Social Housing help needed

[karen***]

I currently live in a ground floor flat which is at least 6 miles away from the rest of my family.

Due to my mental health and mobility issues (I currently receive DLA LRC & LRM) I only go out if it is for appointments (very rare) My ex husband looks after me ensuring that I take the correct medication and ensuring that I do not injure myself, he does all of my shopping, cleaning & cooking etc. He is not in the best of health due to looking after me and has said that he is going to have to stop taking care of me. He has no life himself and he worked out the other day that he walks on average 70 miles a week.

I requested the council move me so that I can be closer to my family so they can ' share' taking care of me. I am currently in band 4 (Little or no housing need) I have sent in letters from my consultant, GP and psychiatrist but someone sat in an office has decided that they are more qualified to decide my needs. I have been given so much duff information including a home visit which I was told "everything we say here is the correct information", no it wasn't

Their main reason for not rehousing is because I owe about £300 in rent which I have been paying off for well over a year (I have to pay some rent because I receive a pension from work,(I was medically retired))

I no longer have to pay council tax because of severe mental impairment. but CBL have not accepted this as a need!!

I feel that every time I open 1 door someone slams another one in my face, my health is suffering and I struggle everyday thinking of reasons not to injure myself. What happened to care in the community?

[estellyn]

Unfortunately, there is huge demand for one bed social housing, so councils have to be very strict.

 

Your best chance would probably be a swap - a friend did this by advertising in the area she wanted to move to. But I think that your rent arrears are going to get in the way.

[Nystagmite]

I'm in a similar situation. They've ignored a lot of my medical needs.

 

Estellyn is right. There are more people who need homes than there are suitable homes.

[sequenci]

Have you tried seeing if Shelter could help you move things along a bit? They are usually helpful in cases like this: 0808 800 4444.

[estellyn]

I'm in a similar situation. They've ignored a lot of my medical needs.

 

Estellyn is right. There are more people who need homes than there are suitable homes.

 

I have my occupational therapist assessment in just over a week, and I have to say I'm not optimistic. I'm hoping that the fact I currently live in private rented, where no adaptations can be made, will go in my favour.

[fedupandold]

Unfortunately, there is huge demand for one bed social housing, so councils have to be very strict.

 

Is there? There are half empty tower blocks that are all one bed flats in one area that I know.

[estellyn]

Is there? There are half empty tower blocks that are all one bed flats in one area that I know.

 

Due to the bedroom tax, many single people and couples (in social housing on housing benefit) who've had children leave home are having up to 25% of their housing benefit removed, and either have to pay the difference or move to smaller accomdation - one bed properties. Most areas don't have the one bed stock available. My area certainly doesn't.

[fedupandold]

Due to the bedroom tax, many single people and couples (in social housing on housing benefit) who've had children leave home are having up to 25% of their housing benefit removed, and either have to pay the difference or move to smaller accomdation - one bed properties. Most areas don't have the one bed stock available. My area certainly doesn't.

 

Well in another area that I know quite well - Elephant & Castle, there are two huge tower blocks that are all boarded up - I do wonder why they haven't been brought back into use?

 

I don't know where you live. As an example I put Birmingham into the Rightmove search engine and it came up with 1000+ 1 bed properties charging up to a max of £400 a month. I do hope that no one from that area comes on here and says that there aren't any 1 bed properties.

Edited June 20, 2013 by fedupandold

[Consumer dude]

Well in another area that I know quite well - Elephant & Castle, there are two huge tower blocks that are all boarded up - I do wonder why they haven't been brought back into use?

 

I don't know where you live. As an example I put Birmingham into the Rightmove search engine and it came up with 1000+ 1 bed properties charging up to a max of £400 a month. I do hope that no one from that area comes on here and says that there aren't any 1 bed properties.

 

What is often advertised is sometimes not available..

[Nystagmite]

What is often advertised is sometimes not available..

 

and not suitable for us who have disabilities and as a result, certain housing needs.

[aurorablues]

Hi Karen,

 

Because of all your issues, would you consider looking into supported housing?

 

Aurorablues.

[fedupandold]

Unfortunately, there is huge demand for one bed social housing, so councils have to be very strict.

 

Isn't it a case of looking to see what is available in the private sector as well? Why restrict your searches to social housing only?

[Nystagmite]

Because many private landlords don't accept housing benefit and it can be expensive.

[estellyn]

Well in another area that I know quite well - Elephant & Castle, there are two huge tower blocks that are all boarded up - I do wonder why they haven't been brought back into use?

 

I don't know where you live. As an example I put Birmingham into the Rightmove search engine and it came up with 1000+ 1 bed properties charging up to a max of £400 a month. I do hope that no one from that area comes on here and says that there aren't any 1 bed properties.

 

We're talking about social housing availability, not private rented - LHA already applies to private rented properties.

 

ETA: and when I put birmingham into rightmove, up to a max of £400 for one beds, 453 came up, many of which were house shares and studios.

Edited June 20, 2013 by estellyn

[estellyn]

Isn't it a case of looking to see what is available in the private sector as well? Why restrict your searches to social housing only?

 

So take my area. A one bed flat in private rented goes for an average of around £550 a month. A divorced woman, disabled, unable to work, kids moved out, in a 3 bed social housing property is paying £85 a week rent (£368 a month) , but before the bedroom tax, was getting this paid by housing benefit, but the money goes back to the social housing provider to help fund and maintain social housing.

 

So if you ask this woman to get a one bed private rented property, because she cannot afford to pay the £21.25 a week bedroom tax, not only will her housing benefit have to INCREASE to £500 a month (the lha rate), but because there are very few properties ever available at the LHA rate, she will still have to cover the excess.

 

So under your scenario of moving to private rented, it will cost the taxpayer an additional £132 a month to house her, she still has to pay the shortfall, plus the council will have to also cough up help with deposit, rent in advance and removal costs in the form of a DHP - so that's at least another £1500.

 

Isn't this policy of the Torys so well thought out!

 

Sadly in this case, indigation over what 'other people get' (in this case more bedrooms than they need), is actually more costly than just leaving them where they are with no bedroom tax penalty until a one bed social housing property becomes available.