Council says fostering allowance puts us over housing association threshold

[Malinoismum]

Hi everyone, I'll try to keep this brief. Last year we were asked by CSS to apply to foster our DGC ( G13 B12 ). Of course, we said yes and it went through court in December. We decided to wait a year before applying for special guardianship as visiting was not set up with biological parents. We were the only ones who passed assessment, so the alternative would have been a foster home.
We live in a very small 2 bed HA bungalow. We are both disabled and are in 50s so bungalow was ideal when just us. However, with the DGC, plus a dog, it is a nightmare!
The DGD has taken over living room , there's clothes and stuff everywhere, no room fir visitors or sleepovers. No space for anyone, kids are always moaning about it, and it's really affecting everyone's mental health.
We applied for homechoice with council and they say with the foster allowance we are above threshold for HA property and the advise to rent privately. I hate the thought of not having the security of a HA property, and it's really getting me down. I wanted to do the best for these kids but I am failing them 😪 CSS and kids school wrote supporting letters but did not help, and no one seems to want to swap.
I feel so low.

I would still contact the local MP as they are the ones who introduced the localism act which allowed local forward is to decide their own allocations policy such as income limits.

Most of them have not reviewed this limit since the act came in place. Nearly 15 years ago! Household income have increased as have market rents and property prices. It’s not a justified limit.

Contact the member, yes, and make some changes. Find a foster family for the dog that is local enough for your GC to walk it on weekends. Invite an Occupational Therapist to visit to see if changes can be made in setting up spaces in your small home any better. Wait to swap. Involve foster parents, if you can, to give you and the DGC some respite each month.You are amazing to be caring for your GC.

Family Rights Group who someone above also mentioned have an advice line it would be worth giving them a call. You could also get advice from the charity Kinship.

I have no useful advice apart from contacting your MP.

I would consider having strong conversation with social services and tell them that if this continues, you will be forced to end the fostering agreement.

The kids should still be under social care, speak to their social worker as they can assist in these circumstances.

And as above whichever puppet at the council you spoke to doesn't understand the system because foster allowance and things like cms do not count as income.

No that won’t work, they aren’t homeless and if theu give up the bungalow they are technically making themselves homeless intentionally which council won’t help.
ask ss to help.

this sounds bonkers and wrong

agree with contacting your MP

Could you give up your bedroom and go into the lounge instead? Unfortunately thats the only real option right now.

Yes they can be classed as homeless if they are statutory overcrowded. They don’t have to leave the bungalow they make a homeless application

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/homelessness/get_help_from_the_council

People are also missing the point that we are in the middle of a housing crisis and there is limited social housing. So even if op is allowed back on the housing register to bid for properties or wait for a direct offer. There is still no guarantee they will be successful. They could waiting years. Unfortunately there are thousands of families in similar situations.

Go to the newspapers! This is outrageous! And yes, your local MP as well as fostering charities.

Hi op. I’m a foster carer and I’m quite shocked SS have allowed the children to be placed with you (no offence). You both have disabilities and not enough room. Usually you’ll need a bedroom for each child.

contact your social worker. They have more powers than you realise. I’ve definitely had childrens families helped into appropriate housing when refused by council/HA for being over the allowance. Also your MP. They can make exceptions.

I agree re contacting your MP.
They really can't stand the thought of being publicly criticised if they think you'll get the pressure involved.
MPs are such turncoats though.
I was professionally involved in a similar case years ago.
Despite our team fighting council cutbacks led by the MP, our department was then criticised heavily and publicly by the MP for implementing the changes he had orchestrated.

Unfortunately this is happening a lot. I looked after a child (I foster) who’s parent couldn’t get a council/HA property due to the disability benefits she was getting for her two dc who had significant needs. This woman couldn’t keep them in temporary accommodation hence why one came to me. She had to stop their claims anyway while dc were placed in temporary care but this then allowed her into the list. It’s bonkers!

Yes, so many landlords have issued section 21s lately the system is completely overwhelmed. There just isn’t anywhere to house families now.

I agree with the suggestions to contact your MP and to keep arguing with the council. Ultimately it's far cheaper for them to house you all suitably than to put the children into care.

Do NOT give up a secure tenancy to enter the private rental sector.

I also see that a few posters are suggesting you and your husband give up your bedroom and move onto a sofa bed in the living room. Given the nature of your injuries I think this is a very bad idea.

I am amazed you are getting fostering allowance when it's your own family. Why don't you just get a private rental.

Speak to local councillor first
Then elevate to mp

Would one of your bedrooms be big enough to have a stud wall put in to separate into two rooms?
Even if it's just enough space for a bed and something for their clothes, for each of them?

A) kinship fostering is provided for within the law and carers are paid in line with any foster carer. I don't know why you would be amazed by this - if the local authority removes a child they are responsible for paying the carers whether they are professional or kinship carers
B) private renting is far more expensive and far less secure than housing association. OP and her husband are both disabled and unable to work. Why should they destroy their chance for a secure and stable home into their old age because they have taken on care of children who aren't their own?

Go to Citizens Advice who will advise you what you are entitled to. Your home is too small for your family.

These are not young children and it's likely far better for them to be placed with family even without their own bedrooms than to go into foster care! I'm a social worker and we would absolutely advocate for this over foster care. It's likely to be fostering panel who might have an issue with this rather than children's services but the senior fostering manager can approve a placement even if foster panel doesn't recommend them.
However sadly your faith in social services to influence housing is completely misplaced. They don't listen to us, we have no power.

I don't know too much about HA homes but I am in and out of quite a few as I am a PA for disabled people.

If they are saying they can't move you could you ask the HA if you can apply to have a conservatory on the back of the bungalow then use this as the living and dining area and turn the living room into an additional bedroom?

Try phoning Shelter, op. Other than contacting your MP (which is worth doing no matter whether the council is following its housing policy) I wouldn't be keen to take advice on here. There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding. Whatever you do, don't give up your HA tenancy in favour of the private rental sector as was suggested. That really would be the worst possible course of action.

That is a very fair point and I agree with you that continuing to lobby is important.

But it doesn't change the fact that councils do often count living rooms as habitable bedrooms when determining whether a family is overcrowded. And if they are not, it's going to make that extra bedroom very difficult to get. Especially if they are now needing a 3 bed bungalow which must be like hens' teeth.

A sofa bed would be a terrible idea but Murphy beds can be proper beds with whatever mattress you choose to put on them. It's not right, but it would be a much more secure option than giving up the 2 bed and moving into private rental for the extra bedroom.

Hopefully there are some advocates or social workers out there who can work some magic