I live in a 3 bedroom social housing unit with 1 child – trolls say I should be on benefits
A mother has revealed how she eventually secured a spacious three-bedroom social housing unit despite her and her partner jobs.
TikTok user @ashlan_hindle uploaded a video explaining how they managed to have so many bedrooms despite only having one child.
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She shared: “I lied on my application for social housing. I am a single mother, I don’t work and I receive benefits. These are all assumptions I made in my comments about how I got my social housing.
“Let’s talk about how I actually got it.
“I was given a Section 21 judgment, which meant I was evicted from my private rented home.
“This was not our fault, but simply because the landlord wanted to sell the property.
“I was given eight weeks to leave home with a baby.
“We looked everywhere for all kinds of private rental properties, but there was nothing on the market because it is so close to the city. Christmas.”
Ashlan told how she contacted her local council the day she received her eviction notice, saying that thankfully it was a “really quick transition”.
In the video she showed her modern-looking house, with a stylish white kitchen, a large garden and spacious bedrooms.
She added: “However, I would like to inform you that we are a two-parent, two-income family.
“We don’t get any help.
“So for anyone who says, ‘Ah, this is what you get as a single mom,’ that’s not true.
“My partner and I are both on the lease and my child is also registered here.
“I have no idea how I managed to get a three bedroom home, I honestly don’t, but I am so incredibly grateful. I count my blessings every day. Much love.”
Her video received more than 3,000 likes and people supported her situation.
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One of them said: “That’s what the system is for: to prevent hard-working families from becoming homeless through no fault of their own.
“Don’t apologize or feel bad because you have a beautiful home! Congratulations.”
Another added: “I got a three-bedroom council house as a single person with no dependants. I got there by a bit of luck. In some areas you are eligible for a three-bedroom house if you earn over $15,000 a year.”
Meanwhile, one mother wrote: “I am a single mother of a 1-year-old child, work full-time and am in receipt of Section 21 benefits. I have contacted the council and have been told they cannot help me at all.”
How can I get social housing?
To apply for social housing, you must complete an application form and submit it to your municipality.
To find your municipality, you can simply use the municipality finder on the government website.
Once you have access to your municipality’s website, you will find guidelines there for completing your application.
After you register, you will likely be placed on a waiting list.
Please note that even if you are placed on the waiting list, this does not guarantee an offer of social housing.
Your local authority can also advise you on how to continue living in your current home and resolve any issues, such as problems with a private landlord or mortgage.
You are eligible for application for social housing if you are a British citizen living in the UK, provided you have not recently lived abroad.
Each municipality has its own local rules about who is eligible to be placed on the housing list for its area, but these rules are based on a system of ‘points’ or ‘bands’.
For example, you will probably be the first to be offered a home if you:
- are homeless
- living in cramped conditions
- have a medical condition that is aggravated by your current home
- trying to escape domestic violence
Once you are high enough on the municipality’s waiting list, you will be contacted as soon as a home becomes available.
In some municipalities you can submit an application from the age of 18, in other municipalities you can submit an application from the age of 16.
EU workers and their families and refugees may also be eligible.
You will be allocated social housing through a points system. Depending on your housing needs, you may be given low priority.
Once you are high enough on the waiting list, the municipality will contact you about available housing.
There is no limit to how long you will be on the waiting list.
