PIP and losing your home

Anjo

My son receives PIP and I am his carer. We live in a small rented flat and have had numerous issues, most recently we had 4 gas leaks since November, leaking windows, plaster falling of the walls and gas is still an issue when using the boiler. So we live with the gas switched off and an electric heater and use only one room. We feel increasingly unwell here and want to move. Our letting agent says to not have anything available, other agents all ask for applicants to be in paid work, which rules us out. We are so desperate to get out of here I am thinking of moving into a static caravan on a holiday park or even a campervan or such. Question: What would happen to our PIP and carer's allowance if we do no longer have a fixed address? (I tried ringing DWP but get disconnected each time.)

janer1967

Hi and welcome sorry about your situation have you tried housing through council also shelter is an organisation  to help people with housing situations 

I'm not sure about your PIP but one of our experts will get back to you 

poppy123456

Hi,

Although landlords are not susposed to discriminate tenants by refusing those claiming benefits, this doesn't mean they don't still do it. They have their ways and the first thing they do is take out the wording "DSS tenants not accepted" when advertising. It doesn't help matters either when mortgage companies don't allow benefit tenants.

It's definitely not easy finding a landlord that accepts us and it took me a very long time too when i moved just over a year ago. Although i wouldn't go as far as not telling them i'm claiming benefits, i'd never sleep if i did this.

To answer your question, PIP and your carers allowance won't be affected regardless of where you live. It's possible to have a PO box for your post to go to. Homeless people claim benefits still.

Anjo

Thank you both for your quick response. We are 48 and 22 respectively. I have been bugging the letting agent for over a year, they have a new building manager every 6 months and each time I approach them again, emailing photos of the state of the flat and nothing but unmet promises. There is also an issue with a new boiler which is emitting toxic fumes in my son's bedroom and noisy neighbours, so even if going the stressful route of getting an outside party to try and enforce repairs etc, there will still be unresolved issues that make life unhealthy for us here. I hadn't thought to go through Shelter as I feel I am still in a position of choice (i.e. not homeless yet) but they may know of others' who were in receipt of PIP and became homeless or 'without fixed abode'. I will try them. Thanks for clarifying the distinction between a residential park and holiday park, I will keep that in mind. Thanks again.

yanni

@Anjo

Given my own experience, please be cautious about buying a residential mobile home. It might seem a good idea but the reality is different.

 The Mobile Homes Act 2013 was supposed to give residents more legal protection with councils having the right to act against rogue site owners. However the Act gave the councils the right but not the responsibility to act. So if you have problems with the site owners and the council won’t take any action - like mine won’t, claiming they don’t have the budget to - you are stuffed (and unlike a rental property you can’t just move on, you have to sell the mobile home at which point the site owners are entitled to up to 10% of the sale price). 

My neighbour's concrete base was damaged by an untreated water leak from one of the site owner's rental properties on our site. The law clearly states it is the site owners responsibility to repair the base. They won't. His insurance company rightly say it is the site owners responsibility so not covered by his insurance.The council refuses to do anything. His home is collapsing and unsaleable and he is now looking at being homeless within a year or two in his early 70's. It is heartbreaking to watch him try to keep it habitable.

I have had a year of threats of legal action and eviction because I invoked my legal right not to pay the pitch fee increase (of £3 per month!!) due to the deteriorating condition of the site.

Some councils do take action against rogue site owners but the law doesn’t require them to do so.

 Theoretically you can take the site owners to a tribunal but if you do this they can make your life hell afterwards (and again you have to sell the home if you want to get away from them).

 Even new-ish homes are cold in winter so heating costs are higher.

 Utilities are often supplied through the site owner so you can’t switch to a cheaper provider or dual fuel contracts so utilities are more expensive than they could be as the site owner has no incentive to shop around for a good deal.

 As well as buying the home you have to pay a monthly ground rent / pitch fee which increases each year with inflation. Currently mine is £160 per month. Plus A or B band council tax.

As with me, a nice site can change into a nightmare just by a change of site owners.

When I moved here the site owner was a nice man. When he retired his children took over and the only thing they are interested in is collecting their money. The site conditions have deteriorated massively so no-one wants to buy the homes. Residents then end up selling their homes to the site owners at far less than their market value and then these are rented out to make the site owners more money.

 I know of other sites where residents have had similar issues as well.

 Please be careful if you go down this route. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

 You can rent mobile homes rather than buy but you can have the same problems that you have now - a landlord who won’t do anything about gas leaks, maintenance,noisy neighbours etc.

Shelter's website has this about gas issues in rented homes which might be helpful:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/gas_safety_in_rented_homes

cupcake88

Hi there great advice from above I’m sorry about your situation . I have a dog and when I have looked for property in the past it always used to say no dogs and no dss . Apparently they say things like working tenants only my friend was telling me . I have no idea why they don’t want to take on people who don’t work I think that’s really bad that they don’t . My friend rents property she always rents to people who don’t work she said it’s the people that earn loads of money who are the worst at paying there rent. 

We rent privately our landlords were really nice they know I’m not well and my partner works there nor bothered bout that but I know estate agents like it if both people work .
i personally have never had a council property or dss . How ever I was homeless years ago me and my little dog when I escaped domestic violence years ago the council did put me and my dog in like temporary housing women’s aid Helped me with that and the council it wasn’t great but it stopped me and my dog for having to sleep on the streets . I was then offered a hostel for me and my dog but I went to stay with my cousin.  

I also thought bout renting a mobile home but they shut a few months a year and it’s not a proper address . 

I remember when I rented some where this was before I took really ill with mental illness once I found some where proper to live for me and dog . I remember I drafted up a message explaining I had fled domestic violence I had just got a job at that time I had a little dog I wrote it all out then sent it out to different landlords on gumtree and estate agents and one really nice female landlord  responded she was really lovely she said I could pay the deposit at a later date which was amazing it was a little studio flat perfect for me and my dog at the time . 

At the moment you will prob find that not many people will be moving so they might not be much to rent at the moment but I would do the same draft up a message explaining your situation . Best of luck and please let us know how you get on . 

Anjo

Thank you so much everyone who responded to my query with advice and shared stories and experiences, I very much appreciate it. I will let you know how we get on.