mate about to be homeless, what should he do?

[Fidgit]

I used to work for my local council in housing benefits. Ir takes years to get housed if you are on the list. In Hemel Hempstead, we have been told it's about 12 years wait! The first thing he needs to do if he is not working is to claim Job Seekers Allowance. You can do that even if you have no fixed address. Then he needs to complete a housing form for the council to get on the housing list and provide all the documents to show he is claiming job seekers. They won;t even consider housing him no matter how desperatehe is unless he is on that list! Once he has done that, he needs to look for somewhere to live. Local papers are a good place to start. Find out how much the rent is, rooms in shared houses would be the cheapest, and apply for housing benenfit. If he is on JSA, the council will usually pay his rent, or a proportion of if. Something is better than nothing, and as long as he is reasonable with what he rents (ie, not a 3 bed house...) they should be able to give him something. If he rents a flat or bedsit, he can apply for a 25% discount on his council tax as a single person living there (contact he council tax office) and then he can apply for council tax benefit aswell along with his housing benefit.
If he needs somewhere in the interim Shelter are quite good. I haveused hem before and they are so helpful. http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/index.cfm
The phone number and all your legal rights etc re the council are on here. Get him to give them a ring, They will open a case for him and help him to find somewhere to stay. Pretty much hold his hand until he has got a roof over his head.
Good luck with this.

 

[jug]

sounds good

 

[Liam]

I'll be blunt and say don't help him, this time he can sort himself out and he'll learn some valuable life lessons, why should other people get him out of his own mess?

Liam

 

[jug]

I'll be blunt and say don't help him, this time he can sort himself out and he'll learn some valuable life lessons, why should other people get him out of his own mess?

i know but his family stopped talking to him some time ago thinking it would force him to help himself, but it only made him worse. his friends have all given up too and that didnt help the situation either. i've known him for years and i cant write him off just like that.
i wont let him stay at my house because that would be making it easy for him, and i know it wont help in the long run he'll just stay till i kick him out. i'm hoping a few weeks in a hostel will make him realise he's really screwed his life up. if this doesnt work then i think i'll have to give up on him too.
but you're right, helping him doesnt really help because he doesnt learn his lesson.

 

[centaur]

There are some people like this who can only learn the hard way, I am afraid. If he has an HGV license, then there are a million jobs out there for him, people crying out for HGV drivers as there is a massive shortage. Certainly all the supermarkets will take him on in a snap, not to mention if he were to pick one agency at random.

I knew I had hit the nail on the head when I posted before, as I have a friend who was exactly the same as yours. My friend learned life the extremely hard way and realised what a mess of his life he had made, and turned his life around and now owns his own IT company.

 

[dave]

http://www.tentonsale.com/store.asp

or he could join the army thats a job and somewhere to live

 

[Steven]

Jug, this has gone on long enough. We all know your "mate" is actually you. It's ok to be lazy, just admit it and we'll be happy to shove you in the right direction.

 

[centaur]

Jug, this has gone on long enough. We all know your "mate" is actually you. It's ok to be lazy, just admit it and we'll be happy to shove you in the right direction.

Damn, is it really you Jug? If it is then just say, I am sure we will all pull together on here and help in anyway we can.....

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

How does a homeless skint person use the internet?

 

[custard]

How does a homeless skint person use the internet?

with fingerless gloves

 

[dave]

How does a homeless skint person use the internet?

libary

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

Shows how technologically disadvantaged I'd be as a tramp, I'd be happy with a scrawny dog, some cardboard and a blanket.

 

[Steven]

Shows how technologically disadvantaged I'd be as a tramp, I'd be happy with a scrawny dog, some cardboard and a blanket.

and a half bottle of gin of course.

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

and a half bottle of gin of course.

Bread soaked in meths

 

[Steven]

Bread soaked in meths

Classy. :yuck:

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

Classy. :yuck:

Cheap and gauranteed to knock you out at least

 

[dave]

turps n milk

 

[centaur]

Shows how technologically disadvantaged I'd be as a tramp, I'd be happy with a scrawny dog, some cardboard and a blanket.

If you didn't sew the hole in the cushion back properly you might find yourself in such a position!

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

If you didn't sew the hole in the cushion back properly you might find yourself in such a position!

Nah Im currently getting away with that bodge

 

[jug]

Damn, is it really you Jug?

HELL NO!

although if i'm ever in that situation i want you to promise that you'll slap me silly.