Council referring me back to borough I endured domestic abuse

[BonbonJJx97]

Hi I'm wondering if anyone could just give me some
advice I originally lived in the Brent borough my whole life however after experiencing domestic abuse (physical) from my ex partner who I share my eldest son with I decided to seek help from Brent council. I expressed all of my concerns and I found a place to private rent out of London I have been residing here for the last two years. My ex partner has found out my address through a friend he has at Brent council - their investigating this as we speak.

The borough I'm currently residing in have put me into temporary accommodation still in the borough just a different area, I must add my ex partner doesn't necessarily know this borough it was just the fact he had my previous address. He has a warrant out for his arrest for revenge p and threats to harm me I have a non molestation order but they can't locate to serve it. He's doing it deliberately I reckon staying away from his address.

My ex partner lives in Brent. When I moved into the temporary accommodation I was told I'd be here a minimum of a year which I was okay with as my eldest son is autistic and cannot deal with change it was already difficult moving here. I have three children all together.

Anyways two weeks of being here and I've been told I have been referred back to Brent and have to leave after getting into debt getting cooking facilities as nothing was provided and moving van . They gave me a two hour notice which is ridiculous and I refused I have now been given a notice to quit. It says on the letter ( Ending of interim accommodation duty under the Housing Act 1996, Part VII ( as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017) - Section 188 Provision of Interim Accomodation.

I'm wondering if I request a review if this will make a difference?

I really don't wanna be forced to work with Brent especially under the circumstances if it comes back that there was a data breach.

What are my rights if any with this?

Any help is appreciated.

In all honesty I would get on to the local MP. This sounds horrendous

How have you got into debt so soon after moving in?

How is that relevant?

It’s easily done in temporary accommodation. The rent would be significantly higher than social housing and in some instances, higher than private rent. Usually not fully covered by housing benefit either.

Have you contacted Shelter? What we do - Shelter England They help with exactly these kind of issues. Also see if there are any low cost law centres in your area.

When in temporary accommodation the council you reside under usually pays it - hence me asking. It's only been a couple of weeks, I'd be asking for an explanation because even if you were eligible for housing benefit it wouldn't have kicked in that soon!

I've got into debt because there were no cooking facilities at all not sure how that is the only part you took from my situation

@rockingbird ahh I see what you're saying no that side of things I'm not in debt

@roastiepotato I've done this I'm hoping he actually steps in he's said he's going to look into my case

Speak to Shelter and Women’s aid.

This is disgusting and I hope it gets sorted for you soon.

@Error404pagenotfound ive spoken to women's aid and shelter and was told to ask for a right to review which I've done but my problem is do I start working with Brent and pack up and leave or do I wait until after the review has been made? I was advised I can ask for an extension on the temporary accommodation but let's say they don't get back to me within the time frame I have left what do I do? Literally at my wits end. Just had a welfare check with three police officers as I spoke to victim support last night and I was saying i don't know how much more I can take and I fell asleep whilst in the chat so they thought I may have harmed myself. Police officers were really lovely and said they were going to go into the council now as they don't believe this is right however I don't know how much power they will have over this housing law the council are trying to use?

Sorry my mistake! Certainly costly - temp accommodation should provide cooking facilities!! On what grounds are they asking you to leave? They accepted you and provided accommodation but now just want to hand you over to Brent - potentially putting you and your children in danger. What do Brent Council say?? No harm to make enquiries-or you'd be homeless all over again.

@rockingbird brent council have accepted the referral due to the housing law they are using where it's okay to refer an applicant back to their local connection even if there is a risk of violence - I know, total madness. Their saying it's because Brent have a duty to help me within the five year duty and because of this housing law Brent can't refuse even if they wanted to.

@rockingbird also they said they couldn't put me into a hotel with no cooking facilities however was okay to put me in temporary with none it's absolutely crazy. Just got off the phone to civil legal aid and the have basically said I just have to work with Brent

I think I would stay put unless moved by force and appeal to your MP. I can understand the logic of your being able to live in a borough where DV took place, boroughs are pretty big, but a situation where the council put you at serious risk of harm via a massive data breach and ethical violation is an exceptional circumstance. I am not a lawyer or expert in these areas though so I would definitely speak to Shelter and also see if you qualify for any legal aid to engage a solicitor on your own behalf.

You would, however, think that the council would bend over backwards to prove that there would be no further risk of data breaches to your ex. So if it seems you have no choice but to work with them, I would definitely write to them asking them to lay out 1) how they will guarantee there will be no further leaks of your address details 2) how they will respond and safeguard you if your ex somehow gets hold of your address again.

Under the current housing law, Brent has a duty of care to you as your local connection is there - and they appear to know this, as they've accepted your referral back. What is their plan if you pack up? Have they found alternative accommodation for you?

It's reasonable to ask them how they will safeguard your data given the previous breach, and to also set up an emergency plan for if anything happens again. This may well be an emergency button at your home, that has a priority response designated to it, but the council and police force will advise on what they think is a good system and you can work with them to make sure that you're happy, too.

I'm not an expert in housing law, so I'd definitely talk to Shelter, but I'm not sure that DV in the Borough will be enough to discharge the local connection - and you'll likely fail in getting council help to house you anywhere else, on that criteria. I'm not aware of any overrides of that requirement that are relevant here, though, so I think you are going to have to engage with Brent and at least try and come to a solution.

If they can't come up with anything that is objectively safe; you may be able to fight them on that down the line, but if you refuse to engage initially, they will likely just discharge their responsibility towards you.

I don't think it is wise to name to specific council on here.

@DreadPirateRobots exactly that's what I've been saying to them surely if you're still investigating how on earth can you be 100 percent sure you will keep me safe, they couldn't say anything infact the woman from Brent agreed. I just don't know what to do I've written a right for a review. The mp is finally looking into it I'm just hoping for the best because it's making me physically ill

You can ask for the council to seal your details for example your name will appear as XXXXXX XXXXXX and it should be locked, ie if someone (should only be accessed by one named person) and if someone else tries to access it, it will be flagged up. Very very serious breach by your ex's friend, I hope he is dealt with accordingly.
I do understand the frustration of potentially being housed close to where the perpetrator lives though. Hopefully from the advice, you can get this resolved.
I'm not in London, so know the councils work differently outside of London. Ie. Where I am the main county council has all different districts under it, so someone in your position could transfer from Ipswich council to East Suffolk for example.

Op I agree with Sweetsakura, I'd ask for this to be deleted, and post again with different user name and don't mention the council.
I'm sorry you are having to go through this.

@avaritablevampire its too late for that he already knows got a text from a random number saying I know you're coming back to the borough you dumb b but again it doesn't matter to them.

@avaritablevampire and no it's not from
this post I've been getting these threats for a week or so I've addressed it all with the council but they are sticking by this housing law

And the police are up to date

I hate to ask, but are you absolutely sure that nobody else in your life could be feeding information to your ex? A mutualish friend or stupid meddling well-meaning family member who is vulnerable to him guilt-tripping? Who other than you or the council knows that you have been advised to return to [council] to be housed?