Housing, LHA etc...?

Aruffell

Aruffell

Aruffell

Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2004
Posts
5,653
Location
Chatham, Kent
Hi guys,

I'm currently on Employment and Support Allowance and have just had my form come through for disability as i have:

Hyper mobility
Nerve compression syndrome
Sciatica
and possibly Lumbar Spine Stenosis

Am in the stage of being referred to specialist physio advisors and having MRI scans whilst dosed up on butranorphine and diclomax. They advised me to contact DLA so the forms are in front of me.

Upon reading through the booklets, there is a lot of information on housing benefit etc...

Am not getting on so well with my dad, and i feel that now is the time in my life where i want some freedom at the merry age of 22.

Problem is, i have no idea about where i start the ball rolling.

I'm on the understanding that if i go to the council, they will most likey (because of my age) put me in a hostel, but i have heard from a few people that i can go directly to a letting agent and find somewhere that accepts housing benefit? That way i can find a place that is suitable for my needs etc...

I have been told that they will pay upto a certain amount and this is determined on my LHA?

I've looked at the LHA website but it baffles me a bit, so i'm wondering if anyone with experience can point me in the right direction so i know which properties (including price banding) i should be looking at and obviously i would have to pay gas, electric, water and food out of the money i get from ESA (formely incapacity benefit).

Thanks in advance for any help.

Andy
 
Hi Andy,

I can't stress this strongly enough, but get professional (legal) advice as soon as possible. Seriously. A good solicitor specialising in welfare rights etc will do you so much good you'll wonder how you managed without them.

Speaking from experience, DLA is a very strange benefit with strange rules and regulations behind it. You can have no legs and be on your last days and fail in a claim because of your wording, or be totally healthy with a 'bad back' (no disrespect intended, you KNOW the sort I'm talking about!) and get High Rate.

Having someone experienced fill in the forms with you will go a long way to making sure you get no more or less than you're entitled to.

As for LHA, I believe you'd only be entitled to the shared room rate at your age, which sucks. Again, your adviser is the best person to consult about this. You need to follow the eligibility criteria on the LHA site which will tell you what band you qualify for. THEN go to the price list for your area (there's a search tool on the home page) which will tell you how much that band provides in your district.

Good luck, and I hope your health improves soon. :)

Oh, and in before "get a job" "scrounger" and suchlike. :p
 
So you're not getting on with your dad, and though you are currently at home because you're having a tiff with your dad you want us to pay for you to live on your own?

WHAT?
 
Thanks rainmaker.

I'm guessing that going to CAB would be a good idea as i've seen that some of the questions are very similar, but differently worded?

I may give them a call on Monday to see what they say, and how they can help as i'm guessing they've had experience with DLA form filling and i am also on the understanding that they have specialist departments for housing and benefits.

Andy
 
dangerstat said:
So you're not getting on with your dad, and though you are currently at home because you're having a tiff with your dad you want us to pay for you to live on your own?

WHAT?
Click to expand...

Yes i'm not getting on my with my dad which causes a lot of stress and tension so i want to sponge off of you (the taxpayer) because my body is falling apart. Sorry but i now see where you're coming from and i feel so lucky to be verging on disabled, thanks for making me see the light.

Typical OcUK :rolleyes:

Andy
 
i cant give loads of advice but just to let you know its possible i will say this

my old housemate while receiving Job seekers allowance got money for rent (upto so much but very reasonable) paid by the council. our landlord had nothing to do with it either. the money went into housemates account every 2 weeks and then he paid the landlord with it.

oh , the job centre pretty much sorted all this out for him too. they sent forms to the council and then the council when he started his claim. and then the council got in touch with him to ask for the details and proof of the tenancy agreement

id get yourself on the phone to the job centre (if thats where you get your benefits sorted) and to the council
 
Aruffell said:
Yes i'm not getting on my with my dad which causes a lot of stress and tension so i want to sponge off of you (the taxpayer) because my body is falling apart. Sorry but i now see where you're coming from and i feel so lucky to be verging on disabled, thanks for making me see the light.

