Council Housing bidding (Surrey)

Zondervan

Hey Everyone,

I would like some advise on how they do the banding if anyone knows as i have recently applied for a council property however was only offered band "D - Low or no housing need"

Some background information :
Currently Sofa surfing and employed full time however have no savings and living paycheck to paycheck, No family members in the UK either.
I did advise them i have some mental health issues (Seeing a therapist) and NAFLD but this did not seem to change anything (Because i work???)

Any advise would be appreciated.

ripplyuk

Tbh, it’s very difficult to get a council house and band D means it could be many years before you get anything, if you ever do. They only have a duty to house those with dependent children or who are in some way vulnerable through illness etc.

Did your doctor write to them about your health issues? That might help with your banding.

sheramber

If you Google the name of the council concerned and housing banding you shoud get a link to how banding is allocated

Zondervan

No unfortunately not, I will request this however as i need to see them about a blood test anyway.

Sheramber - Thank you i am reading it now and it does state the following , would this not apply to me ?

"Assessment of homeless applications to whom the full duty to secure accommodation is owed."
"Homeless applicants to whom the full duty is owed will normally be placed in Band B"

[Deleted User]

Zondervan wrote: »

No unfortunately not, I will request this however as i need to see them about a blood test anyway.

Sheramber - Thank you i am reading it now and it does state the following , would this not apply to me ?

"Assessment of homeless applications to whom the full duty to secure accommodation is owed."
"Homeless applicants to whom the full duty is owed will normally be placed in Band B"

That depends on wether you meet the requirements of the homeless duty.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/legal/homelessness_applications/homelessness_duties/accommodation_duties2/main_housing_duty

Cakeguts

The mental health thing is only going to be of importance if you are too ill to work. That is where the working thing comes in.



You say that you have no relatives in the UK? If you have come to the UK to work it could be assumed that you researched how much it would cost to live in the UK before you got a job here? Councils are very short of housing so they probably don't have anything to offer you anyway.



Also if you don't have any family members in Surrey the council could argue that there is nothing stopping you from getting a job in a cheaper part of the country. In fact if you get council housing there is no guarantee that it will be in Surrey. It could be in Birmingham. The answer is that it could be a good idea to move somewhere where housing is cheaper anyway.

HampshireH

The council will see you working full time (therefore being in a position to rent a room) but failing to do so and sofa surfing instead.

It would be wise to re-assess your finances and become a lodger or rent a room in a HMO.

You won't be seen as high priority because in theory you should be able to afford to house yourself one way or another

Zondervan

To the 2 replies above, I have been living in the UK for the last 12 years (came here when i was 12) and my Mother decided to move back 2 years ago, However my current situation is caused by the fact that i got kicked out my accommodation at the time due to relationship issues, Also i live close to Heathrow airport due to work (Speak Dutch Fluently) and got my job that way, But rent is very expensive around here and i have looked at flats nearby and they want a minimum of about £2,000 upfront including deposit and 1 month upfront.

HampshireH

Zondervan wrote: »

To the 2 replies above, I have been living in the UK for the last 12 years (came here when i was 12) and my Mother decided to move back 2 years ago, However my current situation is caused by the fact that i got kicked out my accommodation at the time due to relationship issues, Also i live close to Heathrow airport due to work (Speak Dutch Fluently) and got my job that way, But rent is very expensive around here and i have looked at flats nearby and they want a minimum of about £2,000 upfront including deposit and 1 month upfront.

So do a house share whilst saving for your own place:beer:

Double room in Feltham for example start from 450 pcm - 600pcm including bills

jonnygee2

How do they do banding? They should be able to tell you that.

But basically, someone working full time with no dependants is band D. You probably fall into the descriptor of a 'single person household with non-priority homelessness', e.g. you aren't sleeping rough, not disabled etc.

Even if you were sleeping rough or had children, given the shortage of supply it's unlikely you'd get a house anytime soon.



Surely you can afford to rent a room somewhere? There are rooms in Guildford on spareroom for £400 / month bills included, assuming you are on minimum wage you are probably earning over £1000 / month.

Edit - just saw you are in Hounslow but as above there are still rooms available which should be affordable on Spareroom.com. I just found several starting at £100/wk for a small single.

00ec25

you need to reassess your direction in life, single adults of working age do not get council housing.
What little housing a council has suitable for single people will be aimed at those who are a lot more vulnerable than you are.

Other single people are expected to be making their own way in life by living in shared accommodation in the private sector. I know someone who works shifts at the airport, shares in Egham, and cycles the 6+ miles to work every day to save money.