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Hypothetical question about housing
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Lets say hypothetically that my parents decided to kick me out and throw me on the mercy of the rental market. I don't earn enough to both rent my own flat and afford the costs of living (food, bills, travel to work, council tax and all that crap) and houseshares and few and far between due to lack of young adults in my town. Lets also say that my parents are not going to help me out with bills.
What would your advice be, would I qualify for housing benefit to help me pay my rent or would I have to go into a homeless shelter? I work full time, am single and have no children if that helps.
What would your advice be, would I qualify for housing benefit to help me pay my rent or would I have to go into a homeless shelter? I work full time, am single and have no children if that helps.
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Luckily these often have bills included in the rent
If you were really serious you could put leaflets through doors in areas where you wanted to live.
It depends on how long you've had your job and what your pay is; it is worth asking because after 12 months in a minimum wage job I was entitled to a small amount of housing allowance.
In terms of homelessness provision, in theory the council would have a duty to house you if you had nowhere else to go, usually in a hostel at first. They would probably try and find you somewhere in the private rented market though, and housing offices carry lists of available properties for this very reason. You really wouldn't want to be in a hostel, trust me on that.
For more specific advice you could ring Shelter and IIRC AskTheSite has a housing law section answered by Shelter advisers.
You can rent if you work full time. Bedsits can be covered by housing benefit but as I say if you're doing full time work you don't have to rely on benefits. If you're working even minimum wage u must clear roughly £800 a month? Find a rough area and rent shouldn't exceed £300. After council tax and bills you can just about get by on what's left.
If you get kicked out, I'd seriously consider moving to a large town or city, London aside. Plenty of cheap rents, bedsits, flatshare etc.
That's going up to 35 next year unfortunately.
I really think you would find somewhere if you proactively went out and advertised that people could earn up to £4249 tax free a year by renting thier spare room out to you.
A lot of people might not have considered taking on a lodger but if you show them that its possible then particually in times of economic hardship i think you would get a good response.
You would like information about your housing options if you could no longer continue to live at your parents house. It is great to think ahead to avoid any hard times!
You don't mention where you're from so I will keep this general.
You may like to read the Shelter section on 'Finding a place to live'.
1.Privately rented
See the Shelter page on renting privately; it includes several things you should think about before rented privately (for example if you can get housing benefit).
But essentially, like Scary Monster and Wyetry said you can try looking in shop windows or newspapers.
2. Like Slartibartfast suggested; Housing Associations
Again, see the Shelter guide - it's really useful. You can use the Tenant Services Authority website to find and compare registered housing associations in your area. You can also ask your local authority for a list of housing associations; they may be able to provide one.
3. You may be eligible for the Intermediate Scheme, which provides reduced rent for those who are eligible. The accommodation is provided by housing associations and you would receive an assured shorthold tenancy. To find out how to apply, visit the HomeBuy website.
4. Local Authority
Local authority's do have a duty to assist certain people. To seek their help you would have to show the following;
a. You are homeless or threatened with homelessness.
b. You are eligible - e.g. immigration status
c. You are in priority need - e.g. pregnant woman, or people with children
d. You are NOT intentionally homeless - e.g. if you leave your parents home of your own accord you are likely to be deemed intentionally homeless.
e. You have a local connection - you've lived in the area for 6months out of last year or your family has lived in the area for 3 years out of last 5 years.
To make a homeless persons application, ask your local authority for an application form.
I hope this helps
I'm not in any danger of being thrown out of my parents house as we enjoy a close relationship and I think it would take a lot for them to even consider throwing me out. I made this thread after a discussion with my mother about the situation of young people being stuck with their parents due to high rent and low wages.
If I was in this situation I think what would concern me is that my local council estate is a terrifying place. They sometimes randomly attack cars. I would be very concerned for my safety if I was to be placed in shared housing.
I imagine if it came to it I might condiser trying to leave town. Two of my friends from different parts of the country live in council properties where its a perfectly nice place to live. Also as my mother says I could always try and get pregnant.
There's a serious risk with leaving town, as Summer Raindrops says.
As for the comment about pregnancy, I really hope you're joking. It's not true that being pregnant stops you from being homeless (I've known of councils making people wait until the baby is born, for example), you can't magic a property from thin air if they're all full.
Some will rent out rooms though, we considered it at one point but decided against it as we only have 2 rooms and 1 bath.
As for getting pregnant, if I thought it would help my situation I'd do it. Come on most people would do anything to survive.
Are you able to save up and then move out in a few years or so?
How would it help? You'd then have to work and have a baby to look after.
Don't believe everything you read in the tabloids. It really isn't as simple as that and single mothers don't get all the freebie that the media would have you think that they do.
I don't know if I will ever save up enough to move out. The cost of moving out is not a one off payment and I doubt I will ever be able to save up enough to make up the gap between my wages and the cost of living. My only hope is that I will one day get a better paid job or an ok job in a more reasonably priced part of the country. Not impossible but seems unlikely.
It bugs me that I always worked hard at school, did everything people told me and am working hard in a job and yet I'm in the same positon as all those people who couldn't and still cant be bothered. Now I'm starting to see why they cant be bothered.
I dunno, don't think single people can afford their own places at the moment, a shared house is most likely in your hypothetical situation.