Typical OcUK :rolleyes:

Andy
Click to expand...

I know the feeling mate! :p "andy" has also given some useful advice. :)
 
dangerstat said:
So you're not getting on with your dad, and though you are currently at home because you're having a tiff with your dad you want us to pay for you to live on your own?

WHAT?
Click to expand...
huh

hes 22. why should his dad pay for him to live there anyway. its not the OPs fault he is unable to work. and his dad shouldnt be forced to pay for him to live there out of his own pocket imo
 
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dangerstat said:
So you're not getting on with your dad, and though you are currently at home because you're having a tiff with your dad you want us to pay for you to live on your own?

WHAT?
Click to expand...

He's worked before and now has injuries that prevent him from doing so. Oh I forgot, OCUK is full of this pathetic attitude because many of its members appear to live in their own little twilight zones.. :rolleyes:

Aruffell, being disabled makes you a high priority, but to start with you'll be put in a B&B as you're not 25+ or with children. If you really can't resolve this situation with your dad then keep in mind what you're letting yourself in for...

By the way not all councils have moved to the LHA scheme yet, some of them will still insist you fill out the old style housing benefit form. In which case you'll have a hard time renting privately.
 
"andy" said:
i cant give loads of advice but just to let you know its possible i will say this

my old housemate while receiving Job seekers allowance got money for rent (upto so much but very reasonable) paid by the council. our landlord had nothing to do with it either. the money went into housemates account every 2 weeks and then he paid the landlord with it.

oh , the job centre pretty much sorted all this out for him too. they sent forms to the council and then the council when he started his claim. and then the council got in touch with him to ask for the details and proof of the tenancy agreement

id get yourself on the phone to the job centre (if thats where you get your benefits sorted) and to the council
Click to expand...

Indeed it is the job centre who deal with it, and am due to have an assesment with them soon, and an ATOS independent medical, so will contact them on monday too and hopefully make an appointment.

Rainmaker said:
I know the feeling mate! :p "andy" has also given some useful advice. :)
Click to expand...

Indeed lol. Luckily there are people like you and "andy" who actually give out helpful information instead of ranting thinking they are the only people who pay tax, but hey, i asked to be disabled, it was my life long dream lol.

One of the reasons for wanting to move out is the freedom, but the main reason is the stress, when i had my original physio meeting, they touched on something called fibromialgia which apparantly is caused to get worse by stress, so in a way im hoping for a less stress free life by doing this. My dad being epileptic will hopefully put him in a similar situation.

Andy
 
SR4470s got a point they'll shove you in a B&B, make sure you're on the council housing list ASAP, with you're medical problems you should automatically be put on it fairly high for a flat/house rather than B&B.
 
"andy" said:
huh

hes 22. why should his dad pay for him to live there anyway. its not the OPs fault he is unable to work. and his dad shouldnt be forced to pay for him to live there out of his own pocket imo
Click to expand...

At the moment, i'm paying half of what i get from ESA to my dad which just about covers me for the eletric i use and my food, because where my dad is disabled through epilepsy, he obviously doesnt get a lot, and due to me living there, they take money from him, so i, in a way have to fill that void by paying rent. By me moving out, he would then get the money i pay topped back up by income support as before.

sr4470 said:
He's worked before and now has injuries that prevent him from doing so. Oh I forgot, OCUK is full of this pathetic attitude because many of its members appear to live in their own little twilight zones.. :rolleyes:

Aruffell, being disabled makes you a high priority, but to start with you'll be put in a B&B as you're not 25+ or with children. If you really can't resolve this situation with your dad then keep in mind what you're letting yourself in for...

By the way not all councils have moved to the LHA scheme yet, some of them will still insist you fill out the old style housing benefit form. In which case you'll have a hard time renting privately.
Click to expand...

Ok, will check with CAB on monday as i feel they will have the most information.

