Want a bigger council house.

[Hammer12]

I'm sure i'll get flamed for this but please read my post first.

I currently live in a 2 bedroom council house. I am only eligible for a 2 bedroom.

I have been trying to exchange for over 3 years now. I live in a nice area but it is very rural and has no public transport so I have struggled to find anyone who can swap with me.

My DS goes to school 20miles away (40miles round trip) we are out of the catchment area so there is no school bus so I have to take them and bring them back every day. They are SEN and for various reasons I do not want them changing schools so this isn't an option.

The issue is that I work 40 miles away (80 miles round trip) in the opposite direction and I cannot change my job (I have been looking). I am a single parent so I am having to rely on a childminder but they only start and finish at certain times so my DC is having to wait outside for over an hour for me to pick them up. I have tried to get other childcare but none is available and my childminder is stopping at the end of this year. My DS will be starting secondary school this September.

I am on the council list but I am low down and there are only a handful of properties available so I am having no luck.
I have finally managed to find a potential exchange with someone who wants mine BUT they have a 3-bed council house.
I have asked the council if I am allowed to exchange with them and I will pay extra rent and go back on the exchange site to move to a 2 bed but they have said councils won't allow this.

Has anyone had any experience with this? And do you know if there is any way I can get a 3 bed?
As I said I am happy to move again to a 2 bed but right now I physically and mentally cannot cope with the stress of getting my DC to school and to work every day so I feel like my only option would be to give up work which I really don't want to do!

Do you pay all your rent with no hb UC top up? If so I am surprised they won’t let you swap. Can you go above your housing officer?

I thought that if you are more than 3 miles from the school then the county has to provide transport. @Admissions I think is someone that might be able to help with that.

@Witchend

I thought that if you are more than 3 miles from the school then the county has to provide transport. *@Admissions* I think is someone that might be able to help with that.

Only if the la can't offer a school within the distance.

If you choose one that isn't nearest then they don't have responsibility.

Most council and HA allocation policies won’t allow a tenant to move into a property with more bedrooms than their assessed need because of the bedroom tax - it doesn’t matter if you don’t claim housing benefit at the moment, if you became unemployed you’d need to and would only be entitled to enough benefit for the rooms you needed, which would mean you’d soon struggle financially and get into arrears.

There’s not a lot of point taking it to your MP - the reason the council have this policy is to limit potential hardship for tenants. A three-way swap is your best bet, along with trying to get a social services or educational assessment which would give you more points for a transfer to the area you want to live in based on your DC’s need to be closer to school.

My DS goes to school 20miles away (40miles round trip)

The issue is that I work 40 miles away (80 miles round trip) in the opposite direction and I cannot change my job (I have been looking)

so are you 60 miles away from your childs school? with the time you are traveling, you could get a job with more normal times, if you are having to leave your child out waiting for an hour DC is having to wait outside for over an hour for me to pick them up - your hours are not the issue, you need to find another job near the school

What is it you do?

I always thought you could go one above your need too but I don't know if councils are more strict than housing associations or if these are just new rules. I remember the bedroom tax being introduced and it was meant to encourage people to move out of their homes into smaller ones if their children had grown up and left.

And yes I pay full rent with no top-up from UC/HB.

As I have a school that is closer to me I can't get transport as they would say I need to change schools. But I don't want to do this as my DS goes to the primary school there and I thought I would be able to exchange a lot sooner than I have done.

I am looking for another job but as I live in a rural part of the country most jobs will require you to drive quite far anyway so I am hoping to get closer to the school rather than my job so my DC can get school transport. I would then be ok driving to my work and back until I can find a new job closer to home (which is even harder at the moment with COVID).

I have no advice, I'm afraid. But I just wanted to say what a fantastic hard working mum you must be to do all of that. You really sound like you need a break. Would you be willing to tell other Mumsnetters what sort of work you are looking for and in what geographical area? I'm just wondering if anyone has any contacts/might be able to help you? Is applying to work for a council or the civil service an option for you? Because they are really hot on flexible working/Inc working from home? Good luck! I sincerely hope that you get the break that you need to turn things around and make life easier for yourself.