Housing benefit/domestic violence

mandyZ
mandyZ Online Community Member Posts: 32 Connected
in Housing and independent living
Hi all,

im temporarily living at my mums due to being forced out of my home by abusive ex. 

I made a claim for UC on 14th June. I was told housing benefit (private rental) would still be paid for my property as I intend to go back, but, I have not been paid since I told them back in June and i don’t know why they told me one thing then do the complete opposite and not help either. 
They have a letter from my DV support worker confirming the DV. 

Someone from UC just said she needs a tenancy/rent agreement and a letter/email from HB saying the date it stopped and other stuff too.
I told her nothing has changed with my tenancy so HB have all the correct and current info and I was told by HB they would make a note of my temporary address but HB would still be paid.

my landlady has been very supportive up until now. She hasn’t had rent for 2 months so not surprised but she said if I can’t get ex out she will have to do eviction for all of us. (3 kids also) 
I told UC about this and said how urgent this is, (I’ve been telling them that for a month now) but she said I have to get rent agreement from landlady. I told her the last thing she said was about eviction and that she is very slow at responding to messages but she said she can’t so anything until she gets it! I’m in a catch 22 situation and don’t know what to do.

I applied for a DHP the other day, don’t know if I’d get that but worth a try,  then right at the end it said I’ll hear within 28 days! 

I have MS amongst other things, bad mobility plus depression and severe anxiety. I get very bad anxiety with phone calls and rarely use phone. All of this is making me so much worse. So much is going on in my life, none of it good, and I’m not sure how much of all this I can take. No one is being helpful. 




Comments

  • Jimm_Alumni
    Jimm_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,717 Championing
    edited September 2023
    Hi @mandyZ, I'm sorry you're stuck in this awful situation. Between a rock and a hard place. Do you remember how you got the original rent agreement? Was it ever potentially sent via email perhaps or all on paper? I am glad at least that your mum is there to give you somewhere to stay. Hopefully we can help with some advice and support to get you on your way out of this catch 22.

    I'll be sending you an email with some signposting to some resources okay?

    Edit: Have you tried contacting Shelter who specialise helping those with housing difficulties? You say you find on the phone difficult so I will link you to their webchat.  It's only open during the weekdays but as I said they specialise in housing situations.
  • newborn
    newborn Online Community Member Posts: 828 Trailblazing
    You will get advice from  experts but I know there are routine DV court orders available to remove the ex, which is urgent. That way, he is not dealing with a landlady evicting him; he is dealing with defying a court order, and going to prison, if he goes near the house.. Someone should have sorted that the moment DV was established.

    You say you have a DV worker, so maybe it is time they worked at top speed, because it will cost the council a fortune to have you and three children in temporary accommodation for years, which is  predictable because your mum can't be expected to go on permanently housing you all free. And I know the council is supposed to have a prevention of homelessness team, too.

    If the council  were paying you  HB then they must have had all the proof of tenancy already on their records. This does not yet seem too late to solve, with the exclusion order the ex would be arrested for going near the house, so you go back,  and the arrears of HB can go straight to the landlady.  Get the MP and councillors onto it too 
  • mandyZ
    mandyZ Online Community Member Posts: 32 Connected
    Hi, thanks to both of you for replying. 

    Original tenancy was paper and it’s at home in my o loft somewhere. 
    I actually managed to get though the other day to shelter on the phone, I tried so many times for hours on end! 
    They said the police should be going there to remove him as they have the power to do it but. they are very reluctant as they see it as a waste of their time. For me and my kids it would be life changing!
    they said usual things, get a solicitor to go for occupation order and non-mol but that’s a lot easier said than done. I’ve been trying for a long time but solicitors don’t care and don’t want the case as it’s legal aid. 
    Was told by non-mol people that I can’t get one as there’s been no threat of violence…everyone says this is rubbish as there doesn’t have to be a threat, he’s harassing me by email etc which is enough evidence and I have a case with an officer for that at the mo. 
    They also said I can get an emergency injunction as he has illegally evicted me and by way of harassment, but again, would need a solicitor, but they also said the council do have the ability to help me….haha, as if. 

    I’ve been told by many organisations that my HB shouldn’t have stopped, it should have been included with my UC claim as it was basically just being transferred over but the UC woman won’t accept this. I’ve told her how awkward and very urgent the situation but she insists I need to get a rent agreement  from landlady, but she’s threatening to evict us all so asking for that seems a bit daft! 

    Yeah, my DV worker has been good in some ways but other ways, it’s like she doesn’t know what’s what or doesn’t have the experience or something, she wouldn’t even come to the police station with me which is apparently something they normally do as part of their role. I feel awkward to asking for someone else at this stage. 

    My MP is worse than useless! 
  • Jimm_Alumni
    Jimm_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,717 Championing
    I'm sorry all these organisations who are supposed to act seem to be playing a game of pass the parcel, not wanting to be the ones to deal with it.

    Have you tried your local councillor if your MP is useless? (I apologise I suggested your MP in a communication after you posted this, I had not yet read it!)

    Also, is the landlady aware that she will receive rent money if she sends you a rental agreement?

    If you believe the person in charge of your UC has been making mistakes and is stifling your ability to get what you are entitled to have you considered trying to also raise a complaint, at least then other people in the organisation will be aware of what is going on and hopefully act?
  • mandyZ
    mandyZ Online Community Member Posts: 32 Connected
    Hello,

    update! I got my home back at long last and that has come with even more problems! 

    So I got a copy of my tenancy from my landlady and uploaded it to my UC. I haven’t been paid any rent since last June so I’m owed a lot. I spoke to a lady yesterday and she said she ‘might’ be able to get me one months backdate, I was dumbfounded. 
    I paid 2 months rent out of my own pocket to keep landlady happy and assuming I’d get it back. 
    it’s stated everywhere that they will pay rent for up to 52 weeks in my situation. 
    I couldn’t get my tenancy as it was at my home and my landlady kept putting it off so I was stuck, but they have all the details now. I mean, they could have got the details themselves from the council HB dept. 

    She’s asked me for a council tax bill, any police incidents numbers, which I have, and a letter from my DV support worker, which they already had back in June but I can get another. I don’t know why they want all this. They are fully aware of my situation and had proof when I applied for UC. 

    I just don’t know what to do as I owe 11 months rent now which I’m entitled to and which my landlady is expecting to receive, and 2 months of that is from my own money which I desperately need back. 

    If anyone can give me any advice on what to do I would be very grateful, I have so much going on, still have police involvement as he’s still harassing me, court again soon, debt, a mammoth job sorting the hi sue as he left it in such a state you wouldn’t believe, and the list goes on. 

    Thank you very much. 
  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,073 Championing
    cant help with advise about the rent but congratulations on getting as far as you have if there is one thing i cant abide its any form of abuse to women really gets my back up hold your head up and be proud of yourself 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    I’ve just read through your whole thread and I’m very happy to hear you got your home back. 

    However, I think your landlady is to blame partly here for not giving you proof of liability to have to continue to pay rent when you left the home last year. 

    If you’re privately renting it’s not UC responsibility to prove your liability to pay rent, it’s yours. You couldn’t give that proof without at least something in writing from your landlord. 

    When you left the property last year were you named in the tenancy agreement along with your ex, or was it just yourself? 
  • mandyZ
    mandyZ Online Community Member Posts: 32 Connected
    Thank you Micheal 57, it’s been a long time coming and still a long way to go but I’m still hanging in there!

    poppy, yes she definitely made things worse by not getting me a copy sooner! 

    It’s just my name on the tenancy. 

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