Money etc..?

[Crumbsx]

I've been a single mum for a year now living with my parents. I would really like to move out though and rent a place of my own but I don't know how I'll cope financially. I was just wondering if anyone who rents (just them and their child living there) could tell me what benefits they get still and how it affects benefits, how they cope financially generally etc?

I'm just confused by it all and I don't even know where to start on making the move happen. I also want to move a hour or two away (still within the UK though). The government site and CAB doesn't seem much help, it just confuses me more :/ thanks! x

 

[Jade--x]

I don't think it makes a difference to your benefits, other than you'll get housing and tax benefit, though if you're thinking of moving to a different county, each has different rules ie. My council won't give someone housing benefit unless they have ties to be their ie. A job, family, growing up their etc. So the best thing to do is go on whatever area you're wanting to move to council website and have a look x

 

[Crumbsx]

Thanks yeah I'll try that.
I just want to move to another part of the UK, so I'm still staying in the same country. I have no ties there, I just need a fresh start x

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Hi, I live with my two children and cope ok financially. My rent is covered by housing benefit and council tax is some tiny amount, about £30 a month, for my band c property.

 

[jaytee146]

I stay in the US and I've never applied for housing credit, mainly because the people who get the housing credits often have their boyfriends living with them and break alot of rules in regards to the number of guest allowed, I've noticed that management doesn't fix anything and the conditions of these houses are almost that of a third world country ( no heat, running water, holes in the floors, rodents you name it i've heard a horror story about it)

So for that reason I found and leased a home myself, something I could afford and it's in a decent community (not the best) but nice, I don't have to worry about people hanging around my home, or people keeping up noise all times of the night.

I wish the government here would stay on owners of these housing communites and make hem fix and keep them up, and make the families who don't have pride in their homes leave, or teach them how to care for their home... I've never seen anything so sad here

I think I commented on anotehr post and I talke about starting a estimate of your monthly income and all expenses you'll incur even if you do get a housing credit, budget how much of your money (if any) will cover your rent, water, gas, lights, cable, cell, insurane (everything) if you still have money left over you're doing darn good! If not see where you can cut back, it's doable! and you won't know unless you try :

 

[Crumbsx]

Thankyouxx

 

[Fraggles]

I don't think it makes a difference to your benefits, other than you'll get housing and tax benefit, though if you're thinking of moving to a different county, each has different rules ie. My council won't give someone housing benefit unless they have ties to be their ie. A job, family, growing up their etc. So the best thing to do is go on whatever area you're wanting to move to council website and have a look x

A county cant deny you housing benefit just because you have no tie to the area. All areas work on the Governments LHAs and you may be limited on getting a council property but you are free to rent privately and claim housing benefit anywhere in the country

 

[gracexxx]

I've just moved out from living at home and it's just me and Lo I claim housing benefit, child benefit and child tax credit, as I've now left my job after my maternity leave I'm going to claim social security.
If your currently working then you should be getting working tax credit in which case you only need to apply for housing benefit.
There may be more I'm not 100 % sure but I think that's everything.
Hope this helps

 

[Kate&Lucas]

If you are applying for council/HA housing then they should be able to help with benefits etc. If you go into the offices and ask to speak to someone they should be able to talk you through it and help you to apply for anything you are eligible for. If you are on income support and CTC already these won't be affected but you will be able to get housing benefit and council tax credit (though council tax benefit is being scrapped next year, but I think you can still apply now).
When I moved here I didn't have to apply for anything the HA did it all for me, I just had to sign the tenancy and take the keys.

We do okay ATM. Skint from one weekend to the next but we survive
Having lived at my mum's with Lucas until he was 18m old I'd say the lack of funds is worth it for our own space!

 

[Crumbsx]

Thankyou all that information is helped me understand alot better.
Do you know what the rules are on having someone stay over or visit? Like if my OH stayed two/three nights a week, is that allowed without him being classed as living there? If that makes sence :/ x

 

[Fraggles]

Thankyou all that information is helped me understand alot better.
Do you know what the rules are on having someone stay over or visit? Like if my OH stayed two/three nights a week, is that allowed without him being classed as living there? If that makes sence :/ x

It isnt the number of nights a person stays but whether they are deemed to be supporting your living (I work in tribunals so see lots of these cases) So yes they can stay over but if the council have evidence that they pay towards bills or food etc then they may deem that as living together.

 

[JennyBLove]

Government housing is actually inspected before u move In and MUST meet qualifications, or u cannot move in n actually my friend is in a reallgy nice place that takes it and everything always up to date and they do routine inspections, just depends if u choose to live in bad area, u can choose. And people who have people not allowed living there n get caught will loose it. But thats here in u.s, dunno whats diff in u.k. But I applied n waiting lists 1 or 2 years

I stay in the US and I've never applied for housing credit, mainly because the people who get the housing credits often have their boyfriends living with them and break alot of rules in regards to the number of guest allowed, I've noticed that management doesn't fix anything and the conditions of these houses are almost that of a third world country ( no heat, running water, holes in the floors, rodents you name it i've heard a horror story about it)

So for that reason I found and leased a home myself, something I could afford and it's in a decent community (not the best) but nice, I don't have to worry about people hanging around my home, or people keeping up noise all times of the night.

I wish the government here would stay on owners of these housing communites and make hem fix and keep them up, and make the families who don't have pride in their homes leave, or teach them how to care for their home... I've never seen anything so sad here

I think I commented on anotehr post and I talke about starting a estimate of your monthly income and all expenses you'll incur even if you do get a housing credit, budget how much of your money (if any) will cover your rent, water, gas, lights, cable, cell, insurane (everything) if you still have money left over you're doing darn good! If not see where you can cut back, it's doable! and you won't know unless you try :

 

[Crumbsx]

Ah okay, thankyou!
One last question (I promise!) How much do you have to earn before HB goes down or you don't get it? Because I wanted to go back to work part time (16ish hours a week) and I was wondering how that would affect benefits? I don't want to be worse off :/ otherwise I'll just have to wait until my babys three years old then get a full time job, to make ends meet that way x

 

[Fraggles]

They do a calculation on what is classed as excess wage, so from memory the amount by law needed to live on is around £243 a week so say they deem you income to be £10 over that they would then calculate you have an excess income and reduce the housing benefit so it works in increments knocking off the housing benefit. So for example I get housing benefit and I work 30 hours a week but I only get 25% of my rent paid due to my wage being over the amount needed to live on by law.

 

[Fraggles]

Also you could go on to a site like entitled to and put in a possible wage and rent etc and it would tell you roughly what you would get.

 

[JennyBLove]

I get assistance like food stamps, medicaid, and qualify for phone help n stuff and im getting unemploymnt, what they do is base ur income on what u pay for bills n decide from there. N for housing I wrkd full time before with a girl on housing support, she wrkd same hrs as me n she had it just cant makr tooo much, and they just take %30 of ur income! U can wrk part time n still get help for sure!!

Jennifer
check out my pregnancy blog
https://justhope0520.blogspot.com/?m=1

Ah okay, thankyou!
One last question (I promise!) How much do you have to earn before HB goes down or you don't get it? Because I wanted to go back to work part time (16ish hours a week) and I was wondering how that would affect benefits? I don't want to be worse off :/ otherwise I'll just have to wait until my babys three years old then get a full time job, to make ends meet that way x