Single mummies, what are your living arrangements?

[Jennifurball]

I am currently living with parents, it is ok, but I am not truly happy. I don't have freedom to have friends round and we only have the 1 bedroom to share. I need my own space but wondering if I can afford to do it. Plus I hate the cat.

I will be working part time soon, and understand I can get housing benefit but unsure exactly how much, I don't want to make that move, paying private rent then finding out I am entitled to not much at all help and having to move back out again. I just want to make a nice life for me and my baby and not rely on a man, even if I do have to rely on partly benefits.

Hope I am not coming across as rude in asking a personal question about your finances, I just want to plan this out well and know we can survive and not struggle with food after paying bills etc.

 

[shellideaks]

When I lived alone with my son I private rented and the housing benefit covered all my rent (£450 per month). I wasn't working at that point though. Once I started working I got around £150 per month toward the rent and had to pay the other £300 myself. This was easily doable as I got both child tax credit and working tax credit each week (around £110 for both). Earnings wise I was making £650 per month.

Your best bet is to check with your council, they have limits on how much you'll get towards your rent depending on area and how many bedrooms the house has.

Hope that helps a bit

 

[Jennifurball]

Thank you, yes that is helpful.

 

[Jade--x]

It changes a lot between councils and the average local rent costs. If you go onto your local council website they usually have a calculator which will tell you exactly what you're entitled to (or a close estimate anyway) or just give them a call and they should be able to tell you x

 

[Seren0613]

I work full-time, am also in school, & live alone. I was able to put myself through nursing school before I became pregnant, which I am so grateful for. My income is on average, more than a lot of couples combined. I'm lucky.

 

[fairydust87]

Im 26 and live with my mum, my two younger sisters and LO. Me and LO share a room and I love it! I dont want to move out lol. Im waiting until LO is 1 then we will be entitled to a 2 bed. I dont want a 1 bed as Ill never leave it and dont want to be sharing a room with LO when hes 4-5 years old!. Im on benefits as Ive given up work and concentrating on my son. Its working out great. Im very happy x

 

[lemontree12]

im on maternity at the moment
i private rent with my daughter my rent is 550, i get 340 housing benefit, tax credits 110 per week, then my smp of 580ish per month. then my fob also pay 225pm. so at the moment im pretty safe. not sure what it will be like when i go back to work

 

[Dezireey]

I moved back in with my parents after FOB left me and it's the best thing I could have done. They go away to a warmer climate half the year for health reasons, so for that time I have the place to myself with LO and then they are here to help and give me company the rest of the time. Its a cheaper option for me, although I do pay them rent and I don't get that back off the government (like housing benefit). Can't imagine moving out unless I marry someone, just not feasible to be on my own for many reasons at the moment. Works for all of us.

 

[lemontree12]

to be honest, i am considering moving home, which i will be living with my mum. back in ireland. im stuck in two minds. i keep playing with the idea, do i dont i. i love the thought of being at home, just havng support and company. although my brother has decided to move to my area, so having alittle bit of support will feel amazing.
sorry rambling on again, my point was, i quite wish i lived at home.

 

[Jennifurball]

Thank you for the replies. I originally enjoyed living here but I am feeling now it is time to move on, I am going to give myself 3 months of saving for the essentials, then I will sort somewhere, I am gearing more towards a housing association property though as much as I would love private rent, they aren't secure and I am sick of going to and fro.

I had a look at my local council website calculator and it says I am entitled to about £130 a week plus council tax, surely that is a bit high?? Or is that right??

 

[shellideaks]

Sounds about right to me

 

[lemontree12]

im pretty sure that max your entitled to, think my area is 140ish but i only recieve 85 and my rent is 550. they go by the money that comes in, so they took my smp and tax credits. im not sure what it would be like when i go back to work, but now i have a decent life and my little girl wants for nothing.
i know i was so scared, when i first moved in here, and i spent alot of my maternity worrying, about when i go on smp, but the government really help you.

