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I am a Stafford and Rural Homes tenant and I am employed "full time".cookie_monster said:i use to pay £300 pcm all bills included for an unfurnished one bed flat opposite the chippy on stone road....but we are talking about 2003.
if i remember rightly there were some relatively cheap bedsits around park street and over the other side of wolverhampton road when i was looking....but again, that was along time ago so i have no idea about the current rents.
you may also find that you dont get offered better properties becuase of your dss status. im not saying it to be harsh, just that many private landlords wont accept dss because of the issues with getting paid.
have you tried getting in touch with one of the housing associations? are you on their books for a property?
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I am no more than £20-25 better off for working 25 hours a week, and according to the Rowntree Paper I'm receiving just over half as much as I require for a "basic but acceptable" standard of living - I would have to work 48 hours a week or be earning in the region of £10 an hour. Neither of these is ever going to happen... On the positive side, I won't have to sign on till 25 December at least.MyCult said:Seek gainful employment, then reward yourself with modest yet suitable accommodation + a lifestyle you both deserve & have a right to.
(not a dig lady)
I don't need to trash my place, SARH and probably the council before that have done a good enough job already...basil said:DSS often pay rent direct to the landlord, however as they're usually at home all day the property gets more wear and tear and in my experience..... Trashed!...........
by dss, i meant your housing benefit payments which you refer too multiple times.Lunar Scorpion said:I am a Stafford and Rural Homes tenant and I am employed "full time".
That's fine, it's just me living there - or do you mean just two people being there for a cup of tea?Vault_girl said:They were _small_... two people in those places was crowded!
I can't remember whether I've mentioned it before now to be fair.cookie_monster said:i havent been on for ages, so i didnt know your employment status
Mainly the property. Due to the choice-based lettings system you have no choice unless you are homeless, severely overcrowded/underoccupied or your personal safety is threatened - there are 4 bands and unless you can get into one of the two highest priority bands it's unlikely you'll ever be successful for any of the properties you bid for.can SARH not find you a different property if you are having issues. is it the property or the neighbours that are the problem?
Speaking of which, has shoes seen this? He can't have, he's posted since then so clearly hasn't died of a heart attack.Lunar Scorpion said:I can't remember whether I've mentioned it before now to be fair.cookie_monster said:i havent been on for ages, so i didnt know your employment status
hmm, thats doesnt sound very helpful for you. whats wrong with the property?Lunar Scorpion said:Mainly the property. Due to the choice-based lettings system you have no choice unless you are homeless, severely overcrowded/underoccupied or your personal safety is threatened - there are 4 bands and unless you can get into one of the two highest priority bands it's unlikely you'll ever be successful for any of the properties you bid for.
In two months I will be entitled to enough LHA so that I could afford upto about £100 per week rent so I might be able to go private if I can find an understanding landlord.
What's right with it?! It's in a handy location, it's shelter from the wind and it's dry, during the summer at least...cookie_monster said:hmm, thats doesnt sound very helpful for you. whats wrong with the property?
in sheffield there is a section of the council which deals with private and social landlord complaints regarding the state of their properties. i dont know if theres anything similar within stafford borough council though.
but, if there are structural issues with the property, or problems which may be affecting your health, or if the property is substandard in anyway, i would seriously recommend getting in touch with your local councillor to help you deal with SRH. i pretty certain that local councillors have helped with cases like this.
citizens advice could also be worth a punt, but from my experience of them in sheffield, they were bloody useless, and virtually impossible to get hold of if you were working (that was mainly becuase of their ridiculously random and short opening hours).
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You've hit the nail on the head, but when it involves approximately 55 households I can't see them admitting this publicly as they would have to reduce their housing stock by this number, at least in the short term. I don't have the time, energy or will power to kick up enough of a fuss to get anything of consequence done - it's easier to move out to somewhere that doesn't resemble a cave with windows (although I wouldn't mind living in a cave if it didn't take so much effort to keep it dry and warm).cookie_monster said:to me then sounds if nothing can be done about it, then it is not fit for purpose.
contact your local councillor, your local mp, invite the newsletter round (with a photgrapher), name, shame and get those responsible to take responsibility.
just because you are living in social housing does not mean that you should be living in those sort of conditions...im sorry but i do feel that that is unacceptable.
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Thanks, will do.G-Unit said:lunar, in doxey road stores there is a card on the add board for a 1 bed flat for £80 per week. Only noticed it today so dont know how long its been there. Check it out young lady may be just what your after.
all the more bloody reason to kick up a stink....55 households means potentially over a hundred people shouting about this!Lunar Scorpion said:You've hit the nail on the head, but when it involves approximately 55 households I can't see them admitting this publicly as they would have to reduce their housing stock by this number, at least in the short term. I don't have the time, energy or will power to kick up enough of a fuss to get anything of consequence done - it's easier to move out to somewhere that doesn't resemble a cave with windows (although I wouldn't mind living in a cave if it didn't take so much effort to keep it dry and warm).
im afraid tek has a point....you cant complain about it if youre not prepared to do try and do something about it.tek-monkey said:If you don't, who should?