Advice needed about becoming homeless

Liz80

Hi

It looks very likely i will be homeless come Feb 25, I am needing advice in how to prepare.

I think I can use a care of address for PiP and UC, is that correct?

I don't know where to go as I have to very large dogs, are there communities out there I can hook up with?

I will be 60yr December and Im very scared as to what is going happen.

Regards

Liz

anjie123

Why are you becoming homeless?

You can use a care of address for your benefits.

Are Are you registered with your locsl council or social housing provider for rehousing?

Liz80

Hi Anjie

I won't be able to afford my rent come Feb 25, I have to very large Portuguese Mountain dogs and social housing wont allow or make it difficult, they wont fit in a 1 bed flat and the neighbours would not be impressed.

I've desperately tried not end up here however my plans have not worked out. I have made enquiries if I can have a lodger, but been told I would lose my Housing benefit as it would be seen as an income.

Liz

yves

Hi Liz80,

Why are you becoming homeless, is it because of the dogs? Please talk to shelter ASAP, they can help and there are many charities that support dogs on the streets with food, medicine, fostering etc. You can have a care of address for benefits and you can get a bank account, HSBC do this and some other banks like Lloyds.

Liz80

Hi Yves

Its not the dogs perse, although finding accommodation which will accept them is an issue, no its that won't be able to afford the rent, I've been told if I get a lodger I lose my rent benefit, which negates having a lodger, also my landlords insurance cover may not allow it… I have ask my agent to discuss it with him, but its a no go if I lose my allowance.

I will speak with Shelter, I'm going to speak with one of my support workers this morning.

I'm gathering information in how best to move forward with my dogs.

Many thanks

Liz

anjie123

[comment removed - unlawful suggestion]

Liz80

Hi Anjie

I'm not sure, i'm new to all this. My fear there is getting caught out and ending up in a worse position.

Liz

yves

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/943438#Comment_943438

Hi Liz, it's great your reaching out and Shelter can advise with the dog and renting issue. There are also dog charities that can help financially too. If need be, they could arrange a foster whilst you get yourself in a better position. I know that may not be what you want but they do take the pressure off short term. When I got ill, it came on really fast, within 3 months the Rheumatoid had effected 20 joints and I had Raynards. I had a horse at the time, and I couldn't do the basics of care for him, my only worry was him, finding a home. I didn't want to sell him as the horsey world can be brutal. I ended up finding a full time loaner( like fostering) I still own him but they care for my horse and his needs, I got to visit every weekend and they were great with him. It's just a suggestion to think about.

X

bookrabbit

Hi,

I was made homeless earlier this year. Having it hanging over you is a dreadful thing and I know how dreadful you must be feeling.

You can use a care of address for PIP but not for UC. They insisted on having the address of each hotel we were placed in and swapping Job centres too which generated more stress as it generated more appointments with no way of getting there.

I had a lot of animals that I had to find places for because I was running an animal sanctuary where I was forced to leave. Fortunately I was able to do so into foster homes and now I have a house I have six off them back with me but I was terrified I was going to end up in a flat and not be able to have any of them back. This is why I went for a private rental rather than risk only getting a council flat.

Because I am sharing with my son who is also disabled we are able to afford twice the rent as we have a joint tenancy. It strikes me that rather than get a lodger could you have someone else on the tenancy with you as a sharer so you can afford to stay? Or find someone you are compatible with to house share somewhere else so you have more choice?

Take care, I hope you find a way to get through to the end of all this. It will pass and you will be settled again. When it was hanging over me I wished I could just skip a year forward. Now I think I would have been relieved had I seen how it ended. So don't despair.

Lu

Topcat71

[Comment removed by moderator - unlawful]

Albus_Scope

We can't advise for people to break the law @Topcat71 that's not good advice.

eeL

Check the rules because things have changed this year - even if you can't pay your rent I think your landlord may have a responsibility to let you stay a while until you're sorted. Speak to Citizens Advice! And don't be afraid to ask charities to take the dogs until you're sorted, most are really helpful ❤

Liz80

Wow you guys are great, thanks for all the advice, I can make use of this information.

My boys say Thankyou 💜

eeL

What a beautiful fur family ❤ Good luck, keep us posted as to how you're getting on!

yves

Lovely photo.

Best of wishes Liz. If you can, keep us informed of how you get on.

Summerlove

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/125799/advice-needed-about-becoming-homeless

Hi Liz this must be terrifying.

Is it a private accommodation. I've heard they expect people to stay put until the last minute so you do not make yourself intentionally homeless (bad advice I don't know)

I'd recommend due to your age phoning charities like AgeUk etc because those specific age charities helped someone we knew and found him somewhere to live.

There are also alms housing lists you could look at see if they have anything suitable like a bungalow and ones that accept pets. Whatevwr help and advice you can get at this stage so you are not made homeless. 💕

Rosie_Scope

Hi @Liz80, sorry this is happening to you and your beautiful dogs.

Just a quick note to say we don't recommend trying to get around various rules in any way. This can be seen as fraud and is illegal which can have some really serious consequences. It's best to do everything with the support of charities or oganisations and keep it all above board for your own safety.

As others have said, please do try getting in touch with Shelter, they might be able to help advise you on some next steps. Sometimes it can be best to try and stay where you are until the last possible moment. Citizen's Advice are another good shout to help you connect to local charities that might be able to help.

Streetpaws might also have some advice on how to get by with your dogs if worst comes to worst: Need help now? | Street Paws

There's the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to make sure you're claiming everything you're entitled to.

You might also want to look into whether you'd be eligible for a discretionary housing payment. It won't be a permanent fix but it might help you get by if you're struggling:

Applying for a Discretionary Housing Payment - GOV.UK

Hope you can find a way forward!

poppy123456

The most important thing to remember is a landlord can not evict you, only a court can do that. If you receive a S21 eviction notice anytime, this doesn't mean you need to move out by that date. If it ever happens, you should contact shelter for further advice.

Have you also looked into claim a Discretionary Housing Payment? It can help with the shortfall of rent. You can claim from your local Authority but if awarded it's only usually for a short period of time before you need to reapply. It's also worth getting help with the ever complex forms when filling them in.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments