Single mums on benefits

[purpledahlia]

What about getting a council house? I did ring them and i was told i dont have a local connection to the area,

 

[Kirstin]

Are 1 bed flats any cheaper?

 

[teal]

I don't know a great deal about it but it doesn't sound right that you can't apply for a year. Especially since your family is up here

I tried to have a look for anything on council housing in Scotland but could only really find this which mentions anyone who is 16 years or older can apply for housing anywhere in Scotland.

https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/get...om_the_council/about_renting_from_the_council

There is something under allocation policies that the councils can't take into account how long you have lived in the area.

Not sure if it will be at all useful for you.

 

[Emma1980]

i agree, they cant do that... are you originally from the area? thats your local connection, plus you have family there, i'd appeal against that decision!

 

[purpledahlia]

basically all the different area's are like, midlothian, stirling, clackmananshire, fife, falkirk, etc... I cant just apply to any area.. well i can but its less likey to get me anywhere because you get more points with a local connection.
basically, my parents live in a little cluster of villages, and in the cluster of villages they live in a rich one built around a private school, IF i applied to this area code ~(the villages) then id get put in a really really rough place, id be surrounded by druggies and whatnot. I dont have a car sorted yet so i would be completely stranded. Its really not nice the council houses here and id sooner cut off my arm than send my child to the schools here. I cannot afford the private school that we went too.

Where i want to live is Stirling its the closes city, its got better school and its walking distance to shops and everything else. But no family live in that area code so i have no 'local connection' and will get less points resulting in longer waiting time.

The other problem is my parents postcode. The fact that you have to specirfy details when applying about the house your in now, And this house has 5 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, tv room, dinign room, 3 bathrooms, its a big enough property to house me, So the council look at it like, well you can stay there type thing. BUT my parents wont let me. Theyve saved for ages to get a house like this, it was expensive. They want to retire here and they have forked out a lot to have it exactly how they want it. they dont want a baby taking over. and i think thats fair enough, despite the fact i will KILL myself if i have to stay here longer than a few months as we fight.

So its a really tricky situ. If i get a private flat and eventually a job then i wont need a local connection because i will of lived there a year and i will work in the area (and have a child at nursery or whatever in the area)

If that makes sense to you...

One bed's are a bit cheaper but then id only get housing benefit to cover a one bed flat, the housing benefit for stirling for a one bed is 390, and two bed is 490. most one beds are about 450 and two beds are 550, so either way i have to pay for some.

basically, im totally screwed.

 

[purpledahlia]

Emma - ive not lived in the area properly for 5 years... i went up to uni in aberdeen and then moved to london,

 

[purpledahlia]

teal just had a look on that link, It just seems to be general advice it doenst help because its not specific to the area. Im on the council's website and i am going to ask for an application form, and ill apply anyway, but i already have one for the villages area code, and it asks ALL about where your living now, i just dont think i would get many points for it unless my parets write and say i have to leave. And although they say i do, and i know i do. i doubt they would do it formally like that.... it seems a bit cruel.

 

[purpledahlia]

This is from CAB website,

Housing registers and waiting lists

While local authorities don't have to have a housing register, in practice, most will keep a housing register or waiting list of people who have applied to rent accommodation. You usually have to fill in an application to apply for local authority accommodation.

Local authorities have to publish information explaining how they make decisions about offering accommodation and the system they use to give priority to applicants on their waiting lists. How priorities are decided may vary from one local authority to another, but factors normally taken into account will be:

* poor health made worse by housing conditions
* lack of, or shared use of some facility, for example a bathroom or toilet
* an inadequate number of bedrooms for the size of your family
* length of time you have lived in the area
* age (where access to sheltered or warden supported accommodation is under consideration)
* length of time on the waiting list
* separation from your family (including a family which is overseas) because of inadequate accommodation
* homelessness - see under heading help for homeless people.

I only cover the last one, then it says -

Homeless or threatened with homelessness

You will be considered legally homeless if you have no accommodation which is available and reasonable for you and your household to live in. This includes accommodation in another country. You will also be homeless if you have accommodation but cannot get into it. For example, if you have somewhere to stay with friends or relatives but have been asked to leave, or you are at risk of violence in your home. You will be considered to be threatened with homelessness, if you are likely to be homeless within 28 days (in Scotland, two months).


and about the local connection it says

Local connection

The local authority may refuse to accept responsibility if it thinks that you have no connection with the area where you are looking for help with housing. You would usually be expected to live, work or have family links to have a local connection. In this situation, you may be referred to an area where you do have a connection.


Basically altho i am a 'priority' being pregnant, i just wont get a house. Its impossible. Have to private rent.

 

[bloodbinds]

This is what i should be getting on benefits when i have my baby per month:

Income support: £257.20
Child Benefit: £80.00
Child Tax Credit: £ 161.29
Child Maintenance: £80.00
Maternity Allowance: £492.24 (until may 2010)

Which is a total of £1070.73 - of course this will go down to £578.49 once my maternity allowance finishes, which sucks, but hoping then maybe the other benefits will go up?

