Can anyone offer advice on my brothers situation and who is best to contact please.

[charlie82]

Hi.
My brother is 17 and lives with his mum in a tiny, tiny one bedroom flat and try to survive on £56 a week between them. I know that the people who live in the same block are into drugs ranging from cannabis to heroin and crack. My mums on off boyfriend who lives next door is into heroin and I know my mum does it too on occasions. My mum cant support him anyone more and my brother is going mad. He wont leave the flat as the people are really rough and gets threatened to get beaten up by blokes he used to know. In a year he has only left the flat four or five times. Myself and my sisters live in Devon (different county to brother) and try to help out as often as we can with food and money for there gas/electric meter. Often they have neither. My brother wants to live nearer to us (sisters) but we cannot support him. Is there a way to get him down to devon on housing benefit or something before ends up harming himself.

Sorry to ramble, can’t really explain how bad situation is in one paragraph, any advice will be much appreciated.

[4getmenot]

can he not get a job nearer you and you take him in until his first wage? so he can then rent

[cazzz1975]

cant you put him up?

[4getmenot]

is there a reason he should be on housing benefit? or that he cant work?

[sherrardk]

You could get in touch with the housing people for your county - they will point you in the right direction.

[Prudie]

Have you tried connexions - don't they help young people in these situations?

[charlie82]

thanks for your answers, I spoke to the council today and they said he should go and have a meeting with them.

[BeaverDiva]

why can't he work? why do they only get £56 a week between them? I take it the flat they're in now is council owned and so nothing else payable, so the £56 is for gas/electric and food - that should be enough for 2 people.

Why don't you or your sister let him stay with you until he finds a job down by you and can then get a flat of his own? If the situation is that desparate, I can't see why this hasn't been done already - why rely on benefits? he'll just end up in the same rut as your mum...

[zzxxee]

tell him to look for a job to better himself xx