If anyone can be bothered to read this I sent this to my local mp today: My name is Kellie St Ledger. I am 33 year old single working mum to a 2 and a half year old. We are in the process of being evicted as my landlord needed to sell the property. I have approached and applied for many private rented places to be told constantly they dont rent to people on DSS .. I have actually written to a few on zoopla after reading NO children, NO dogs NO DSS!!!! I couldnt believe it!!! To be told that they as estate agents work for the landlords and that they follow their wishes. I had a conversation suggesting they should look at their policies just to get told they are an ethical company. I have a reference, guarantor and a deposit .. I work with children so even have charachter references. I have incomings over the amount I have seen written as a suggested amount that would be acceptable for a tenant in their home only to be told .. even though I also passed on having a guarantor that I was still not suitable because I get the majority of my money through benefits! I have started a page on facebook called NO DSS Discrimination. As I believe it IS discrimination as I am being judged without being met first which is adversley affecting mine and my childs life. I had correspondence from another Mp , - I was advised where I may find a flat to rent but told that there is no legislation in place that makes it illegal for landlords to say no to DSS. Which I wrote back and said that there should be! This is the main point I want to make! Is that I believe it should be made illigal and seen as discrimination to state NO DSS! It serves no one! I have paid and joined agencies that work in the field of spacifically finding flats for those on benefits. Which is in itself bad as those on benefits already struggle financially without needing to pay for help to find a roof. I have seen many adverts to flats that are for those on benfits with no photos or with the same photos of other adverts suggesting they are not actual pictures of the house being advertised! This is terrible! Am I not entitled to be looking at a true image of the flat I want to apply for just because I am on benefits!!!? I have written adverts for single mum flat share, a nanny/childminder flat share, and applied for live in nanny jobs all with no success. I am in the borough of lewisham however applied to southwark for help as I was born in southwark, always lived in southwark, my family live in southwark and I work in southwark so thought as I had all my local connections there Id prefer to live there and knew after reading online that it was possible ... the first day I was not in the line until 9 o clock (opening time) so sat for an hour and a half to be told I could not be seen to come back the following monday. The following monday I was told I needed to go to lewisham to get a referral letter from lewisham. I went to lewisham for that letter and was told that southwark were fobbing me off that it 100% evident that I have local connections and to go back to Southwark without the letter as it was not neccesary ... I went back to southwark to be told I def need the letter from lewisham and that in any case I cannot get help from southwark as I have not lived in southwark for the last 6 months. So after all that I applied to get the help from Lewisham council but have been told I cannot because I have not lived in lewisham for 2 years!!! These rules are totally inconsistent and leave my child and I on the street! I have been in touch with shelter who passed my details on to a legal aid representative and have been told I am being subject to gatekeeping where councils will fob you off to make sure you dont get on their books for homelessness so it keeps numbers down in govt stats! I am horrified that happens! I have been told I do have the right to apply in southwark and am waiting to get legal aid. Although I find it shocking that I need legal help to fight for the rights the govt say are mine in the first place! So today I took to the street outside parliment with a sign and my daughter .. I had some interest from passers by and many conversations who all had stories similar to mine!!! What good is it to the govt to have people discriminated against, out of work, on the streets!!!? I dont understand!!!? I have sent my story to a local paper and I will keep telling people about this! I know Im not the only person going through this! Kellie St Ledger.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 22:09:03 +0000
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