And this doesn't include any housing benefits/council benefits.

 

[purpledahlia]

Nope the benefits wont go up once MA stops. MA is extra, i should of been getting that, but no. i cant. your v lucky!! it pretty much doubles your income per month for at least 6 months! lots of opportunity to save.

 

[bloodbinds]

Yes, i know i am lucky with that! Didn't think it did go up, but wanted to hope... lol. Lots of chance to save which is good - i love saving!

I'm in a similar situation with council housing though - it's true that they won't help much if you're moving to a new area with no connections - which sucks as i want to do that as well! But hopefully the homeless thing may come in handy! Otherwise if you rent privately make sure the landlord accepts housing benefits, that will help a lot x

 

[purpledahlia]

well if he doesnt then i cant move in because i cant pay that. the rent alone would be more than all my benefits put together. ive been emailing agents with properties for rent online and asking if they accept housing benefit tenants and over the last few months guess how many have responded........................NONE. im gonna be in a gutter

 

[ames_x]

This is what i should be getting on benefits when i have my baby per month:

Income support: £257.20
Child Benefit: £80.00
Child Tax Credit: £ 161.29
Child Maintenance: £80.00
Maternity Allowance: £492.24 (until may 2010)

Which is a total of £1070.73 - of course this will go down to £578.49 once my maternity allowance finishes, which sucks, but hoping then maybe the other benefits will go up?

And this doesn't include any housing benefits/council benefits.

Sorry to hijack purpledahlia lol

Bloodbinds can you get Income Support while claiming Maternity Allowance? I was under the impression you couldn't, not sure why lol.

 

[purpledahlia]

haha its ok! does anyone know, ive tried to do the calculator on entitledto.co.uk but i dont have outgoings on water etc and it asks for that? does it work if i leave bits blank?

 

[bloodbinds]

This is what i should be getting on benefits when i have my baby per month:

Income support: £257.20
Child Benefit: £80.00
Child Tax Credit: £ 161.29
Child Maintenance: £80.00
Maternity Allowance: £492.24 (until may 2010)

Which is a total of £1070.73 - of course this will go down to £578.49 once my maternity allowance finishes, which sucks, but hoping then maybe the other benefits will go up?

And this doesn't include any housing benefits/council benefits.

Sorry to hijack purpledahlia lol

Bloodbinds can you get Income Support while claiming Maternity Allowance? I was under the impression you couldn't, not sure why lol.

I was under that impression too! So i gave them a call and asked, and they said because its maternity allowance and not SMP that i can claim from 28 weeks pregs - if it were SMP then i wouldn't be entitled - just taking her word on it really - and have sent off the forms for the income support, so will hopefully find out for definite if i do get it soon! Lol.

And purpledahlia - it will still work if you leave bits out! But it may be slightly less accurate

 

[Shireena__x]

hii not sure if its the same in england as it is scotland but i get 147 a week. 20 child benefit, 64.30 and 63.05 = CTC & sngle parent income support. all expensises paid for i.e medical, dental. tv license is 5.50 a week and water is 5.50 a week. milk tokens covers a month supply of that and 200 nappes for 18 pound from asda sort out nappies 4 a month i also have direct debits going out ov 90pound a month and i still save 30pound a week. housing benefit and council tax will be paid for you and rent. if theres stil more rent you cant afford you have to fill out a special form down housing saying WHY you cant pay the rest off it i.e extra 50pound = because i dont have that spare a week. down here theres bands for council tax and they start from 4.50 u have to pay towards council tax depending on wages the max is 50 pound, but it goes down to the penny ur recieving, and they do take in to account other expensises u have gpoing out i. e fone bills and that. hope i helped


p.s on entitled to. if you put the benefits your geting and out not workin all those water stuff shouldnt be coming up, or just put 0.00

 

[Shireena__x]

oh and im currently living in a refuge paying 15pound a week out and 1pound for each wash and dry token, totalling about 6 pound

 

[DizzyMoo]

I didn't think MA was paid aswell as IS either, I thought it was one or the other.

Tbh living on £130 a wk for you & a baby is perfectly doable, You just have to be careful what you buy & where that's all. Your baby doesn't need food, only nappies/wipes & poss clothes although you usually have enough at 1st. Bills are not that expensive when you live alone with baby so i'm not sure what you are expecting them to be, But i live alone & my leccy is around £7 a week, gas is about £4 a wk. Water is £6 a week. Food just for one person isn't that much for a week hun.

 

[purpledahlia]

Im just panicking because ive never had to live on so little and because i wont be alone thats all. xx

 

[DizzyMoo]

But if you look at it realistically hun it is very liveable you just cant do certain things anymore thats all, But tbh you will have more money with a newborn than you will when they start getting older.