new job and worried

groovychick2007

my son left home a few months ago at the age of 16 he went to live in the YMCA.. he was moved into his own 1 bedroom flat a month ago and was on JSA.. He has just found himself a job , its in telesales and he starts monday ...they have told him its £1000 a month .. ok now he has been to tell the people that put him into the flat They are called Brighter Futures (remeber its only 1 bed furnished very pokey) now he will get paid every month they have told him when he gets paid they want £840 for his rent for the month hes worked and the month upfront his rent is £105 a week ...now this wont leave him with any money for food as he will have his council tax electric gas tv and water rates .. Hes got no savings to put a deposit down on anything ... Has anyone got any suggestions... hes beginning to think its not worth him working

Savvy_Sue

Does he have a housing officer? If so your son should speak to them - as he's not yet 18 I would imagine there must be SOME kind of support in place to help him find out what help he would be entitled to and with budgeting etc. He can also speak to the Job Centre and ask what help is available for people starting work - I think there are schemes to help with all kinds of things.

It sounds a bit odd, in fact, because presumably at the moment he's getting Housing Benefit to cover his rent, worth checking with the HB section at the council how long they keep paying it in this situation, and whether he would still be entitled to have some of his rent paid.

groovychick2007

thanks savvy sue the job centre have told him told he is not entitled to any help ... i will wait till his support workers comes over tuesday and speak to her i think the thing that is worrying him is he will have no money for the 1st month so going to have no money to pay his electric, water rates, and tv licence and no money for food and also when he gets paid he will have £160 left and that has got to pay all his bills plus his council tax and still no money for food... we are trying to convince him £105 is way to much to pay for where he is living and trying to get him to go in shared accomodation at least he will have some company and rent will be cheeper and also some bills will be included... but its just how much do people require for deposits and is there anyway he could get help with paying the deposit also does anyone know if he could get on a housing list for hosing as this would be another cheaper alternative and he would not have to pay a months deposit

jezzebell

As he's under 18 he will be exempt from council tax so at least thats one less bill for him to worry about. It does seem a shame that someone is trying his best, got a nice job and somewhere to live and there's no extra help for them

Savvy_Sue

Deposits: some councils offer a Deposit Bond scheme, but they vary from place to place, so your son might not be eligible. However his support worker should know or be able to find out.

Council / Social Landlord housing: your son might not be able to apply for this without a guarantor, ie someone who agrees to pay the rent if he doesn't. That would apply until he's 18, I believe. However, there may be some supported or youth housing (although Brighter Futures may be the only provider in your area).

Is there a Foyer near you?

Shared housing: that may sound like a good idea, but I presume (and am not asking you to say) that there's a reason why your son is not living at home, and so you need to think carefully about whether that's something which would 'work' for him. Would he work well with others to keep the place clean and tidy? Would 'friends' take advantage of him - borrow his rent money and not pay it back etc.

the other thing is that your son must have a tenancy agreement of some sort, and possibly also a 'contract' of what BF are doing for him. Can you look at those together and work out if there is any obvious scope, eg for offering to pay a bit more rent for a longer period rather than have to pay 2 months worth at once, which anyone would struggle with!

If your son can prepare a budget with his estimated NET income - I don't like to worry you but if that's £1000 gross he's likely to bring home around £750 - and his estimated outgoings, then it will show what he can afford to pay. Not only that, but it will show that he's thought about things, and is planning and preparing.

groovychick2007

thanks ill have to try and get intouch with him tomorrow and get all the details of his tenancy will then give brighter futures a ring see if i can sort anything out with them... he said he has been told take home pay is £1000 a month but i have told him that might be gross so dont expect £1000 take home but you know teenage kids they never listen to people who care ... i know he asked brighter futures if they could move him somewhere that was a bit cheeper to rent but they said no he has to be there for 6 months then they will think about it.. Oh well i can but try my hardest thanks again

Savvy_Sue

Well, the good news is that if they HAVE told him take home pay is £1000 then they probably mean net rather than gross. Just hope it doesn't include commission ... which he might struggle to earn initially.