AIBU? Council repairs leaving my 86-year-old mum with nowhere suitable to live

Why is her house in such a poor state, and what is wrong with the temporary accommodation on offer?

Agree with above poster about contacting adult care team - some care homes accept council funding with a top up from resident/family and she could go into a residential care home for six months?

Major works yes, but I'd argue that everyday maintenance and wear and tear type repairs are the responsibility of the person living there.

OP, where do you live at the moment?

I would expect that the whole block of houses would be in the same state then. Round here the council carry out building maintenance on a rolling programme - so my MIL had a new kitchen and bathroom as did all her neighbours. But I agree that major works are the landlord’s responsibility.

Did she carry out any care or maintenance?

What is unsuitable about the offer they made? Start there, and determine what changes you think are required

No it isn't. Clean and decorated, yes. Not sorting out shite like rising damp, leaky pointing or roofs causing water ingress etc.

Councils like to blame any mould problems on "condensation" from tenants not opening windows (because they can't afford to heat the place) and drying laundry inside (because they cant afford a tumble dryer). Whilst this may be true in some cases, just as often it's not.

A lot of council blocks are old and in an extremely poor state, just about legal structurally but basically uninhabitable to anyone who wants to keep their health intact. In that condition, they really need knocking down and rebuilding. No amount of anti-mould paint and bodgy repairs is going to fix the situation. But there's no funds for rebuilding or anywhere to rehouse the tenants into. So the blocks have to be absolutely dire and deemed completely unsafe for this to happen. In that situation those tenants aren't rehoused temporarily but permanently.

Agree with the PPs. It's the tenant's responsibility to look after the house and that includes letting council officers and contractors in to update and repair. (Not relevant now obviously). My father refused admission to all council workers in his later years so left his estate with a big repair bill.

A new rental will also end her council tenancy.

That said, I have doubts about the good faith of this thread. Early mention of crowdfunder raises a red flag for me.

PinkCamperVan is 100% right about why the private flat idea will not fly. If she moves out into a private rental then surely she will be deemed to have voluntarily ended her council tenancy. She needs to accept the temp housing and make the best of it for 6months. I very much doubt they have offered an 86 year old a normal B&B. Most areas have over 65 housing come up quite frequently vs general housing stock. I would have thought they would be likely to offer her a permanent move TBH.

What are these care needs that she has? You need to assess the council for a social care needs assessment. If she really has 24h support needs they will find her a place in a care home or they can put in a care package in the temp accommodation

What is so bad about the temporary accommodation? Why is it so unsuitable?
Is this actually because it would be only for her and not for you I wonder?

Contact the adult care team. Ask them to get an otto do an assessment and help you get accommodation that will meet her needs.

It’s up to the tenant to keep the house in good repair though. If it’s so bad that she has to move out for 6 months that’s an awful lot of neglect that’s happened.
What is unsuitable about the property they’ve offered? Can she not move in with you for the duration if you’re her FT carer?

The void housing stock available to decant people in to is in such short supply, that finding your mum somewhere else might not be an option. That property has to be available, empty and safe to live in.

I'd take what is being offered and look at ways to support your Mum to cope.

You haven't said why its unsuitable, but realistically, unless she is a permanent wheelchair user and being put in a 3rd floor flat with no lift im not sure how much argument you have vs her living in a home that has been allowed to go damp and moldy.

I can also stay with her to provide the full-time care she needs

Who currently provides this care OP?
And where do you usually live?

(Is this about them re-housing the tenant but not her carer (you), who is then going to be homeless?)

Edit:
Actually, there's no way this is council funded. They don't fund 24/7 live-in care. So either she does need this level of care (and has been assessed as needing it by social services), in which case she could be temporarily placed in a care home if you're unable to stay with her to provide care. Or she doesn't officially need this level of care and she could have the usual 4x care visits per day at the temporary accommodation.

You've basically got no chance of the council housing you as well as her. The housing department won't go for that when they could shunt the cost onto the social care department if she has been assessed as needing 24/7 care. If she has been assessed as not needing it, neither department will care what you or her think about that. If she hasn't been assessed, get her assessed.

This sounds stressful OP, I think whatever course of action you take you need to be clear as to why the alternative accommodation offered isn't suitable.

I have no experience of council housing but your MP sounds like a good 1st step

Sounds really complex op, your poor mum.
You need to complain to housing stating why the alternative accommodation offered is unsuitable, why does it not meet her need specifically. How does this compare to the accommodation you have found?
Do you live with your mother Currently?
Has she agreed to moving out whilst works are competed. What does she think of the housing offer, does she have the money to pay for the rent and deposit in the accommodation you have found?

She needs to accept the temporary accommodation then appeal as it's unsuitable, they'll have to then find something else more suitable, you get upto 30 days to lodge an appeal so you can try to make it work for a bit before making a decision if you want.

I doubt very much you'll get 6mths rent as a discretionary payment for several reasons.

First, landlords can't legally ask for that. You can offer, but they can't ask. They've done you a favour by letting you know they'd accept such an offer instead of flatly turning her down. It would cause problems with the housing benefit because the landlord can't legally give you a tenancy for rent payable 6 monthly. So she'd still be entitled to housing benefit monthly on top of the discretionary payment.

Second, you don't need to do this because your mum does have somewhere else to go - the temporary accommodation.

She'd still get housing benefit whilst in the private rental if you go down that route, so she could put the payment on a credit card then use the housing benefit to pay it off every month when it comes in. Obviously if the rent is higher than the LHA then she's liable for paying the shortfall from her other benefits, eg state pension, to clear the credit card.

I wouldn't do it though. I don't see how she wouldn't be ending her council tenancy. So she wouldn't be moving back in after renovation, it would be allocated to whoever is most needy on the housing list, which won't be her because she's adequately housed in a private rental.

Have a look at Turn2us to see if your mum might qualify for any charitable grants. It's very easy to use their online grant finder.

How is the property in such a poor condition?

Okay, that's really good - they will have a case and a record. Can you go back to them and explain that what's being offered doesn't meet your mum's needs?

The charity Shelter have a section on their website about alternative accommodation for repairs to council/HA properties and how to complain or receive compensation.
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/how_to_report_repairs_to_a_council_or_housing_association_landlord/tell_your_landlord_about_problems_during_repairs