you did not voluntarily give up accommodation or make yourself intentionally homeless they may accept a duty to assist with housing. !

Coming back from a period abroad due to a death, is a reasonable reason to give up the accommodation you had in that country.