Single Parent / First Baby / Need to find some where to live

Babymumbles

Hi All, 

Hoping you can help as I've tried to do my research and called the council for advice but I am really struggling to get the information I need.

I currently live in a Council House ( With my mum and my brother) and have been in this house for 25+ years. I am currently expecting my first child (Due end of July) and am not with the father. Due to a sensitive situation, when the baby is born, I have been advised if I wanted to live at my current house, social services would have to be involved ( this is not because of myself). Social services have advised if I move out they would not need to be involved and have suggested for me to try and seek housing. The situation with the dad is very fragile as he has already threatened me in the past with joint custody ( He lives 2 hours away) and things are very sour with him at the moment. The last thing I need is to give him any ammunition, even though I know my baby will be safe, It wouldn't stop him.

My question is, I work full time ( Salary 30k+) however do not have any savings as I am paying off a large amount of debt from a previous long term partner which was run up in my name ( Except 2k which I have saved up for babys arrival). Once I go on Maternity, will I be able to claim Universal Credit / Housing Benefit? It's SMP. I really need to find some where to live. The only advice from the council is that they will put me in a hostel and for me to go on the waiting list for my own place, in their words " your child will be a grown adult by then". My grand parents currently own a house approx. 30 minutes away which they rent out. I guess I'm hoping if I can get Universal Credit, then I would be able to rent from them as my landlords and hopefully they would agree to reduce the rent amount to match the Universal Credit. ( This is their only form of income so they need this money). 

I'm struggling to find the information I need or get help from anyone. Every time I call the council they have been so unhelpful and i've had many sleepless nights over it, the thought of this situation just makes me want to cry. Any advice would be much appreciated. 

Thank you 

Babymumbles

Edit: Have tried to post in the Benefits forum as didn't realise there was one. 

Slithery

Babymumbles said:

I guess I'm hoping if I can get Universal Credit, then I would be able to rent from them as my landlords and hopefully they would agree to reduce the rent amount to match the Universal Credit. ( This is their only form of income so they need this money). 

Nope, afraid not. It would be a contrived tenancy which UC wouldn't pay for.

Babymumbles

Slithery said:

Babymumbles said:

I guess I'm hoping if I can get Universal Credit, then I would be able to rent from them as my landlords and hopefully they would agree to reduce the rent amount to match the Universal Credit. ( This is their only form of income so they need this money). 

Nope, afraid not. It would be a contrived tenancy which UC wouldn't pay for.

I've just read on what that means and I don't think they would consider that to be the case. They currently rent the house to somebody through an agency. Not sure how it would be me trying to con the system?

unforeseen

Babymumbles said:

Slithery said:

Babymumbles said:

I guess I'm hoping if I can get Universal Credit, then I would be able to rent from them as my landlords and hopefully they would agree to reduce the rent amount to match the Universal Credit. ( This is their only form of income so they need this money). 

Nope, afraid not. It would be a contrived tenancy which UC wouldn't pay for.

I've just read on what that means and I don't think they would consider that to be the case. They currently rent the house to somebody through an agency. Not sure how it would be me trying to con the system?

Because you said

then I would be able to rent from them as my landlords and hopefully they would agree to reduce the rent amount to match the Universal Credit.

greatcrested

Surely the baby would be better off with two parents via joint custody? You say  "my baby will be safe" so clearly there are no concerns there other than your own relationship with the father. But in the interests of the child perhaps you should make eforts to patch things up. This could also perhaps improve the housing sitiualtion, whether by living together, or by the father providing financial support for his child in return for access.

Renting off your grand parents and claiming benefits may be possible,but only if the full market rent is paid. Reducing the rent would make it a contrived tenancy. And I suspect UC wouldnot pay the full market rent...?

As a last resort, yes, the council will find you somewhere, but as you say, it's likely to be a long time before you received a place of your own from the council.

Babymumbles

greatcrested said:

Surely the baby would be better off with two parents via joint custody? You say  "my baby will be safe" so clearly there are no concerns there other than your own relationship with the father. But in the interests of the child perhaps you should make eforts to patch things up. This could also perhaps improve the housing sitiualtion, whether by living together, or by the father providing financial support for his child in return for access.

Renting off your grand parents and claiming benefits may be possible,but only if the full market rent is paid. Reducing the rent would make it a contrived tenancy. And I suspect UC wouldnot pay the full market rent...?

As a last resort, yes, the council will find you somewhere, but as you say, it's likely to be a long time before you received a place of your own from the council.

Unfortunately joint custody is not an option. After he found out I was pregnant, he got back with his ex and is already engaged and planning another baby with her so that's a separate matter. My concern is with the housing situation and claiming UC whilst on Maternity. From the information I've been provided it looks like the UC amount of housing is around the same as what they are renting the house at the moment anyway so hopefully will be ok. 

greatcrested

Don't take this the wrong way - just thinking laterally here, but it's not too late (I think) to reconsider life as a single mum, which would resolve your housing problem.

(note, this is a housing forum, not benefits or relationhips!)

John_

Babymumbles said:

Slithery said:

Babymumbles said:

I guess I'm hoping if I can get Universal Credit, then I would be able to rent from them as my landlords and hopefully they would agree to reduce the rent amount to match the Universal Credit. ( This is their only form of income so they need this money). 

Nope, afraid not. It would be a contrived tenancy which UC wouldn't pay for.

I've just read on what that means and I don't think they would consider that to be the case. They currently rent the house to somebody through an agency. Not sure how it would be me trying to con the system?

It’s. It about you conning the system, it’s more that they don’t believe that you would be evicted if you did not pay.

I do hope that you manage to sort yourself out, and I mean more than just financially. Having been with one partner who ran up debts, then having a child with another, while living in a household that is so bad that social services are concerned does not suggest that your life, or that of your child, is in a good place.

If the child’s father is interested in joint custody is that not worth considering, or could you move in near him, so that you are able to share the load, and your child gets to grow up knowing their father?

KatrinaWaves

Babymumbles said:

greatcrested said:

Surely the baby would be better off with two parents via joint custody? You say  "my baby will be safe" so clearly there are no concerns there other than your own relationship with the father. But in the interests of the child perhaps you should make eforts to patch things up. This could also perhaps improve the housing sitiualtion, whether by living together, or by the father providing financial support for his child in return for access.

Renting off your grand parents and claiming benefits may be possible,but only if the full market rent is paid. Reducing the rent would make it a contrived tenancy. And I suspect UC wouldnot pay the full market rent...?

As a last resort, yes, the council will find you somewhere, but as you say, it's likely to be a long time before you received a place of your own from the council.

Unfortunately joint custody is not an option. After he found out I was pregnant, he got back with his ex and is already engaged and planning another baby with her so that's a separate matter. My concern is with the housing situation and claiming UC whilst on Maternity. From the information I've been provided it looks like the UC amount of housing is around the same as what they are renting the house at the moment anyway so hopefully will be ok. 

Him having another partner and planning another baby does not mean joint custody is ‘not an option’

Babymumbles

My post is not querying custody. My post is querying advice for housing. Not sure why you are focusing on that but I’ve said it’s not an option and that’s the bottom line so not sure for the need to keep focusing on that! I’m not entering a discussion about the father he will be a part of his child’s life but I’m not saying anymore on that specific subject.