If benefits do not increase in line with inflation, it would mean we will become homeless. I am already in receipt of full housing benefit and I still need to pay extra to the private landlord. I struggle to cover this and energy bills, food and necessities.

It causes me anxiety on a daily basis of losing our home. We have lost 2 homes already in the last 6 years.

The council refused support with discretionary housing payments.

They are not adhering to rules of benefits where disability benefits are not to be taken into consideration when processing applications. Citizens Advice are overwhelmed and have a backlog for support.

I feel I am trying to keep my head above water and it's exhausting.

I get very down at knowing what the Conservatives think of our worth and how we are punished for not bringing in a high wage, and prejudiced for relying on benefits

Not even started to become over – how on earth are people saying that it is? If anything, for me, it's getting harder. I am trying to find a new place to live because my landlord is selling and like half of my town we're struggling. I don't earn or know anyone who earns 35x the rent!

Food is still massively over priced and still not able to buy a decent amount, just barely scraping by. Energy may have gone down but is still going to be extremely hard after the snow starts to come and its causing anxiety and panic, clothes are still so expensive that school uniform is still being brought due to how expensive it is and the fact we don't have enough to get it because we have no help.

Bills are still rising and debts still are outstanding for everyone I know! It's nowhere near over, if anything, it's got a small bit worse because not enough help has been given in the first place, and if the media is saying it's over then there's no way we will be ok. Inflation may be dropping but interest rates are still constantly going up and up, yet benefits are going down or being made harder to acquire when in need. We're all still skipping meals and going without so how is it over? The media should be ashamed and the government need to help not slip it under the rug.

So I'm definitely feeling the cost of living and the damage that was done by the Truss short period of time in office. My landlord is selling our home so we're having to find somewhere else to live – he told me Friday evening so not been able to get any help from any government or authority just yet, but I am blessed with a few good friends, who are already on the case and trying to help us, which has made me feel very emotional.

When we moved here, we thought it was for at least the next 10 years but because of the mortgage rises my landlord is selling up. He's a very good landlord and I'm very upset that we have to move, but I understand his situation and why he needs to sell – I just don't know what we're going to do. I don't have money to move, I don't have money for a deposit or anything and what's worrying me the most is everywhere I'm seeing online is £3000 and up per month. How is anyone able to afford this? I know my housing allowance won't. I can't work, I can't save, and I can't seem to find positivity from this. I'm scared we're going to be left homeless, or worse, in a damp mould filled property like last time.

It's scary and I don't know what the future holds for us or if we will have to relocate completely and uproot our entire lives or not. It's very upsetting. How is anyone meant to manage on the price increasing for absolutely everything? Housing isn't great where I am and £3000+ for a month to live in my town is so ridiculously overpriced. The government did this to us –why aren't they doing more to help?

On the back of my last post about my landlord increasing the rent I've contacted Universal Credit who were less than helpful. Until the change actually happens they will not even discuss if they will cover the additional £100 a month. So on the date it changes I will have to pay the extra and hope with all I have that some one picks up the matter quickly to help. Its seems ridiculous to go about things in this way. I have an official document from the landlord explaining the increase and a date of when this comes into play. Surely it would be more person focused for UC to take that evidence and give you a yes or no about if they'll cover it? That way you can make an informed choice about maybe having to look for somewhere else to live or seeking advice from CAB? It just all seems so backwards and geared up to trip you up when your simply trying to survive

As I've said in previous entries, we were involved in a non fault eviction in 2022, in fact, the reality was more like the landlord was spared the bother inconvenience and cost of serving us with a section 21 notice because he acted as though he was doing us a favour by serving us 6 months advanced notice that he intended to sell the property we had loved living in for 16 years. We were also told that we would have to pay a further £150 per month during the remainder of our time living there.

We felt this was despicable behaviour.

I wasn't prepared to pay him a single penny more then to be kicked out with no safety net had we not found another home.

We didn't wish to hang around any longer than necessary in a home we were being evicted from.

We had to find alternative accommodation in a hurry. Although we were able to register on the social housing list as high needs priority due to a health condition, we weren't considered enough of a priority by the council, due to not having an official section 21 notice. So we had to look at the private rental market instead. Even then that required having a guarantor which was difficult to organise. Also I contacted local charitable organisations to ask about help with packing and moving.

Two organisations offered us help, one was a local community group set up during the pandemic, they helped with packing up our belongings. The second was the St Vincent de Paul Society, who very kindly paid for our moving costs. Without this support we would have been totally stuck.

Obviously we a had to stomach a rent increase through moving, even though it is a smaller home with less amenities. Fortunately, we had not encountered a rent increase in about twelve years before this happened although the down side is private rent is typically a good deal more expensive than social housing to begin with.

I applied for discretionary housing payments thinking this would help with the increase in rent and to recover the extra costs we paid in deposits and rent upfront on the new property only we were turned down because we weren't in debt.

Also when we moved we went separate ways to my middle son who moved in with friends but him living with us had no bearing on anything benefit wise he was disregarded for council tax due to my health condition.