Thanks,

Andy
 
sr4470 said:
He's worked before and now has injuries that prevent him from doing so. Oh I forgot, OCUK is full of this pathetic attitude because many of its members appear to live in their own little twilight zones.. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Right didn't know that you could have injuries that stopped you from working, I always thought they made it difficult to get into work. Maybe I need to read up on this.
 
mollymoo said:
Right didn't know that you could have injuries that stopped you from working, I always thought they made it difficult to get into work. Maybe I need to read up on this.
Click to expand...

What? I'm not sure if you're just being sarcastic or, worse still, if you're serious? LOL A man has a crate dropped on his head, breaks his neck and is now quadriplegic. That wouldn't be an injury that would stop him working? He should probably man up and get one of those straw-operated phones and get a job in telesales, right? :p
 
I'm sorry if my first post seemed insensitive as it didn't mean too. My point is that your living with a family member and you can both support each other. As a tax payer I'd rather support you in that arrangement than start paying for you to have your own place. Now if that means giving your dad a bit more money I'd be happy with that.

Perhaps rightly or wrongly I got the impression "meh :/ my dads annoying me so I want to live on my own" if that's the case you deserve nothing IMO
 
mollymoo said:
Right didn't know that you could have injuries that stopped you from working, I always thought they made it difficult to get into work. Maybe I need to read up on this.
Click to expand...

I have to wear a butrans patch on my arm 7 days a week and then switch arms on the 7th.

I have to take anti depressants at night to relax my body so i can get more than 2 hours sleep.

I've ended up in hospital where i've been in such pain crying my eyes out (i'm manly enough to admit it). I wouldn't wish the pain on my worst enemies.

Generally i just ache 24/7 due to the medication, but sadly it makes me sick and very drowsy so that puts most jobs out of the window. Other jobs, i would hate to be the employer to have an employee who rings in every couple of days saying that they can't get out of bed due to feeling a pins and needles like feeling in their lower back and thighs.

I was on jobseekers before, and they ask you if you had any medical issues, when i informed them of mine, and the physio regime that im on, they made it clear that i couldn't actively seek work and forced me off of JSA and onto ESA (formely incapcity benefit).

Hopefully after my MRI's etc... the doctors will have a clearer picture on treating it (different painkillers or operation) and i will be back at work in the near future.

Hope this sheds some light on your post a bit more :)

Andy
 
dangerstat said:
I'm sorry if my first post seemed insensitive as it didn't mean too. My point is that your living with a family member and you can both support each other. As a tax payer I'd rather support you in that arrangement than start paying for you to have your own place. Now if that means giving your dad a bit more money I'd be happy with that.

Perhaps rightly or wrongly I got the impression "meh :/ my dads annoying me so I want to live on my own" if that's the case you deserve nothing IMO
Click to expand...

If it improves his health, he won't be claiming DLA as long, and eventually (hopefully) can get back into employment....satisfying the ego of the OCUK posters who think life revolves around working while being fleeced for taxes by Her Majesty's Government...
 
All i did last week was tell the council that i will have nowhere to live in 3 weeks, they will tell you to find a private rented place, they will sort the deposit out and then pay for your rent.

As stated you will only be allowed a small amount due to your age but it should be enough to cover a shared room or a bedsit/studio at a push.

The only difference is you wont be homeless shortly with no choice so i'm not sure how they would view it, unless you tell them he's going to kick you out or sommat lol
 
Rainmaker said:
What? I'm not sure if you're just being sarcastic or, worse still, if you're serious? LOL A man has a crate dropped on his head, breaks his neck and is now quadriplegic. That wouldn't be an injury that would stop him working? He should probably man up and get one of those straw-operated phones and get a job in telesales, right? :p
Click to expand...

But the OP isn't a quadraplegic, I know someone who has muscular dystrophy and still manages to get Burger King and play online games but refuses to work. Makes me wonder. Like I say I need to have a look what these ailments involve and how restrictive they are. I do know that certainly the councils round here do their best to get disabled people into work, just wondering if the OP isn't better going to work than claiming the pittance he/she will get from benefits.
 
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