Benefit claiments being discriminated against housing

BigAunty

mattcanary wrote: »

Your income has no bearing whatsoever as to whether you can be housed by the council.


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If you are referring to the homeless, those in priority need that a local council has a statutory duty to assist, there is a lady on another MSE forum who has been told by her local council that as she has employment income, they will only offer her temporary accommodation and some storage.

She is potentially leaving the family home due to domestic abuse and this is what her local council homelessness team have said.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=66465535&postcount=11

New_User

Has the OP considered looking to become a lodger, rather than a tenant?
From what I have read, it presents a lower risk to the landlord.

CKhalvashi

New_User wrote: »

Has the OP considered looking to become a lodger, rather than a tenant?
From what I have read, it presents a lower risk to the landlord.

We took a Russian student on several years ago, and my preference is still for someone that is self-funding as a lodger.

Our BTL days are gone, but one of the terms of our mortgage was no LHA. This has to impact on a landlords decision somewhere.

mattcanary

BigAunty wrote: »

If you are referring to the homeless, those in priority need that a local council has a statutory duty to assist, there is a lady on another MSE forum who has been told by her local council that as she has employment income, they will only offer her temporary accommodation and some storage.

She is potentially leaving the family home due to domestic abuse and this is what her local council homelessness team have said.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=66465535&postcount=11

If local councils are doing this, it is utterly ridiculous.


It's a good way to create sink estates - where a whole area has no sense of hope for the future.


Edit: that post is not saying she will not be housed by the council eventually.


It says that she will be placed into temporary accommodation. The key word being "temporary".
The council would need to do their homelessness investigations and then if the person is found as being statutorily homeless, I would have thought they will then be housed by the council (or a housing association if the council has sold off it's housing stock).
If someone is statutorily homeless (this is not affected by income) then the council have a duty to rehouse. That is law (I am pretty confident that law has not changed too). Councils have always had a reputation for trying to put people off applying as homeless (otherwise known as gatekeeping). That has always gone on and I am sure it continues to happen.
I think that poster is confused though. The council wouldn;t see her as being statutorily homeless anyway - I'm looking at the last sentence in the post.

New_User

CKhalvashi wrote: »

We took a Russian student on several years ago, and my preference is still for someone that is self-funding as a lodger.

Our BTL days are gone, but one of the terms of our mortgage was no LHA. This has to impact on a landlords decision somewhere.

Did your mortgage provider say no LHA for either tenants or lodgers?

I don't have a mortgage, but my insurer was ok with me taking in a lodger on LHA.

thomathy

SnooksNJ wrote: »

Being on benefits isn't considered a race.

No. But the OP is in receipt of a benefit payment because of a disability. It may well therefore be reasonable to consider this a discrimination, albeit an unintended one.

Though I notice that mortgage providers use the specific term "Housing Benefit" or "LA tenant". I don't know if that covers the specific benefits that someone with a disability may receive due to their disability. Or if these have another name.

BigAunty

mattcanary wrote: »

The council wouldn;t see her as being statutorily homeless anyway - I'm looking at the last sentence in the post.

Why is that? She has a relationship breakdown caused by his alcoholism and documented proof of his threats and abuse? She has a dependent? Does the council expect her to stay put despite the Police being called twice for his threatening behaviour and receiving up to 200 abusive texts per day?

Indie_Kid

thomathy wrote: »

Though I notice that mortgage providers use the specific term "Housing Benefit" or "LA tenant". I don't know if that covers the specific benefits that someone with a disability may receive due to their disability. Or if these have another name.

It's a benefit that anyone can receive if they're on a low income and need help paying the rent.

jimjames

Murphybear wrote: »

What happens if someone is gainfully employed, rents a property then loses their job? They are then on benefits. Can't evict a tenant just because they are on benefits!

I don't see that as an issue, the status at the start is what matters.

The problem I have is anyone renting who isn't putting their money on the line for the deposit. If it's not your money then you are far less likely to worry about damage. Maybe harsh but unfortunately it has worked up to now.

New_User

jimjames wrote: »

I don't see that as an issue, the status at the start is what matters.
.

Would the LL's mortgage lender and/or insurers agree with this?

Or would they ask the LL to evict the tenant, now that the tenant has moved into a "higher risk" category?

Perhaps they would allow the tenant to stay, but increase the LL's premium?