Housing Advice for Care Leavers

A planned move can be organised when you know you need to move on. In this case, a HUB form is completed (usually with yourself) and then sent to a homeless prevention panel. Supported accommodation providers attend the panel and decide if they could accept your Hub form. You may have interviews and visits with multiple providers to see which one you like the best, and/or which one will accept you/have availability.

Supported accommodation has varying levels of support, and all help you towards gaining independence and managing a tenancy on your own. The support usually consists of you being allocated a key worker that will interact with you a couple times a week. You will have a weekly service charge or top up fee to pay towards your bills (somewhere between £7.50 – £31pw). If you are working full time, supported accommodation can be significantly more expensive than a house share. Speak to your PA about what is the best accommodation option for you. Supported accommodation will have rules but it is usually the safest and the quickest route to get a Band B on Devon Home choice (DHC). Most supported accommodations do not accept couples and do not accept pets. Some accommodations are male or female only and some will not house people over the age of 25yrs.

The current supported housing options in Devon are available here.

Devon Home Choice consists of all the social tenancies that are available across Devon. DHC properties are preferable as they are more affordable and are usually set to the Local Housing Authority (LHA) price rate. This means they are equivalent to the housing benefit entitlement for that area. This is key, as in Devon we are in a housing crisis and private rents are at an all-time high. A one bed house on DHC in Exeter would be around £568 per calendar month (pcm). Privately this would be Anywhere from £675 – £1200pcm. In some cases, DHC properties are half the price of private. Also, in a DHC property you are less likely to be evicted due to sale of the property and more likely to receive support with repairs. To rent privately you will usually have to be working full time and have a guarantor, which is not the case for a social tenancy. As a care leaver, if you do rent privately, you are automatically entitled to the 1 bed LHA rate instead of the shared room. You can use this increased Housing benefit rate if renting a shared room.

As a Care leaver who is not suitably accommodated you will usually be on a Band D with Devon home choice. If you are suitably accommodated (e.g. not being evicted/have somewhere to live) you may not be banded. There are 5 bands, The highest being Band A the lowest being Band E. The higher the Band the more likely you are to get a property. You will need to bid weekly, with properties being updated every Wednesday. In order to improve your banding, you need to show you can maintain a tenancy. This is best done by living in supported accommodation for a minimum of 6 months, then have ‘Move On’ paperwork completed by the staff there. Foster carers or stay put providers can complete move on paperwork, if you have adequately proven you can manage your own tenancy and will be able to manage a future one. Supported accommodation is the quickest and most successful route to improving your DHC banding. DHC will not consider you if you have rent arrears or any debts totalling more than £500 without evidence of your efforts to repay. Also, there may be certain offences which may affect DHC accepting your application.

You can use the Devon Home Choice form to apply for a council or housing association home. More information about Devon Home Choice is available on their website. (these links are taken from ‘apply for council or housing association home on web page)

There is a chronic shortage of social housing. There are around 3,000 households on Devon Home Choice, the social housing register, who have applied for social housing in Exeter alone. This means that the private rented sector is the most likely solution for people who are homeless or facing homelessness.

If you wish to private rent, you need to decide what areas you would like to live in. The larger the area where you are prepared to look, the better the chance of finding the right home for you. The quickest way to find a property is online property search websites. You can search for the area you want and arrange viewings online. If it’s hard for you to look online, you can contact local estate agents. The best option is to ask friends and family and also checking local noticeboards and newspapers.

Usually, if you are aged under 35 and you rent from a private landlord, the maximum Universal Credit you can get is the same rate you would get for renting a single room in a shared house. But if you have been in care, this rule will not apply until you turn 22. You should be entitled to the sole-occupancy housing rate under Universal Credit, even if you have just spent one night in care.

There is a maximum amount that you can be paid, which depends on the area you live in. You can use the DirectGov website to search for Local Housing Allowance rates by postcode or local authority, but your Personal Advisor will be able to confirm the correct amount – as will your local Housing Options Team.

In some circumstances, your PA may suggest these options:

• Shared Lives
• Staying put
• Plan B – Living with host family referred via HPP
• Staying Close

You can access the internet for free in most Libraries and some community centres. Popular websites that advertise properties are:

• Rightmove
• Zoopla
• Loot
• dssmove
• Onthemarket
• gumtree
• OpenRent
• SpareRoom
• facebook.com/marketplace
• airbnb.co.uk
• Social media – Facebook groups in your chosen area

If you choose to rent directly from a private landlord, be clear who you are handing money over to, and why. Never pay any money without seeing the property first. Try to take someone with you when visiting properties. Feel free to ask lots of questions when you are viewing properties.

