I live in social housing and work – people think I am not entitled to it
A hard-working mother living in social housing has defended herself after revealing people believe she should not have the right to a home.
Beth Bellamy, a single mother of two, wants to debunk the myth that people blindly assume that people who live in social housing don’t work.
3
3
The 24-year-old shared her thoughts on TikTok and her videos have since gone viral, with one of them having been viewed nearly a million times.
Beth, mother of four-year-old Alfie and two-year-old Maisie, posted a video of herself cooking for her family, as well as giving a personal insight into her family life.
She says: “People always assume that people who work are not entitled to social housing.
“But I live in social housing, pay all my bills and work almost full-time.”
Now the mother wants to raise awareness and ‘break the stigma surrounding social housing and the people who live in it’.
Beth, who lives in a newly built two-bedroom house, regularly posts videos of her life updates on her TikTok page called ‘Mom and the little ones.’
She has now gained over 10,000 followers. Many people want to support Beth on her journey and do so by commenting on her videos.
Someone wrote: “I give you credit, I know it’s hard but you’re still trying and that’s good.”
Another added: “Well done darling, sounds like you’re doing great.”
Many were proud of the example she set for her children. One said, “You are a great example for your children, you are doing great.”
“Well done, you are an asset to your children, keep doing what you are doing, you are the best example for your children,” added another.
“Well done young children, work with washing, cleaning, no sleep, well done young lady, be proud of yourself,” said someone else.
People always assume that people who work are not entitled to social housing
Beth Bellamy
Others responded saying they were in the same position, writing: “My partner and I both work and live in social housing with our children. People are so quick to judge!”
Another added: “No need to justify yourself, keep going and keep winning.”
Beth previously revealed in another video that she is “living proof” that people’s assumptions are wrong.
3
She said: “I live in social housing, but I don’t work. But that’s what people assume when they say they live in social housing.
“It honestly makes me really angry, but I can literally be living proof that it’s not true.”
Beth, who pays for everything herself, received her social housing while working full-time in the hospitality industry and hopes to climb to a management position.
The mother said that after the birth of her first child she worked part-time and that she could not pay the rent in a private home, so she went to the municipality.
They quickly put her on the list for social housing after they started the procedure for social housing in March, and in December of that year they were assigned her house.
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.
Beth adds: “I got a house when my child was, I think, six months old, and that’s really amazing.
“So many people don’t get their house so quickly, and I was lucky, I also got a new-build house.
“How wonderful that is and I am so grateful for it.”
