Join us as we meet people sleeping rough across the UK and ask why the situation has become so bad 10.18pm GMTStephen is another ex-army man in precarious circumstances. He has been sleeping rough in Balerno,just outside Edinburgh, for some weeks. He describes an nearly picturesque scene — his spot in a wooded forest, and a secluded area underneath evergreen foliage where he sets up his £3 windbreaker each night.
It’s kind,it’s quiet, its a way out of everywhere, and ” he says,explaining why he often chooses to sleep rough. “It’s a hidey-hole off a path. But the other night I lost my bus-pass so I can’t gain out there at the moment.”My wife hasn’t spoken to me since we split up,” he says. “My behaviour, and my drinking,it became worse. I became argumentative, abusive - not physically but certainly verbally - and she just, or fairly rightly,had enough. She went to the police and got me physically removed.”I got my own flat on June the 27th last year until November. I couldn’t cope. The only person I spoke to on a regular basis was the guy at the corner shop who sold me my little bottles of vodka, he says.
On the streets I’m still fairly lonely but there’s always someone to talk to, or ” he says. 10.05pm GMTOf course,rough sleepers are just the tip of the iceberg. Thousands more find themselves one step absent from the streets, still homeless but nudged around by authorities from pillar to temporary post. For many of it may be hard to assume how this happens. But we’re probably all of us just two or maybe three really bad strokes of luck absent from destitution. In December 2015 my contract came to an end and I decided to become self employed. I am a qualified sports therapist studying to obtain my personal trainer qualification. I set up my own business in January.
On 4th January 2016 I attended the Margate Gateway Services Centre to ask for serve in paying my rent. I was told I couldn’t apply for housing benefit and had to apply for universal credit on line.
I applied on line and was informed that I would be contacted to attend an appointment.
I hadn’t heard anything from for a week so I phoned the serve line to which the recorded message tells you whether this is a original claim it will take 5 weeks to be processed.
I phoned them again the following day and eventually spoke to someone and made the application over the phone. Halfway through the application he informed me that as a student and as a self employed person I was not eligible to claim universal credits and had to claim JSA (job seeker’s allowance) and this had to be made online.
I went online to make the application for JSA and on answering the qualifying questions I was informed I was not eligible to claim JSA and that I had to claim Universal credits.
I phoned Job Centre Plus and made an appointment to speak to someone approximately what I could and couldnt claim.
I attended the appointment the following week only to be told that because I earned more than £102 a week I wasn’t eligible for income related JSA and that as I was self employed I wasn’t eligible for Universal Credit and that I needed to attend the Gateway Service Centre in Margate to make a claim for housing benefit. My landlord had been understanding but now I’ve been told it will take up to two more weeks for the claim to be processed - and there is no guarantee it will be backdated. By then I will be 11 weeks in arrears.
I informed the housing office that I am already 9 weeks behind and now facing the real opportunity of being evicted in two weeks due to non payment of rent. I was told whether I was made homeless, and as a fit healthy male I am not a precedence and that whether I were made homeless I would just fill to deal with it as there was no serve available to me. Council housing teams no longer deem homelessness for males who are fit and healthy and able to work as a vulnerability.
So... having joined the army at the age of 16 and 9 months,served 8 years for my country, having worked every day of my life and paid taxes and contributed to the economy, or having decided to build my own business and serve others gain fit to return to employment,I asked for serve as I was starting out and needed to pay my rent... only to be given the improper information action resulting in at present 9 weeks rent arrears, facing the prospect of homelessness and being told by the local council (due to government legislation) basically.... tough, and you will just fill to deal with it.
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Source: theguardian.com