Help Needed - Council Housing

[Aqua 10]

I echo what the others have said - you have no chance, sorry. I'm in a similar situation as I have a 3 year old, I work full time and rent a 3 bed house privately as there's no way I'd be entitled to a council property. The good thing about renting privately is you can choose your preferred area, so can move close to decent schools etc, which I look at as a major positive in favour of renting privately (schools won't be of interest to you now, but just wait 2 or 3 years!).

 

I'd say that you're in a pretty good position to keep renting privately if one of you works full time and you also go back part time after your maternity leave. I'm a single parent so only have one salary coming in, out of which I pay full rent, full council tax etc and don't get any maintenance so I pay everything from one salary, including my son's nursery fees. So I'd think that on 2 wages you should be fine with a little budgeting. Don't forget you'll be entitled to certain money from the government when your baby is here which will help - child benefit which everyone gets, plus you may be entitled to tax credits or working tax credits depending on your household income.

 

You can get a 2 or 3 bed house for less than £500 rent per month. I pay £500 pcm for a 3 bed terrace but I looked at cheaper ones when I was looking for this and there are plenty on Rightmove.

 

A x

[bluevan 10]

I agree with what everyone said im afraid, my friend had a 1 bed flat on the 3rd floor when she found out she was pregnant, my friend and her partner registered for the bidding thing in the hopes of getting somewhere bigger and not 3 floors up, she started bidding when she was 3 months pregnant, her daughter is 3yrs old now and there still crammed in a one bed flat, when her daughter turned 2yrs the council said shes classed as "half a person" so they would go up in priority, its a joke! But good luck

[Plain Talker 11]

I agree with what everyone said im afraid, my friend had a 1 bed flat on the 3rd floor when she found out she was pregnant, my friend and her partner registered for the bidding thing in the hopes of getting somewhere bigger and not 3 floors up, she started bidding when she was 3 months pregnant, her daughter is 3yrs old now and there still crammed in a one bed flat, when her daughter turned 2yrs the council said shes classed as "half a person" so they would go up in priority, its a joke! But good luck

 

it's not a joke, bluevan, it's just the way the housing works.

 

Up to a year old, a baby is not classed as "a person" for the purposes of counting them for housing need. between one year, and the age of Ten years, a child is classed as half-a-person for housing purposes. Over the age of 10, a child is classed as one person.

 

So, a one-bedroomed flat, which has a maximum occupancy of three persons, will not be in any way classed as overcrowded, with mum, (one person) and dad (One person) and the baby (nil-persons) living there (two persons).

 

The situation is far, far worse in places like London, where families consisting of parents and three or four children are to be found crammed into bedsits for incredible amounts of time, whilst waiting for housing.

 

It's hard, I know, but your pal at least has a secure tenancy, and a roof over her head.

[Ms Macbeth 75]

Totty, you and your partner need to get your name added to his housing registration as soon as possible. From what you say it doesn't sound like you have any grounds for getting a council house quickly. 75% of all council properties are let to people with priority status, the rest to people with waiting time. There is already a shortage of family houses, as proportionately more of those have been sold off through the Right to Buy than flats or maisonettes. You might want to consider a housing association - being on the council's housing register can help, but it might be worth applying to some of those directly.

 

A couple with a baby in a one bedroomed property isn't overcrowded according to overcrowding laws and a two bedroomed flat would be considered perfectly adequate for a family with one child of any age.

[nikkinoo86 10]

I'm afraid private renting is probably your best option if you are low income you may qualify for housing and/or council tax benefit.

 

I was living with my partners parents and was doing the sensible thing both working full time and trying to save for a house when I found out I was pregnant, we asked at our local housing office their exact words were "We could find you a lovely house and your parents could ring you back saying stay with us, so sorry there's nothing we can do as you are not priority." In the end that we found a private rented house and claimed housing benefit although we didn't get much it did help.

 

When exactly are you classed as being priority?

[Ms Macbeth 75]

I'm afraid private renting is probably your best option if you are low income you may qualify for housing and/or council tax benefit.

I'd agree with this, plus you can build up time on the housing register and eventually may get a council house.

 

I was living with my partners parents and was doing the sensible thing both working full time and trying to save for a house when I found out I was pregnant, we asked at our local housing office their exact words were "We could find you a lovely house and your parents could ring you back saying stay with us, so sorry there's nothing we can do as you are not priority." In the end that we found a private rented house and claimed housing benefit although we didn't get much it did help.

 

When exactly are you classed as being priority?

 

People may be awarded priority for many and often complex reasons - too many to go into here. But here are a couple of examples - someone living in a property that is being demolished by the council would get 'demolition priority', helping them get rehoused in another suitable property. Often these are ringfenced to the area where they live. Someone with children who becomes homeless through no fault of their own may get 'homeless priority'. Likewise people without children who are considered to be vulnerable, due to poor health or physical or mental disability, or old age. People may also be awarded priority if their home doesn't suit their needs, so someone with mobility problems in an upstairs flat may get priority to move to ground floor, level accommodation. Some types of priority are classed as more urgent than others. I hope these explanations help, but its all here in greater detail in the housing policy. http://www.sheffieldpropertyshop.org.uk/resources/Lettings%20Policy%20document.pdf?ID=