Blooming Council grrr

[Princess_Puddles]

Grrr so stressed out! Me and my OH applied to the council about March time when he came to live with me and my family and after several letters from my parents to the council stating that my room (single room) is too small for me and my OH and that a baby would not fit in there, we even provided pictures in which they can see for themselves. We are sleeping on mattresses on the floor because we cannot fit a double bed in my room (this is very uncomfortable) and we have tried putting the moses basket in there to see if it will fit and it doesn’t fit comfortably (we wont be able to open our chest of drawers) and finally after 3 weeks of waiting for a reply from the last letter that my parents sent we had a phone call this morning and it was arranged for someone to view our room and fill in a few more details about us. The lady came over and basically told me that I couldn’t affect the application in anyway as I am not 18 so I had to speak for my OH (he is at work) it was pointless her even coming round she didn’t spend more than 2 mins looking at my room, we need 120 points for a house and we have only got 90 now, also because my OH has a highly paid job (£21,000 a year) we’re eligible for rented accommodation in which the council will pay the first months rent deposit and we have to pay them back after (pointless) but he moved from rented accommodation to my house because he couldn’t afford it any longer anyways basically overall its that option or trying to squeeze a baby into our room that’s not even big enough for us, we cant afford things as it is as he has to pay £200+ every month for travel to and from work, money on debts etc… and the council expect us to afford to rent somewhere for like £600 a month they don’t think about the fact that we will have other bills to pay, put food in the freezer and clothes on our backs and that’s without a baby.

Has anyone else had trouble with the council? Any ideas what we could try next?

Sorry for the long post am so desperate to get everything sorted its really getting me down

Thanks in advance girlies

 

[Ebony_Mommy]

with all due respect.. if ur partner is earning 21000 why cant he get a place... he pays 200 for travel.. he can rent somewhere...

i dont know how it operates where u are but i wud say its better to get a house/flat on ur own as a single parent then he moves in

well thats what they do in reading.

 

[Princess_Puddles]

He cant afford it, like i said he had to move out of his rented place as he couldnt afford it himself (His flat mate moved out and it was costing £600 a month before bills) its so expensive round here and he has his travel which is £2500 a year and his loan to pay off each month. So thats £600 before bills, food and clothes if needed for yourselves and petrol then there is baby essentials each month, he owes so much money as he borrowed loads before as he couldnt afford it and has to pay it back now. Also as ive said im not eligible for anything as im not 18 so if i said i was a single parent i would have to stay at home for another 2 years before im even eligible for anything and ive known people to get caught out when saying they are single when they're not

 

[SarahH]

Awww.... this sounds like a horrible situation.

I dont know about where you are but here there is a housing assosation that you can apply to so that you part own the house/flat. My friends did this when they had their baby and it sounds like they were the same situation as you (he was older and working but she was only 17). Basically they have a 2 bedroom house that they pay a mortgage on for 25% of the house value and then pay rent to the housing company.
I think they pay about £150 mortgage and £100 rent a month and then after a year - if they want to - they can up the mortgage to own 50% and then so on each year they can borrow another 25% if they want to until they own the property.
My friends partner had debt too so dont worry about that affecting you. I think as long as you have £1500 in your account (which you could borrow maybe just to show it on paper and then hand it back) you were considered.

Might be worth while finding out about if its avail in your area too.

Hope it helps!!

S. xx

 

[violet-glow]

What total bleep bleep bleeps!! I hate the council.

All for single mothers but as soon as you get a partner they dont want to know. Surely they can see that a heavy pregnant woman sleeping on a mattress in a box room isnt healthy!

My mums friends dayghter is going through the same thing, but she has had her bbay he is now 1 year old and her and her boyfriend still havent got anywhere and still living with her parents.

Could you say that you have broken up and then move him in when you have somewhere?

 

[nikki1306]

It took me 7 years to get my house hun,we struggled in rented places all that time .The only thing i can think of which someone else i knew did was get your mum to write a letter saying she has chucked you out. You may have to go into temporary accomodation for a while,but i can't think of any other way out,if you start renting privately you could be in for a long wait for a council place,good luck hun xx

 

[Ebony_Mommy]

as i said i dont know how they do things in ur area. but in reading u can rent a private accomodation and claim housing benefit to pay the rent...

 

[Princess_Puddles]

Could you say that you have broken up and then move him in when you have somewhere?