So I think that covers our experiences of housing support in relation to rent increases moving home and changes to the type of support we have received.

So far, I have not really needed support with housing etc.

However when I did not have work a few years, I really struggled to find a house to rent for me and my 5 young children. Estate agents would not even let me view the house because they assumed that I would not pay the rent because I did not have income from employment.

I then had to turn to my local Council for advice. They did call me from time to time during my period of house search and I felt supported in some ways albeit little. Eventually one private landlord who used an online estate agent did allow us to come and view their property. There were at least 5 applications for this house and thankfully the landlord chose us to rent their property. We are happy where we are now. Our private landlord has so far has been good and kind to me and my family.

Hello everyone, the housing cost is really high. The bills and rent are so expensive the private landlords is on a high level. By the time you add the cost of buying food it's crazy: hope the government can act fast.

I moved home in November 2022, into a different borough. I spent almost £800 on moving costs, and had to borrow money from family members in order to afford it. I searched to see if there was any support I could apply for and applied for a DHP which was rejected. Moving into my new home became a stressful experience, and I ended up not being able to buy simple things for my home like bedding and wardrobes because I had to pay back the money I owed. There was a difficult transitional period with UC, as my housing costs had changed and I had reported this on the same day as my move. Despite this, I immediately fell into rent arrears because UC took a long time to update my details. Before I knew it, I owed over £2,000 with my landlord calling me to ask why the rent had not been paid. As someone who suffers with longstanding anxiety and depression, this time became almost unbeareable. The same issue arose again when the rent increase happened in April. It is very hard to get through to anyone in UC to explain or ask what is going on with your claim.

Looking and applying for an affordable home had become stressful.

Leasing agents and landlords still discriminative against single parents and asking for job title, earnings from job and reference from employer.

I have justified I am a full time carer and provided proof of all rent payments from last 3 years.

One leasing agent "lost" my application although sent by email.

Other never replied.

So at the moment, I'm on housing benefit or they paid pretty good with the credit, but I'm having constant problems with my landlord. They are constantly on my case because the health and benefit system is paid slightly. I think it's a month in arrears and council don't like that getting told letters of I owe money even though a week after they sent me a letter the rents were being paid up. It's the benefit system in regards to University Credit, sending the payments to the local authority. The local authorities don't always seem to match up in my case, which is a bit of a pain.

I have to say I was forced to change from Income Support to Universal Credit, I presumed it would be easy but I was unaware of the pitfalls as someone who has disabilities it was a nightmare. The application was easy, or so I thought, I took out the up front payment as I was aware it can take up to 5 weeks to get your first payment, I didn't realise my first payment didn't even cover my rent. I had to ask a friend to help me out to pay my rent and also relied on her to help me with food etc until my next payment, I then realised the amount of mistakes they make. It then snowballed for me as my payments were all over the place as they kept sending me messages saying they had calculated my benefit wrong and had that going on for 3 months, was also explained that the disabilities element was no added to my claim as it was not the correct disability benefit I got on income support. I then had to apply for limited capacity for work related benefits this took 3 periods of UC and due to the whole being paid in arrears on UC took 4 months and this also was not back paid as they were legally aloud to not have to back pay this benefit, I think in total it took about 6 month for my UC to sort it self out but now it is sorted but I moved in with my partner and found out to my dismay they refused to pay my previous property rent as I told this this was unfair as UC is paid in arrears but they said it was not there fault it's the way UC works so have been left with a debt with my previous landlord for £200 so I was annoyed about that. It feels UC does not care about people's circumstances and also UC punishes you if you don't adhere to what you signed when you started UC I didn't advise a change in my circumstances, I was one day late and I got a letter saying I breached my UC agreement and they threatened me with a charge of £50 as punishment unless I explained why I was one day late. All in all be careful when you switch over and check everything.

I wanted to note something important that has happened this week and which I tried to fit in to the Big Question of the Week (even though it wasn't directly relevant).

My private landlord has renewed my tenancy for another year. This has been playing on my mind as it does every year - but this year has been different. There are fewer places to rent. I need 3 bedrooms but was only able to get a 2 bed in July 2020, when I separated. Apart from the missing bedroom (the girls have a bedroom each, my lounge is our dining room and my bedroom, and where I work from home) the flat is ideal as only 10m walk from school and near shops and my work office.

There are other 2-bed flats around, in the same block of flats, and area - but they are going for up to £300pcm MORE than I am paying. So if the landlord had not renewed I don't know what I would have done.

Also, the tenancy agreement allows for a rent increase to match inflation if renewed. This would be a 10% increase on a budget I am just managing.

The landlord, for some reason I will never understand, has not increased the rent. I've been quiet all week from telling anyone because I honestly thought it was a mistake - but the hard copy came through today and no change.

The April benefit increase in my UC will take effect from my payment in June - and I will actually see the benefit of this. It wont be taken up with rent.

I am chuffed to bits that I got the renewal and obviously with no increase in rent. I will be able to pay the kids more pocket money now so they can go out with their mates in the summer vacation.

I needed to share this.