UK Bill Help

Families on a low income in South Cambridgeshire as well as the homeless often struggle to come up with the cash to pay a deposit. In these instances the person can apply for assistance from the council or King Street Housing, which is a key partner. This is a government run programme that is used to help individuals find and move into housing in the private sector.

The scheme is limited, and a formal application process is in place in order to get a loan. The housing team will assess the application. They also need to involve the local credit union as well, as they may also issue funds.

Any deposit help is aimed at people in certain circumstances. This may be the following, but other criteria can also be put into place. Based on the assessment that is done, some people are given a loan. Otherwise a bond guarantee will be used for the damage deposit.

The tenant needs to be able to pay the future rent on their own, so they need to be on the housing allowance/benefits or have an income that supports those payments. If they can’t do this, then South Cambridgeshire Council can still provide advice to the applicant. They also partner closely with Citizens Advice (address at 66 Devonshire Road) to offer both job training and counseling on financial matters.

Deposit assistance will also give a priority to those considered to be in Housing Need per the government guidelines from 1996. This will normally include the vulnerable in South Cambridgeshire. So this means that the guarantee or a loan will be for the disabled or mental illness. The council will also consider older people, ex-offenders, and children to be on the housing need list.

All applicants need to be local to the South Cambridgeshire district. Council tax records will be reviewed for this proof. The scheme will help pay for housing in the borough, or in rare cases the bond can be used for other parts of the UK.

The demand for social housing in South Cambridgeshire is very high. There is an estimated shortage of one thousand homes. So the scheme has another aim is to get people into some form of private housing as soon as possible. This will help reduce homelessness in the borough and also keep people out of local hostels.

The prospective tenant needs to find a property to rent. It needs to be supported by their income, or a combination of that and any benefits they receive. As noted the council will not assist people that want to move into a home that is not affordable.

Considering the lack of housing in South Cambridgeshire, the council does have a list of private landlords that may participate in the bond or loan scheme. But this can’t be relied upon as landlords are always adding properties or adding new homes, and it can be difficult to track this.

Advice in South Cambridgeshire

The deposit scheme is combined with ongoing advice. The authorities may offer some of this, but most of it will be from Citizens Advice in Cambridge. They are key partners in addressing homelessness in South Cambridgeshire.

In fact, as part of the application process, the person will need to prove they can sustain the tenancy over time. The housing team will want to review bank statements and copies of past bills and expenses to see how the person managed their money. Also, if a loan was issued, a replayment plan needs to be entered into. The applicant will need to show the South Cambridgeshire Council that they will both maintain the property and not fall into arrears.

If this is not done, if the tenant does not pay the rent or damages the home, then the landlord can make a claim on the deposit. In this case, the tenant will need to repay the South Cambridgeshire council. As the scheme was created to be a guarantee for those move in expenses but it does not allow the tenant to not follow the rules. The scheme is run from the office at Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, CB23 6EA.