Is this overcrowding? Living in living room? Social housing/council home

[Hannahandbaby]

hey guys. asking for my cousin.

her and her parents moved into a 2 bedroom flat when she was 17, she is now 27

in 2018, 8 years ago, her parents separated.

she ended up living and sleeping in the living room because her mother moved into the her bedroom

so her dad lives in one bedroom, mum in another and daughter in living room

Someone moving out was not an option because:

father shortly before divorce ended up disabled, her mother worked minimum wage. Both parents are now pensioners.

so due to low income/pension credit/benefits impossible to find a place to rent

also one moving out would make the daughter homeless as she and and her mum wouldn’t be able to afford the rent.

also landlord now keeps rent reasonable, they wouldn’t be able to afford other private rents

few years ago my friend ended up disabled too (same illness as father, i think inherited from father) and due to illness had to cut hours and her health condition is getting worse and worse everyday. She is really scared she might have to gave up work completely and scared of the future

The living room connects to the kitchen so her parents pass her by to use kitchen everyday/constantly.

her parents are also having constant fights. They hate each other. Screaming on top of lungs, yelling, insulting each other, swearing at each other. so the stress of all this is awful. I myself witnessed this a few times while on phone with her or visiting her.

i know legally, this isn’t really overcrowding, her living in the living room.

but should she try applying anyway? Is there any chance they’ll accept her on list?

she doesn’t care about waiting even decades, she just wants to get on the list. She is terrified about the future.

this is east London, Redbridge

Sorry if I missed this, but why doesn't the dad just move out and let the mum and the DD rent the existing flat together? Surely that's manageable? I don't see the benefit of the mum going into an over 60s place versus sticking with the DD.

I would also like to know this!

He, like the mother are waiting for an over 60s home. He is disabled and needs care etc

Presumably because they're under the misapprehension that it will somehow fast track the DD into social housing. And if it did, then who could blame them? Who doesn't want secure housing for life for their child? But, sadly for them, it doesn't.

Staying together in a 2 bed in the PRS and claiming housing benefits is a perfect solution, the other option would be the DM going into over 60s accommodation and the DD seeking studio or 1 bed accommodation in the PRS (and claiming HB as appropriate).

There's no priority for social housing in this scenario.

Me too!

They're asking why, when he moves out the DM and DD don't stay renting the 2 bed flat together.

Mother will be leaving too as she is on waiting list

Her father tried moving out years ago. He couldn’t find a place to rent being on pension credit and especially now impossible with his severe disability. He and mother are on waiting list for social housing

The thing I've not seen mentioned - if her parents move out she could invite a friend to move in with her / otherwise select a housemate. I don't imagine the landlord would have a problem if between them they can pay the rent.

Another option: London is really expensive. She could look at moving to another bit of the country with cheaper housing, as could her parents. That might be tricky if she's reliant on public transport/ her job isn't readily transferable but worth considering. If there are specialist services for her disability there may be communities of people local to those hospitals that might make those areas good places to live

Another consideration: some of the over 55s housing schemes also accommodate younger disabled people - this is a question for the housing authority/ Shelter. She might want to live near her mum / there might be two bedroomed places where they could live together.

Charity - Almshouses are worth investigating as another source of accommodation.

If she hasn't looked at claiming PIP that's worth doing.

Accessible to work funding is worth exploring if it'll help her stay in work.

about housemate. They asked. He for some reason doesn’t want anyone else and wants to sell when they leave

Apply anyway. There's nothing to loose.
It may say 15/20 years wait but that isn't always what it seems. They are including everyone on the housing register. It depends in the banding. And situation. Its actually easier to house a single person than it is a family.

Different area of london but I just checked bidding history for 1 beds and self contained studio/bedsit there were several 1 beds they had 17/16//15 . And a few bids in the mid 20s

4 bed there was 224 bid on one property
A 3 bed house had 715 bids studio flat 3 bids most of the studios see to have between 1-7 bids

Its a mix of banding getting the property there a few in band 3 who waited anything from a few months to 2 years.

She can add her medical needs that will help. If her parents could kick her out that may help her more.

if they wanted that they would have “kicked her out” 8 years ago so she could be considered homeless and get a council home.

her father also looked for a home years ago but couldn’t find one to rent on pension credit.

her mum actually turned down an offer a few years ago so she could stay with her daughter. (Still on waiting list though)

truth is her parents are not well and getting old. She feels extremely guilty when landlord sells up mother would be struggling with no secure home in old age. Because of her

she insisted they stay on waiting list and leave when they get an offer. She insisted she’ll be fine.

her applying for council was my idea.

So finding a studio or 1 bed in the PRS is the prioriy, since she cannot risk being left in the 2 bed and defaulting on rent hence making herself 'intentionally homeless'. Suggest she starts looking asap.

Start by ringing round agencies. The council also may well have schemes to help with the deposit, and they may also have PRS housing list of LLs happy to rent to people on benefits referred by the council (wondering whether this service will disappear after the renters reforms?).

It is really, really important she doesn't make herself 'intentionally homeless' by defaulting on rent or giving notice. I cannot stress this enough.

her mother turned down council home offer once already.

But her parents are not well and getting old. She feels extremely guilty if landlord sells up mother would be struggling with no secure home in old age. Because of her
she insisted they stay on waiting list and leave when they get an offer. She insisted she’ll be fine.

her mother turned down council home offer once already

That doesn't make sense. If she had accepted the offer, her daughter could have had her room in the current house.

Her father was 100 percent going to leave and really needed it as he needed care. It wasn’t choice for him.

they were sure he will get place before mum. mother felt like she could go without it, father couldn’t

also daughter at the time was undiagnosed and the mum was helping/caring for her

Yes I understand that. I just don't understand why they both need separate homes for the over 60s, when it puts their daughter in such a precarious position. Especially when, as you said, families tend to stay together and live intergenerationally rather than the children leaving.

Why can't the dad have his over 60s place and leave the mother with her DD in their flat? Doesn't the mother care if her DD can't manage alone? It sounds as though she's going to need her mum's help as well, with her health failing.

And how can the daughter claim overcrowding when they already offered the mother a place and she turned it down?

Why can't the dad have his over 60s place and leave the mother with her DD in their flat? Doesn't the mother care if her DD can't manage alone? It sounds as though she's going to need her mum's help as well, with her health failing.

This!

Her parents needs to make her homeless. They need to do this by asking the landlord to issue a section 21 before they are defunct. This will force the councils hand to prioritise them in the social housing lists.

once the section 21 is issued the move up the list quickly. As your cousin would also then be homeless they would likely put her in a b&b, but if she is disabled, with enough medical evidence should could get priority housing too.

when they move the council doesn’t given them carpets etc, so they will have to find money to do some of this work, but there are usually some grants etc available and they will do some affordability planning too

She could do with checking disability allowances. She could be entitled to PIP but as she has had to cut her hours at work she may be entitled to Employment Support Allowance. I may have got that title wrong but this is extra money to help her stay in work through her illness . She should get an appointment with CAB to discuss her options.

Her parents needs to make her homeless. They need to do this by asking the landlord to issue a section 21 before they are defunct.

Section 21 is defunct as of today. In any case, she is also a tenant named on the tenancy agreement so her parents can't make her homeless.

What a pathetic thing to say. I pity you.