 

[daneuse27]

Joining this thread! A lot of these answers are about the UK but still helpful as we have similar things in Canada.

I'm living at my moms now too which is excellent for saving money, but like you I also long for my own space. I don't want to just move out out of pride, I want to be financially smart about it. No plans yet as LO is only 4 months and I stay home with her full time. Hopefully before shes 2 I'll be all set up at my own place.

 

[ravenmel]

It depends on where you are in the UK. I live in London and the rents are high, mine is £1200 for two bedrooms and thats cheap lol coz there was no rent increase last year. When I was on maternity leave I had to pay towards the rent but when I started getting income support housing benefit covered it all until now due to government changes. When I was pregnant my lease in my tiny studio ended so I want back to mum's but it was ick but ok. The council help us move in to the privately rented flat. Be careful and make sure you check everything first as with government changes in April 2013, it might be ok now and then go up to more then you excepted after April. Check entitled.com it normally gives you a good idea.

 

[MilitaryMummy]

I am in special housing for ex military personnel.
When i first moved in i wasnt working and housing benefit paid for the full rent. Then when i started working part time (16 hours a week) in sainsburys i started getting working tax credits aswell as my child tax credits which for me comes in at about £120 a week. They also recalculated my rent which is £122 odd a week and the housing benefit pay £90 odd of that and i have to pay the other £30 a week.
I earn about £400 a month (give or take) and i get by fine.
Dont get me wrong i cant go out and spend and splurge on whatever i want but me and my daughter are more than comfortable.
You will get by absolutely fine hun.

I would ring your local council and find out through them first hun and they will help you more.

Hope this helps xxx

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Right now, i live with DH. Thats until my name comes up on my apartment. Then im moving. I have no idea how ill pay for anything but my rent and electric will be free so thats good. I wont have a car or a job so it will be hard. My parents will be about 10mins away so that will help.

 

[soulvibe]

At this point I am renting a single room with friends and am working to make arrangements for when baby arrives so the two of us will have our own place. I've been seeing a worker and taking her advice to set everything up because I quite frankly don't know how to swing it! Since I was not well enough to work at the beginning, leaving me still out of work, I'm relying on income support and am only eligible for up to $625. Fortunately there are some cheaper options available right now, because normally you couldn't even get a studio for that. But I doubt any landlord will accept my application when my rent alone is at least as much as my income :/ When baby comes I'll be entitled to $900 so I might be able to afford a 1 bed then, although it will still be tight. I just hate the thought I might not have us a place until after babe comes and don't know what we'll do if I don't. I do plan to put myself on a waiting list for public housing, but I'm not technically eligible yet and there is a wait time obviously.

 

[superwumba]

Hi

When I was living in the UK as a single mother, my whole rent and council tax was covered - I was on income support, not working - but it was a council property so not very expensive - as others have said it depends on what area you are in etc

I will say though, that while I just about had enough to cover food and bills (just) on benefits, it was tough going.

As a working single mum (before tories, no idea what it's like now) however I got lots of help, childcare was partially paid for by tax credits, and I finally felt I had financial security, benefits literally give you enough to survive, it's fairly depressing

 

[LankyDoodle]

Live on my own, with my daughter who will be 3 next week.

I live in the family home. We owned a house, sold it and bought this last summer. He lived here for 2 months or so, and I have been here alone ever since, so it definitely feels mine and not his, despite the fact he remains on the mortgage until the lender will allow him off (when I am working full time, and I have refused to do that until LO starts school in 2014). In 2014 I will start working full time and mortgage will go over to my name alone.

My mortgage is 605pcm and I wish I had the option to move back with my mum, but in the future she may move here.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Live with my two children in what was our family home, it was me who instigated the split and asked him to move out. I am lucky because my rent is cheap for the area so hb pays it all. I am not living a flashy lifestyle by any means but we have enough to be comfortable.