Affordability
There are many reasons why your home may now be unaffordable. For instance, your landlord may wish to put up your rent or you may have had a change in your household income.
If you find that your home is unaffordable there are a number of steps you can take to see if it is possible for you to continue staying in your home long term. These include:
- Looking at your income – are there ways you can increase your income? Check websites such as turn2us or entitledto to see whether you are claiming all of the benefits you are eligible for
- Looking at your outgoings – can you reduce these? Are you paying for unnecessary services? The Citizens Advice can assist with looking at reducing your outgoings
- Speak to your landlord – explain the situation to your landlord. They may be willing to accept a reduced rent or hold off on any rent increase if they are aware of your situation – particularly if the affordability is a short term problem
- If your landlord is increasing your rent and you believe that the rent increase is unfair, for instance if your home is in a bad state of repair or the proposed increase is unduly high, then you can challenge this free of charge. Citizens Advice provide more information on this via their website
- You could apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment via the City of Wolverhampton Council. These are one-off discretionary payments which may be able to help you in the short term. Information on eligibility and how to apply can be found on the council's website
- Start looking at other, more affordable properties
Remember, there is an expectation that every member of your household with an income contributes to the household outgoings.
What we can do to help
If you still believe that your property is unaffordable then please contact us.
We will work with you to try and prevent your homelessness. The first step will be to undertake a full financial assessment to see if your home is affordable for you. It is important that you have full details of income and outgoings for your household to hand so that we can carry out the assessment.
If the financial assessment shows your home is affordable
If the financial assessment shows that your home is affordable, then we will look at working with you to remain in your current home.
This may include advice on how to minimise unnecessary outgoings, claim additional benefits you are entitled to, or could include a referral to other services who may be able to help you with budgeting improvements or employment.
If the financial assessment shows your home is unaffordable
If the financial assessment shows that your home is unaffordable there are a range of options that may assist to make your home affordable in the short term, whilst we work with you to secure alternative longer term housing.