I could if i were 18, because then i would be eligible but as im not 18 im not eligible for sweet FA

get your mum to write a letter saying she has chucked you out

Thats a good idea actually lol. Well my OH said he is going to ring them to arrange a meeting with someone & if that doesn't help anything then i will get my Mum to do what you suggested, Thankyou.X

I hate the council, i was told they were a bunch of selfish 'BEEPS' but i didn't listen lol
My council apparently don't own any housing association propertites anymore so i can't go straight into one you have to wait for one to come available and the council will put who ever they feel needs it the most into it and we're not entitle to housing benefits due to Tims wage they dont take into account though what has to come out of that wage every month and what is left, everything i mentioned some how the council lady put a barrier in the way feel like i'm never gonna get out!!
There are loads of single mum kids (well 19 yr old but i'd class them as kids the way they act) around here that get places straight away because they get money off the social (no offence to people on here who do) but as soon as they get someone who works full time with a partner they don't wanna know..Ma mum reckons id get further with them if i was a dishonest person (theiveing things and police reports under my belt) hehe

 

[kt68]

I dont think you would get housing benefit if your other half is earning that. It's a long hard slog, my hubby and I were living at my mums on the lounge floor when I was pregnant with our 1st, and even that didnt qualify for enough points to give us anywhere. We were told we had to wait until the baby was 1 until they would consider giving us anywhere. We got fed up, it was totally impractical and making me depressed, so we rented privatly, which cost us a fortune and was putting us in debt. We made the big mistake of telling the council that we were doing it, instead of just keeping shtum and saying we were still at my mums, and we went from 15th on the list to 50 something!!! As soon as you tell them you have got a private place, even though you cant afford it and hope they will still house you asap when baby comes, they move you right down the list and your worse off than ever! Dont make the same mistake as us...its a real catch 22 situation, hang in there, good luck.

 

[Princess_Puddles]

That is horrendous kt68 i can't believe they done that to you!! god they dont give a hoot really they make me so mad, i was so excited this morning when they rang and now im in a downer. I get stressed so easily Thanks for all your help everyone has made me feel better knowing im not the only one to be treated like poo by them!

On a personal note what i mentioned in my last post about single mums on the social i dont want anyone on here to be offended by that, i know that you lot are good mums, i was talkin about the druggys around my area (big druggy area) that don't give two hoots about their children they'd rather spend the money that they get off the social on booze and drugs and cause havoc around the neighbourhood, things we could do without

 

[Melly+2]

me and my bf are oing to be renting a house together soon and the other day i had to sit in the damn house for 5 and a half hours (their is no stuff in the house yet) so i didnt have anything to sit on or watch, had no food and forgotten to take my antinbiotics so i was in pain. They came and told me we only needed sum emergency gas and the meter resetting, all that for f*** all!!!!

 

[saraUK]

I am 16 weeks pregnant, and I am trying to spead things up to get a place.I told them my situation and they just said a baby could live in a small room with me up until he/she is 1 year.I was renting a flat, and am now living at my dads and paying off my crappy power gen bill still.It is so hard getting anywhere with the council, but do get your mum to write a letter saying she is kicking you out when baby is born or just before.As for money, will be tight but thats life.Everyone is short for cash at some point.I am going through all you are and am due in December.Luckly I can move to several of my families homes, but plan at some point on my own place.Even if it is when baby is older.Carry on trying and dont give up ringing the council etc.It will pay off.For now, look up at the job centre and council what money you may be intilted to once baby arrives.Join clubs also to get money off baby products, you may of already but every penny counts.Also draw a plan up of what moey goes out and comes in and basically see for yourself how much you and your partner have to live on.Do it even before you get your own place so you are prepared mentally.Moving out and having a baby for the first time will be hard.So appreciate living at home with ya ma while you can.Talk to her also, I am sure she has had money problems, or still does.Me and my babys dad have nothing between us, and hes in dept also.Infact we dont get along so think yourself lucky.xxx

 

[cassi]

Why dont you and your BF rent half a flat if you see what i mean, do a house or flat share where you share someones house or flat its much cheaper before i was pg me and alan was going to rent out our spare room and share the house for about £490 +bills per month (expensive cause we live in Reading on the thames valley and my area is quite expensive So you could do that for much less!! say £300 a month then half the bills too so about £370 all together.

cas x

PS:Ebony, where about in reading are you? Im in lower earley