help needed

[las123]

hi all, just wondering if anyone could help out my cousin. she is due to move up to thurso from london on the 14th to a rented house, the guy pulled out as he got a better offer even though he accepted hers. now she has know where to say, she also has a two year old son. we have been in touch with the council and pentand housing etc but they have no where. we have sent a contacted a few people to see if they have any houses available and also checked here where there are some she is enquiring about. she is moving up herself with her son until her husband get a transfer with the police at the beginning of the year. so she will be claiming housing benefit, and we think that this is putting a lot of people off. her parents are from inverness so she phoned the council there also and they said just move up come into the office and class yourself homeless and they will put her up in B&B until a house comes available but that is no way for a 2 year old child to live when she is wantign to get him settled. so anyone know of a 2 or more bedroom house in thurso that is for let asap and will accept housing benefit until her husband moves up would be a great help.

many thanks in adance

[Fran]

Surely if your cousins husband is a policeman and they are being posted to Thurso for his job, they would get a police house.Im sure if she contacted her husbands present police authority they would arrange something with the thurso police and she would get a police house. If that doesnt work, which would surprise me, she would get near the top of the list as her husband is an incoming worker.
If her husband is in the police I cant see her getting housing benefit etc as he is working and she decided to move up north.

[Highland Lass]

Hi have you tried sinclair estate agents thurso east, not sure of number it is in phone book,they usually have few houses flats to help out till she get something from housing, there is albyn housing they have houses in thurso to let, and cairn housing they might help.

[funky-dunky]

cairn has a place in wick they could put homeless people in it and also council has as well..If not try pollards its in the book under pollards and co. they usally have caravans or houses. not sure if you can rent them out but its worth a try.

[young]

there are a few houses in ormlie thurso for rent she has to phone the council and ask to put her name forward for the house as one of them has been empty for about 2 months now its in MacAulay View its always worth a try!!

[las123]

many thanks, we have tried pollard and some of the properties will not accept housing benefit. i will pass all the information on to her anything will do just now as she only has a week. she will not get a police house until her husband moves up as he is in police accommodation in london and they are different regions. once he has been posted they will get one.

[dpw39]

A lot of property owners nationally will state that they do not want prospective tenants who are on State Benefits etc, which is sad in a way it is also discriminating to people who are on benefits, but a fact of life.

It is hard to believe that she would get housing benefit if her husband is in full-time employment with the police, unless she was getting a seperation.

Not meaning to be critical or wanting to know the reasons why she feels that she wants to come up here now and not wait to be transferred with her husband, she will find it very hard to get suitable accommodation at such short notice for her and her child, unless she was "at risk".

And I also find it hard to believe that the council have advised someone to abuse the system by stating "just move up come into the office and class yourself homeless and they will put her up in B&B until a house comes available" which obviously places other people on the list, a bit farther down.

I wouldn't advise accomodation through Thurso East, as invariably she would be put in Braal Castle which can be a quite a depressing building with damp conditions and very high ceilings and are very hard to keep warm (from personal experience).

It is unfortunate that she can't stay with her parents or relations in the community until her husband is officially transferred here. Unfortunately the system is not geared up to last minute changes unless there are extenuating cicumstances which warrent immediate rehousing. I hope she's lucky in her search.

No offence implied or intended.

Ciao,

[Brettabister]

I live in London and own a three bedroomed house in Thurso which I let. Unfortunately my current tenants have done a bunk and I am planning to go up there soon to sort everything out.
If your cousin is interested, please e-mail me privately.

[connieb19]

I cannot understand why a policemans wife would be receiving benefits? Surely it's still his responsibility to provide for his family, even if he's not moving up just now. :confused

[Fran]

Sorry...I dont mean to be rude.....but why doesnt she wait till her husband is transferred to a police house in Thurso. If she moves now her little boy will be so unsettled and will miss his daddy. it wont be a nice christmas on her own up here with her husband down there. It does seem very odd. If they are not seperated why is she wanting to come up alone and how is she on benefit when she is still with her husband, and he is a policeman.

[las123]

i dont know why you are all criticising, we are looking for help to find her a place to stay, her husband is getting transfered next year and there house lease in london runs out on the 20th november in london, her husband is getting police accomodation in a bedsit, she has no family or friends down there and gets ignored in toddler groups for being scottish, she is wanting to be up her with family and friends, she is nearer her mum that she hardly ever sees and her son is at the age that he needs to mix with other kids and will also get to spoilt by his granny and grandad and his aunties and uncles. Nothing that matter with that is there??

thank you very much for the help that the other guys have offered, fingers crossed tomorrow she will have a place to stay.