• Northwood – 01392 339423
• Hunters – 01392 340130
• Smart Estate Agent – 01392 905907
• Cardens – 01392 433866
• Palmer Collins – 01382 496566
• Dormans – 01392 469333
• Connells – 01392 426454
• Cooksleys – 01392 202220
• Whitton & Laing – 01392 285060
• Bradleys Estate Agent  – 01392 493300
• East of Exe – 01392 345070
• Fulfords – 01392 590342
• Haart – 01392 258374
• Naomi J Ryan Estate Agent – 01392 215283
• Underhill – 01392 477775
• Rosewood Property – 01392 247700
• Martin & Co – 01392 254488
• Devon Rose – 01626 866693

What checks do private landlords do? Landlords typically ask for references from their tenants to make sure they can afford the property and will look after it properly. They can ask for income information, credit checks, credit references and rental history. Landlords and agents will want to confirm your identity, immigration status, credit history and possibly employment status.

How much is the deposit?  If the total annual rent is less than £50,000, the maximum deposit is five weeks’ rent. The deposit must be refundable at the end of the tenancy, usually subject to the rent being paid and the property being returned in good condition, and it must be ‘protected’ during the tenancy.

How long do you want the tenancy for? The landlord must allow you to stay in the property for a minimum of 6 months. Most landlords offer tenancies for a fixed term of 6 or 12 months.

What can you afford?  35% of your take-home pay is the most that many people can afford, but this depends on what your other outgoings are. In many cases a Landlord may require a guarantor who will be responsible for any rent shortfall.

Are you are entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit? You may get help with all or part of your rent. You may receive up to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate to cover or help with the cost of rent. Contact Universal Credit on 0800 328 5644 or the Universal Credit information website.

• Make sure you have a written tenancy agreement and read it carefully to understand your rights and responsibilities before you sign it.
• Agree an inventory (or check-in report) with your landlord before you move in and, as an extra safe-guard, make sure that you take photos. This will make things easier if there is a dispute about the deposit at the end of the tenancy.
• Meter readings. Remember to take meter readings when you move in. Take a photo showing the meter reading and the date and time, if possible. This will help make sure you don’t pay for the previous tenant’s bills.

What can a single person afford?

It’s best to look for a room in shared house (sometimes called a House of Multiple Occupation or HMO). Most self-contained accommodation is not affordable for a single person in receipt of benefits or who are on low income. This is because the amount of benefit you could receive to help with your housing costs is unlikely to cover the rent and so you will be let with a large shortfall. In addition, the cost of paying for essentials like gas, electricity, water, and council tax is very high in self contained accommodation.

Here is a breakdown of some basic but essential costs for a one bedroom property:

• Gas and Electricity – £142 per month / £32.80 per week
• Water – £43.50 per month / £10.04 per week
• TV Licence – £13.35 per month / £3.08 per week

What if I’m under 35?

If you are under the age of 35, the maximum amount of help you could get towards your rent is for a room in a shared house. (Some people under the age of 35 might qualify for the one-bed self contained rate – for example some care leavers and some people who have lived in a hostel of refuge, or are in receipt of certain disability benefits or some people who are subject to a MAPPA(Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements)). It’s important to check what rates might apply to you  if you are under the age of 35. Check with Universal Credit or Housing Benefit for information based on your circumstances.

Universal Credit Helpline: 0800 328 5644

Remember, these are the maximum amounts you could receive as a single person with no children living with you. These amounts will be reduced by your earnings and some other forms of income. Don’t forget that in addition to essentials such as fuel, water, council tax etc, there are costs associated with the cost of living such as TV Licence, food, transport, clothes, entertainment, and other living expenses and commitments such as a mobile phone, pets, haircuts etc. (Other expenses some people might need to take into account could also be for things like car insurance and child maintenance).

Why might a shared house be more affordable?

Rents in shared houses are generally lower than in self-contained accommodation. This means that if you are entitled to benefit to help with housing costs there might be a smaller shortfall to top up than if you were living in self-contained accommodation. This makes shared accommodation more affordable. Sometimes, gas and electricity costs and water bills are included in the rent in a shared house. Even if they aren’t included, your share could amount to less than if you were paying all of the bills yourself. If you live in a shared house you may not be responsible for paying the council tax.

You may also want to consider being a lodger renting a room in your landlords home and sharing living space with them. this could also be a much cheaper option in terms of rent costs and bills, but you would have very few legal rights.

Local housing allowance rates (Exeter local housing allowance area)

• Room in a shared house (HMO) – £420.01 per month
• One bed self-contained property – £570.01 per month

Shelter have lots of information and support, including a free helpline and an online chat function. You can also use their directory to find your local Shelter advice centre.

Take a look at Young Devon for local advice and guidance about housing and successful independent living.

Further advice and guidance is available from Citizens Advice and Turn2Us.