Why is getting a council home so hard ?
By
A year and a half ago I had a good job and so did my boyfriend we decided to move in together when my boyfriends mother decided to downsize and the tenancy of my flat expired. We looked around and decided to privately rent a 3 bed home (2 beds and a box room) for 825 a month (my flat was 725) it was outside town and considering most rental prices of 3 beds are over 1000 a month it was very reasonable so we took it. It was close to a good school for my 5 year old and life was good we paid the bills, we were not well off but we were managing.
Then I fell pregnant I took maternity leave in april 08 and had a baby boy in may 08 I went down to statutory maternity pay after 6 weeks and as I was the main earner it really effected us. (I earned 20,000 a year and my boyfriend 15,000 per year before tax) I took home about 1200 a month but to be reduced to about 500 a month was crippling us . We applied for housing benefit and undated our tax credits we were getting 41 a week tax credits it was upped to 70 a week. Housing benefit was awarded to us of 125 a month so we were missing about 450 a month from our previous income.
We found ourselves getting deeper and deeper in debt as each month went by, our bills went up as our income was going down. (my gas and electric alone went from 40 a month to 135!) we started missing payments on loans we had, and previous debt and our credit rating was getting worse and worse.
Then the unthinkable happened the other day I received notice from my landlady that she requires possession of our home in two months. I phoned some letting agents and because our income is so low we cant afford anything in the area without a guarantor (we don’t know anyone who owns their own home or who has the income to do that) Plus because our credit rating is so bad we wouldn’t pass the credit reference.
So I phoned the council (as we are already on the waiting list) They didn’t seem to understand we are going to be homeless in two months with a 6 year old and a 6 month old, and we cant afford where we are living now even though apparently we can afford an 800 a month according to what the housing benefit say????
So I phoned Shelter and in so may words they informed me that the council will put me through hell and back in the hope I find my own way out of the situation. I may have to wait in my home for the court and bailiffs to throw me out (and I have to pay for the privilege of this) I will then be homed in temporary accommodation which does not have to even be in the town it can be miles away. So how my boyfriend can get to work and how I can get my son to school I don’t know (We don’t drive) and this can be for as long as they want, as long as it takes for us to prove we cant get out of it ourselves.
I am not an asylum seeker, I was born in this country and so were my family and my boyfriends family, I am not a single mother, My boyfriend works and until i had a baby so did I. I have worked and paid taxes the past 12 years, I didn’t ask for this to happen but I cant prevent it either. It is humiliating enough to ask for help but to be made to beg and prove that I need it is going to be one of most soul destroying and humiliating experience of my life.
I cant return to my job because due to the cost of childcare we wouldn’t be any better off and I worked through my 6 year olds early years and we are only just building our relationship back again, how can I look after a home, two children a husband and give them my support and love in less than an hour a day after work while they are eating their dinner. My children need at least one parent around surely?
So I ask you all what do i do? Does anyone have any advice? Has anyone been in a similar situation? feel free to ask questions too 
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11 Comments
September 25th, 2010 at 5:06 am
You wrote that you were born in this country. Sadly, that’s the answer to your question. You will get nothing if you were born here.
September 27th, 2010 at 1:28 am
er where do you get 500 a month from? on 15,000 the take home pay is 1,000 a month…
September 30th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
well if you were an assylum seeker it would be much easier for you to get a house with an extra support from the gov. but it’s just ashame you weren’t. it is really hard, why don’t you try one of you will work during the day and one during the night, but the one who works the night will have an extra job during the day which is a bit more hardwork….that’s what we do with me and my husband although we only have one son…you are not in the very poor situition yet, it’s just that you and your partner have to organize and divide your time that sometimes one of you have to do the extra job, it’s a hard work but that would help, if you don’t work hard then you gain nothing. then maybe the expenditure needs to less down a little like those things which is not necessary including social life which is for the meantime until you can cope up everything…
October 1st, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Social housing is reserved for ethnic minorities whether they are asylum seekers or not.Local councils get extra funding for housing ethnic minorities.
Many council houses are even reserved for immigrants that havent arrived but numbers are expected.
The government knows that without housing these people will become the vicious criminals they were in their homelands but white will always find a way out.It shouldnt have to be like that.We paid our taxes and we want our dues,the council housing stock belongs to the public,its not New Labours property.
edit
I have to laugh at lily b talus’s answer.
That is the most incredibly naive answer,blatant New Labour and leftwing council misdirection to the point of embarrassment.
Still these people with non-jobs in the public sector are grateful to reiterate the mindless propaganda if it pays £40k and they arent in need of housing themselves.
