So as you may remember I posted a while ago about wanting to move out. We can't get to citizens advice but was wondering if you could help us.
We are a young couple (24 & 27) living in UK
My boyfriend got made homeless so came to live with me. My mum has the biggest room which she doesnt need but isnt willing to swap rooms so its very cramped in here.
My room very recently has had such bad damp due to blocked guttering my entire wall is going black. You can actually see water running down my wall. For some reason my dad isn't willing to take care of it or ca someone out to do it as really it needs the window men to at least declog the guttering (theyve done it before doesnt cost much extra) so we having to treat it daily and wipe the walls.
There are 7 of us living here now, the boiler is broken and my parents are taking their time to get in touch with the repair man so we are using a kettle and portable hob to have baths.
Considering between the 2 of us my parents are getting a good £350 pm we arent exactly seeing the benefits of it. My boyfriend does not have a job as he is on ESA for chronic depression and anxiety that started in an abusive relationship before me. He hasn't coped with the loss of his nan either and may have to go back to therapy.
How do we go about moving out? Surely there are benefits or something? I mean we wanted to save up and buy a place but with the way things are going I honestly dont know how long we can keep on living here. No gas and the damp in our room (and only our room) is making us ill as it is.
This isnt even half of it. I am just so stressed living here and despite all the money we give we still have to buy our food a lot of the time.
Well first of all severe dampness needs to be sorted. Long term exposure can lead to other health problems from inhaling the spores the mould gives off. Short term you need to get some mould remover normally designed for bathrooms and kitchens .medium and longer term you need to get someone to look at the source of the problem i.e. the G uttering .
As regards the benefits you can get in assistance to obtaining alternative accommodation ,you best bet would be to make an appointment with your local CAB who may point you in the right direction and will know of any benefits that you could apply for.
Thank you and we have a mould remover but its so bad we are having to spray it and wipe the walls every single day because its coming back that fast. My dad has a ladder high enough but me and the bf arent allowed to use it to clean guttering ourselves but he wont do it and he wont get the window men to do it for him either.
Our CA is only open 3 days a week in the morning and apparently there is no appointments you just have to sit and hope to get seen but I have work on those days too.
Can your OH not go on his own ?
At end of the day they hold the key to the advice you need.
Due to his anxiety levels things like appointments he needs me there to lessen his anxiety because its so bad it can make him vomit.
If you work and your OH probably gets a small amount of money from being off work because of a disease, can't you guys afford a small apartment without benefits? Some cheap apartment might be available for rent? A tight squeeze apartment is still better than a damp room.
I only work 15 hours a week. I dont mind a small appartment in fsct thst will probably be our first place anyway or we will get battered by bedroom tax. I think my family just want me out of the house their behaviour has changed more and more over the last 2 years and now its like theyre doing all they can to get us to move out even thought they said theyd never kick me out and they love my OH to the point where they invited him to move in after about 2 weeks. We dont eat much, we arent too loud, we contribute, I pay bills, we both clean around the house which the other siblings dont do etc
I agree with Sxleksaker ,you could go for something like a bed sit When your financials get better ,then go for something else. Anything is going to be an improvement on your current situation. And you will also get the privacy as a bonus as well .
Is it possible for you to increase your work hours? If you would manage to get up to full time then I think you guys could manage to afford an apartment. Is your OH in therapy and has plans to go back to work as fast as his health lets him?
He is due to go back to therapy he is waiting for them to get back in touch and yes he wants to go bsck as soon as he can.
I cant get to full time as my job is 1:1 work with a special needs child so I am there solely for him. He can only do 15 hours because thats all the government will pay for him to do.
That's a tricky situation indeed.
Yeah it is. Plus we want somewhere of our own so we can move forwards with our relationship but we were willing to wait its just not that easy to wait now.
The only option as I see it would be for you to offer to pay for the repairs .It's far from ideal as it would be a set back for your own plans but you can't go on living in those conditions otherwise your health could suffer and then you won't be able to do your job. It's almost a Catch 22 situation.
Ive already offered to pay.
plus they have the money now its just getting it done. Apparently the repair man wouldnt answer the phone and no idea why they havent spoken to window men about gutter. Also got the OHs mate to tell us the issie with boiler. Unfortunately he lives far too far away to help properly but hes told us the issue
Perhaps you are right and your parents want you to move out - it's not entirely unreasonable. Like others have suggested, moving out seems like the best choice at the point. It should be possible to find a place to rent for cheap? Also, was there a reason you couldn't get citizen's advice to help? I didn't see your previous thread, so not sure if you've seen this, but they've got a page on their website about housing benefits: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/help-with-your-rent-housing-benefit/
Yeah CA is usually shut. It opens like 3 mornings a week and im usually in work.
Its not unreasonable at all but if i didnt have to keep giving them so much money (£100 PM agreed but then when they run out of anything I buy that too plus nearly £100 PM off my OH) they have the majority of my wages because they struggle but I cant get a place with 0 savings
Hi kirsty, sorry to hear of your current living situation problems. You can't stay in a house with damp untreated, especially if either of you are asthmatics as it has a adverse affect on the condition.
How many hours a week do you work? I ask this as I'm wondering if you're entitled to housing benefit etc.
I've been in a simular situation myself years ago. If you and your boyfriend go to the council and declare yourselves homeless they'll find temporary accommodation for you's, which will lead to getting your own place.
Alternatively going through a housing association to get a place would also be an option.
Your boyfriend will be entitled to things like decorating grants, community care grants and budgeting loans so that you's can make a start on your new place. It'll not be mega money but every penny helps.
It would be beneficial if you's could see the citizen's advice. Perhaps they'd give a phone consultation to your boyfriend due to his heath issues? But realistically you'd eventually need to go down there to vet help with forms etc.
Hope this helps somewhat hunni 👍💜xx
slinky binky
wrote:
Hi kirsty, sorry to hear of your current living situation problems. You can't stay in a hpuse with damp untreated, especially if either of you are asthmatics as it has a adverst affect on the condition.
How many hours a week do you work? I ask this as I'm wondering if you're entitled to housing benefit etc.
I've been in a simular situation myself years ago. If you and your boyfriend go to the council and declare yourselves homeless they'll find temporary accommodation for you's, which will lead to getting your own place.
Alternatively going through a housing association to get a place would also be an option.
Your boyfriend will be entitled to things like decorating grants, community care grants and budgeting loans so that you's can make a start on your new place. It'll not be mega money but every penny helps.
It would be beneficial if you's could see the citizen's advice. Perhaps they'd give a phone consultation to your boyfriend due to his heath issues? But realistically you'd eventually need to go down there to vet help with forms etc.
Hope this helps somewhat hunni 👍💜xx
Thank you Slinky this has been a great help. I do 15 hours a week maybe more if there is emergencies but term time only. Might be able to do it online woll have a look.
It's a pleasure kirsty 😙 With you only doing 15 hours a week you should be entitled to esa (I think it's called ), so you'd both get the rent, housing benefit paid for you's. So you'd only be paying council tax which is just over £20 a month (up here.) So you're both defiantly entitled to help.
During the time you're living in tempary/housing accomadation youll be able to continue to save for your future together 😄👍💜xx
Aww thank you that sounds brilliant! Will look into it