Councils suck...

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Indy500

Indy500

Indy500

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So like 1.1 million others, I found myself unemployed recently. This in turn is going to result in the loss of the roof over my head soon. I took the time to find and contact as many charities\homeless services\etc as possible. Nearly every single one refused to deal with me unless the local council had given their stamp of approval (tm).

So I contact my local council and I'm told after providing all the documentation\paperwork it will take 33 days for them to give me a decision on whether they will help house me. Great, so I'm probably out in the freezing temperatures all this time, with no access to all these services that the councils are zealously gatekeeping.

Thanks to the changes made to the housing benefit system, I'm now even less likely to be able to rent in the private sector, regardless of whether a charity supplies the deposit\guarantee for the landlord. Apparently I cannot be trusted to pay up even though I've managed to survive on next to nothing for most of my life, I have employer references and no CCJs etc.

As if that wasn't ****** enough, even the most vocal group on homelessness (Churches for Action on Homelessness) have shut their doors until the 5th of January :/

Well, I guess its off my cardboard box come New Year's Eve...:rolleyes:
 
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i remember talking to you a year ago about this stuff, you must be one of the unluckiest people i know :(. i'd be in a similar position as you right now were it not for the fact i'm living at home (which i know you can't do).

hope it all gets sorted mate.
 
vincent1989 said:
i remember talking to you a year ago about this stuff, you must be one of the unluckiest people i know :(. i'd be in a similar position as you right now were it not for the fact i'm living at home (which i know you can't do).

hope it all gets sorted mate.
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I've already packed in the PC stuff (not that it will make much difference) and I'm not even bothering to look where the jobs I apply for are located - I'll move anywhere in the country if I get a job offer. Short of forking out £147 a week for a hostel room (blatantly a ripoff) I don't really have much in the way of other options.
 
sr4470 said:
I've already packed in the PC stuff (not that it will make much difference) and I'm not even bothering to look where the jobs I apply for are located - I'll move anywhere in the country if I get a job offer. Short of forking out £147 a week for a hostel room (blatantly a ripoff) I don't really have much in the way of other options.
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I'd be seriously considering that hostel room, ripoff or no ripoff.
 
Evangelion said:
I'd be seriously considering that hostel room, ripoff or no ripoff.
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Ok, and where would I conjure up the money? Even if I somehow get in, I'd fall behind on the rent because the council won't pay that much. Then I'd likely get booted out. If I turn around at that point and ask the council for assistance, they will class me as "intentionally homeless" for falling behind on rent even though they're the ones supposed to be paying it.
 
sr4470 said:
Ok, and where would I conjure up the money? Even if I somehow get in, I'd fall behind on the rent because the council won't pay that much. Then I'd likely get booted out. If I turn around at that point and ask the council for assistance, they will class me as "intentionally homeless" for falling behind on rent even though they're the ones supposed to be paying it.
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Fine, if you don't have the money you obviously can't pay. Your previous post gave the impression that the hostel was an option.

If you have no savings, I suggest you contact every possible charity in your area. Start with the ones that offer food, and ask if they can put you in contact with any shelters or charity-run hostels.

It depresses and appals me that someone in a 1st world nation can suddenly find themselves homeless so quickly. :(
 
sr4470 said:
Without getting into too many personal details, the long and short of it is I'm not welcome there if I'm "not contributing" (among other reasons).
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you better short something, i just came back from sainsburys and now i got a red noes with blistering hands
 
Evangelion said:
If you have no savings, I suggest you contact every possible charity in your area. Start with the ones that offer food, and ask if they can put you in contact with any shelters or charity-run hostels.
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The drop in centres with food\showers aren't open right now (they're run by the church group). The rest are restricted by the council requirements stuff. Obviously I'll keep asking around but for the time being I'm not getting my hopes up.

Evangelion said:
It depresses and appalls me that someone in a 1st world nation can suddenly find themselves homeless so quickly. :(
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I'm not female\a care leaver\drug addict\head case\alcoholic and aged between 18-25 so that bumps me a long way down the list.

eyyaz said:
you better sort something, i just came back from sainsburys and now i got a red nose with blistering hands
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Unfortunately I have no gloves or hats to keep warm...just a jacket.

Reality|Bites said:
commit a crime, go to jail and get a bed and 3 meals a day for nothing. Some jails even have SKY TV.
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Yes, add ex-offender to the above list.
 
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sr4470 said:
I'm not female\a care leaver\drug addict\head case\alcoholic and aged between 18-25 so that bumps me a long way down the list.
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it's disgusting that you can get knocked up and be given a rent free home in this country no questions asked, i personally know someone who is living in her own HOUSE (not even just a flat) while her boyfriend and faïence lives in his own (council) flat, thus claiming more benefits between the two of them.
 
vincent1989 said:
it's disgusting that you can get knocked up and be given a rent free home in this country no questions asked, i personally know someone who is living in her own HOUSE (not even just a flat) while her boyfriend and faïence lives in his own (council) flat, thus claiming more benefits between the two of them.
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I've vowed not to do that but that thought did cross my mind. Anyway what kind of a relationship is that? They live apart from each other even though she's pregnant with his kid? :/ If I was given the council support there's no way I would dare to take up two properties like that...
 
sr4470 said:
I've vowed not to do that but that thought did cross my mind. Anyway what kind of a relationship is that? They live apart from each other even though she's pregnant with his kid? :/ If I was given the council support there's no way I would dare to take up two properties like that...
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well, they just want the 2 properties really (they don't seem to understand that they don't actually own them), and they're thick so don't get the whole fraud thing.

they're chavs basically, never bothered to look for jobs, came out of school/college with (really) crap grades and just can't be bothered to attempt doing something for themselves.
 
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vincent1989 said:
well, they just want the 2 properties really (they don't seem to understand that they don't actually own them), and they're thick so don't get the whole fraud thing.
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If I was to put my girlfriend on the claim form it would make absolutely zero difference, and probably even work against me (since she is in employment, regardless of her equally difficult struggle to get by and a tenancy agreement that doesn't permit any overnight visitors).

Perhaps your ...associates aren't as stupid as we think, it isn't like school\college got me or the gf anywhere.
 
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