Q2A

Got an enquiry ........

Hi q2a

I currently live with my mum and dad but would like to move out. My mum and dad have
a lot of health issues and have to take on a lot of caring reponsibility for them which is very
difficult for me.

What are my options? I was thinking I could live in a Housing Association house/flat but
not sure how i go about this, what the waiting list is and what housing associations are in
my area.

I dont have a deposit and i am claiming jsa so the house would need to be cheap.

Help!!!!

This is our reply.......

Hello many thanks for your enquiry!

We will tell you about your housing options below, but first we would like to talk about
your role as a carer. We appreciate that being a carer is very costly - emotionally and
physically. You don't tell us exactly what care and how much care your parents both need,
but it is clearly taking a toll on you - so that you feel you have to leave. As an adult you
are entitled to your own independent life, we would definitely argue for that, but your
parents are also entitled to support and to live in their own home as independently as is
practical for as long as possible. You say that you would like to move out, but would it be
any easier for you if you had more support to help with your mum and dad - would you feel
you could then stop at home? Without knowing the specific health issues your mum and
dad have it is difficult to know what help can be offered to you all. However if you are
their carer some form of help should be available whether it's help in terms of someone
looking after them occasionally for you so that you can have a break, or possibly carers
coming in to help you if that is needed, or additional benefits? Do they have any support

at the moment? A nurse or doctor you can talk to? Do you have the right financial support?

If you go on www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone this gives a lot of information on

what help is available, you might find it relevant depending on what your mum and dad's

health issues are.

If you could tell us a bit more about their needs we would be glad to try to advise on
what is available, or we would suggest you ask at your local Citizens Advice, at

128 Sandy Lane
SKELMERSDALE
Lancashire
WN8 8LH
Tel 01695 723110. Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10-3pm

In terms of living in a housing association property you can apply either directly with the
housing association or through your local council. However we would advise you, even if
you claim income based jobseekers allowance because of your age - under 25, the
council may decide you are only eligible for single room allowance - the equivalent of living
in a shared flat / house or bedsit. On the other hand this might suit you - and be not too
difficult to locate.

In most areas there is a high demand for a council houses so the council can't offer a
house to everyone who applies. Instead they have a system in place to help allocate
properties. How quickly you get a property depends on a number of things, including:
-the number of points you have or what banding you are in
-size of property you need
-number of people on the waiting list wanting a similar property
-number of properties that become available

The types of things a council looks at when it works out (or 'awards') points include
whether you:
- currently live in cramped conditions and need an extra bedroom(s)
- work in the local area
-have a medical condition that's made worse because of where you currently live
-are homeless or are living in temporary accommodation provided by the council
The more points you have the higher on the waiting list you are.

Under the banding schemes, you are put into a certain banding (or group) depending on
your housing needs. There are normally between three and five bands.
A simple example of what could be in each band is as follows:
- band A - you have a serious medical condition and you need to move urgently because
the home you live in is affecting your health
-band B - you have children and live in very overcrowded conditions (eg you need two or
more bedrooms more than you have)
-band C - all other applicants

People in the same banding are normally housed in the order they joined the waiting list.

There are various options to apply:

- collecting a housing application from the office - 52 Derby Street, Ormskirk L39 2DF
-Telephone 01695 577177 and speaking to an housing officer
- downloading a form from West Lancashire council's website -
http://www.westlancsdc.gov.uk/pdf/Application%20Form%20Jan%2010.pdf
-going to the contact point Unit 142, Concourse, Southway, Skelmersdale WN8 6LN

When you fill in the form you will need to attach a suitable reference, it can't be from a
family member.

After the form has been filled out and processed when a property is ready to be let, the
voids and allocation team print a list from the computer of all the people on the housing
register who:

-need that type of property
-need that size of property
-are asking to be housed in that area and
-meet the local connection criteria (where a local connection is required)

They offer the property to the person at the top of the list, if they refuse it is offered to the
next person on the list and so on until someone accepts the property. Therefore it
depends on how far up you are on the waiting list and what your needs are in terms of how
quickly you will get a property offered to you.

In terms of an housing association property there are two routes you can take. Firstly you
can apply for council housing and on the form it will give you the option to be considered
for a house from the housing association too which you tick. The majority of people prefer
to do this option so that it gives the person the option of both types of housing.

Alternatively you can go directly to the housing associations yourself and apply to them.
We rang Housing Options up in Ormskirk and they recommended these:

Cosmopolitan Housing Association
2 Marybone
Liverpool
L3 2BY
Telephone: 0151 227 3716

Riverside Housing Association Limited
133a Boundary Rd
St Helens
WA10 2LR
Telephone: 0151 708 1000

The Salvation Army Housing Association
33-35 Chorley New Rd
Bolton
BL1 4QR
Telephone: 01204 360 500

Again the housing adviser did say it's best to apply through the council and tick the box to
be considered for housing associations as well.

In terms of your financial circumstances renting from a RSL (a registered social landlord)
such as the local council or a housing association has the benefit that the rent is set at an
affordable amount and if you are not working would be covered in full by housing benefit
(HB). They offer tenancies that protect both you and the RSL's rights and responsibilities
and generally require no deposit or bond in order to move in. They are however often
unfurnished and therefore will require you to obtain all the household items you require
such as a cooker, fridge, furniture, bed, bedding, carpets, curtains etc.

You also have the option of renting from a private landlord. However this can prove costlier
as the rents are often higher, plus you generally need to pay a month's rent and a bond in
advance of the tenancy starting. Often the rent will not be fully covered by Housing Benefit
because of the higher rent, plus the level of protection offered by private tenancies can be
variable. On the plus side you can often move into a private tenancy at short notice,
without going through an application process and the properties are often furnished.
Houses to rent are often in your local paper or try the web - www.gumtree.com or
www.torent.co.uk.

As you receive JSA you may be eligible for a Community Care Grant (CCG) or a
Budgeting Loan from the Social Fund for items for the home you may move to.

The CCG is a one off means tested payment that doesn't need to be paid back, so apply
for this first. If this is refused you can appeal and/or apply for a budgeting loan. The
budgeting loan is a payment that is repaid at a small amount each week from your JSA.
For more information about both these payments can be found at www.direct.gov.uk or
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk Alternatively contact your local JobcentrePlus at:

JobcentrePlus
Whelmar House
Southway
Skelmersdale, WN8 6NT
Tel: 0800 055 6688

There are a lot of options and suggestions here, we hope it is helpful and not
overwhelming. Please do email us again for any further information or clarification. And
we hope you are able to ascertain that your parents are receiving all the support and help
they are entitled to, which would be useful to them.

Best Wishes
q2a

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