I’m also confused how sales of council housing has reduced housing.The same people would have been in the same houses but being a financial burden on the local council.
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
October 5th, 2010 at 4:15 am
I feel for you situation. Unfortunately the Labour government in power for the last 10 years has not bothered to build anywhere near enough housing. They let millions of immigrants into the country without bothering about the effects on housing and services. Leading to demand outstripping supply, and leaving young couples without a future. It is a dreadful situation. No, political party ever has ruined this country is the treasonous way New Labour has. It is best to speak to the professional organizations, like shelter, C.A.B. for advise.
October 5th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
I feel for you sweetheart…there is very little council housing because most of it was sold off in the 80′s and 90′s, go to the C.a.b….contact housing Asociations and get every bit of advice you can…unfortunately I think you’re going to have to become homeless and then go into b. and b. until you can be rehoused…Social Services should pay for your child ‘s fares to school – they’ll charter a taxi…wish I could be more positive, you are in a vulnerable position and so should be rehoused fairly soon..maybe within 18 months….your situation has nothing to do with immigrants as they have no statutory right to housing, don’t blame foreigners when you’re at the housing office or on the phone to them because if you do they wont consider your application …I’ve had this happen to my clients…good luck
October 6th, 2010 at 9:19 am
buy a caravan. park it in a friends garden. if the council says you cant do that ? say tough. just stay there. if you havent got a friend that will let you do it, park it in the council offices car park. get in the papers. create hell. good luck. we need to get housing back to the british people. not the immigrant that takes priority.
October 8th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Because if you have a council house and your central heating for example goes wrong you just ring up and irrelevant of cost its fixed. Personally I am dreading anything happening to my heating system this year as I am to old to borrow money to pay the high costs of repairs to these systems. Thats why you can’t get a council house these days, who is going to give that up.
October 8th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
I know how you feel.
because im under 15 my dad has to work minimum wage as he’s part time. so even though we live in rented accommodation its with huge benefits and can barely pay our share. Luckily im 15 in january so my dad can full time again (15 is the age where a child can stay home alone for long periods of time legally) but it means the benefits go down so it’s a circle. I doubt we’ll ever get a council flat because of the immigrants coming in by the truckload. Hopefully once Labour is out of control, England will bounce back from this and help young families. Unless i start saving now or marry a very rich man i probably won’t be able to afford my own house. Which just will lenghten the waiting list for council houses.
Basically, Labour messed up big time, but won’t admit it and just make us pay the price for their mistakes.
October 10th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Answer number 1 is spot on…u didnt just step off a boat/back of a lorry with 5+ kids so therefore your entitled to nothing!!!and sadly that is the truth!Im really sorry to hear of your situation,i can totally relate to it
Up until 8weeks ago i was homeless with my children due to fleeing violence(i chose to flee therefore the council said i had made myself intentionally homeless) i didnt get any help atall from any kind of organisation.whoever told you the local council will make sure you go to hell and back is also spot on as they do,i am where i am now (in a priveatly rented house) because of me not because of the council/social services etc etc and it took me 4 months of living in a car,going from place to place to feed the kids/wash etc etc . infact i spoke to social services many times,on the last call i made i was in tears,desperate ..just in a right state in general and her words were ‘i can tell you are a good mum and just by what you are saying i know you will find somewhere for your kids’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ”we dont have access to housing ,sorry”!unbelievable
But all the time you are honest , up front and british you wont get a thing !!!
i did point out to the lady in the council about these foreigners getting housed etc etc and her response was ‘we dont hand out houses to them they have to live in the area for a minimum of 2yrs and be working for a year before we help” ..and the rest!!!
i really wish you the best of luck,let us know how you get
xxx
October 13th, 2010 at 11:47 am
like a lot of people these days you have lost the ability to take control of your life & your needs.your most basic need is housing for your child & local authorities have a statutory duty to provide housing for the child’s (children’s) welfare.you will get offered council housing eventually,but it could take many years of living in B & B’s etc.
don’t despair,there are always many more people worse off than you.
the local authorities are stretched at the moment with the influx of immigrants in last decade.everyone wants something for nothing & things are likely to get worse before they get better as more & more people loose their jobs.
you could avoid eviction by getting legal advice from your citizens advice centre or Law Centre.there must be a housing rights bureau in your area,who could look at you case in greater detail.stay focused,your partner needs better paid work,if he is to support you & your family.
sorry,to sound harsh.but,things are going to get a lot harder over the next year or so!