Interesting new twist on benefits bashing, but there you go.
If your friend is real, I will share a tale of woe to reassure everyone that the housing she desires is safe from her entitled little mitts. Get a drink and snacks and settle in.
Last April, my 85 year old Dad, in declining health, became the victim of DV from my 82 year old SM, who had spent three months in hospital and was released early from her eventual section because an arrogant psychiatrist thought her threats and aggression towards him, observed and documented by various ages were "just a marital issue". Long back story, but won't bore you with it.
He turned up at my house with clothes and medication in three bin bags.
The kicker - I was at the end of a Section 21 myself, having been widowed two years previously, my business had folded and as my credit reference was non-existent I'd had to approach my council for help myself. My estate agents had found a property on their books with the Holy grail of a non-picky landlord and not bothered by me being, to my immense shame, on UC. All I needed was the deposit and first month's rent, with them as guarantor, but their delays and prevarication about whether I needed that property, or should be going into a one room situation meant I had to borrow from a friend in the end (I'm 56 by the way, but woykd have been laughed out of their offices had I mentioned over 55 housing).
But what to do with Dad? SM owned the house outright, he was entirely dependent on state support, and private landlords wouldn't touch him with their income criteria.
Back to the council we go. On assessment it was determined he needed sheltered accommodation due to his multiple illnesses and increasing frailty. Somewhere ground floor, or with a lift close enough to his doctors and the hospital. After a month, which included having to provide multiple bank statements, medical evidence, proof of police involvement in the DV situation, and which all kept us in my house for an extra month, leading to me nearly losing my new flat, and racking up an extra months rent arrears, he was offered a temporary place in sheltered housing, that mostly fit his assessment criteria.
Looking back I don't know how we did it, but we got him moved in to a one bed which had been adapted for wheelchair users, which didn't bother him - his health was declining rapidly anyway. Did I mention he was a nuclear test veteran? Just so you know, veterans get no preferential treatment.
So you think this is a happy ending? Refill your cups, get extra popcorn.
These flats have nothing in them. No white goods or cooking facilities. We had to move him in on 24 hours notice, or like the offer, and magic up furniture. Luckily I had some, as I was downsizing, but I still had to beg and borrow from friends. Had to hire a van and thank God for a few sympathetic friends and for my son taking emergency leave from work.
I was then able to move house my self.
What then followed was a concerted effort from one particular housing officer to move him into independent living accommodation. Three times we went through an email scaring the living shit out of him stating if he didn't accept the property they had bid on for him, none of which met the criteria of their own assessment, he would be making himself homeless and they would end their duty of care.
With the first one, which, like the others, was out of his surgery's catchment area, the HA in question agreed he wasn't a suitable tenant. So they withdrew the offer. I had a conversation with his housing officer who was adamant that he could "just register with another GP" despite continuity of care being vital. He could also "just get taxis" as it was in a very out if town location.
On the second attempt I involved the mayor, who I know on Facebook for some reason, who copied in our local MP, approached Adult Social Services (I had already tried to get a safeguarding referral which disappeared into the ether). So far, so good. Same HA, who stated they didn't have any property suitable for my Dad.
Went through the same rigmarole a third time, finally with the input of a trainee SW who was getting us a package of care to support him staying in the flat he was in as it did meet his needs. Then she was transferred just before Christmas and he was "passed back to the office" to apparently dissappear off the radar again.
On the fourth attempt to move him, as he wasted away before my eyes and developed mild paranoia, they tried to tell him that the whole of the complex was temporary accommodation. His pithy response that it might be news to other residents who had lived there for years seemed to change things. Finally they offered him permanent status. They also tried to tell him it wasn't an "extra care" facility. When I sent photos of the big sign in the entrance hall saying in big letters it was, there was a deafening silence from ASC and Housing.
Long story short, he finally, after going through about the tenth "financial assessment" despite being on a state provided fixed income, signed his permanent tenancy from his hospital bed four weeks ago, roughly.
He died last Thursday from multiple organisations failure.
The Coroner is very, very interested in it all.
From my "grief stricken perspective" multiple agencies and my SM basically killed him, and I will not let this lie, no Siree.
So, the free spirit hippy who wants a yoga room will definitely not be handed her bungalow on a plate, just to reassure those pearl clutching about benefits gravy trains and entitlement. It just will not happen, I assure you.
Peace and out.