Transcribed from audio recording

So, you gave me some great news yesterday, that you were approved for a property through a private landlord. What were some of the struggles that you faced with the administration process, as I know you had some issues with your benefits, tell us what happened there

Yea, I gave them my benefits letter, but it had run out and I had to get a new one. Once I’d got that they could process it then.

OK, and I know one of the issues you had was not having much ID, was that something you’ve faced a lot dealing with other agents/agencies when you’ve been applying for properties?

Yea, all the time.

So what ID did you use this time?

Well they wanted photo ID, but I told them I haven’t got it, so they just accepted my birth certificate and a benefits letter.

Throughout the application process, how were you liaising with the letting agents?

Just all through e-mails, it was just direct answers and questions through e-mails.

Did you find that an easy process?

Yea.

Did you set up an e-mail address specifically for this or did you already have one?

I already had one.

I know that you intend to keep your new property safe, how do you intend to do that?

Well, I have a relative who lives next door but one, so I’ll get them to keep an eye out, and I’ll always make sure it’s locked up and secure.

You also said something to me earlier about people not knowing where you are…

Yea, I’m going to tell people that I’m still at my parents, and if people see my up that area I’ll say I’m visiting my relatives.

Is that a concern for you, people knowing where you live?

Yea, I don’t want people to know where I live, because if they knock you get that guilty feeling, so I don’t want anyone to know where I live.

Is there anything else that you think you might need support with around your new property?

Just keeping up with things really, and not falling behind with anything.

So, we went looking for some furniture for your new place today, how did that make you feel?

Really good, I’m really made up, yea, really made up, it’s going to look nice.

When you got the news that you’d passed your reference check, how did that make you feel?

It made me feel really good because I was worried, I thought it was all going to fall through.

Why did you think it would fall through?

Because, reference checks, I also thought it was a check for my criminal things, so because I’ve got a bit of debt with the bank, so I just thought it’d flop, it flops with everything else whenever they do a check so… I was quite worried

How did they let you know that you’d got the property?

They e-mailed me saying everything is absolutely fine and gone through with your guarantor, they said we just need the benefits letter, which you helped me get, so I sent them that straight away. They e-mailed me that day to say it was being dealt with as they know I needed a property. They e-mailed me the next day saying it’s all done and it’s being sent to the letting agency now, and within five minutes they rang me up saying, “I’m just ringing to inform you that you’ve passed for the property”

I felt a little flutter with my heartbeat and just thought WOW, I’ve passed something!

That’s really great! So in terms of your housing benefit, what are your plans to do with that?

Well, as soon as I go there, and I get the tenancy agreement, I need to go to the council the same day, because the landlady is ‘on it’ and she wants her rent all sorted properly, so I need to go the same day, definitely.

How are you planning on dealing with that, what’s your intentions for the monthly rent?

I want it going direct to the landlady, yea, I don’t want it coming to me.

So why would you prefer that?

Because if I was in a bad place, all that money could tempt me to have a blip, and I wouldn’t want to not send it to her and spend it, being truthful.

Thank you.

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