a person in a housing association 3 bed house on her own when I've been

[stephrick]

on the waiting list since DP passed away 4 years ago, with 2 DC in full time education, and one working for the last year. I'm not moving up the list, in private rent and giving me sleepless nights. The rent is high, I'm working but not earning enough, a social housing house I can pay it no problem with my wages, and she is getting benefit. And worse she wanted to relocate and looked at houses but moaned the the living room was too small and did'nt have patio doors, my house is shit, I have mould growing every year but feel unable to tell labdlord in case they say f off, as for patio door I dream. sorry rant.

If she's single in a 3-bed house then from the limited knowledge I have of HA rules, she's under-occupying.

You need to TELL him about the damp, whether you get told to fuck off or not is irrelevant, if he doesn't know about it (which is doubtful because damp doesn't spring from nowhere, usually) how can he attempt to rectify it?

If that fails, you can talk to the council about your damp. If it's moulding they'll sometimes send round an EH officer. Professional landlord or no, he has a responsibility to keep the property in a condition fit for living, and if he fails to do that he can get into trouble. And if he evicts you for being too much trouble, well then you're homeless with children, and that usually guarantees you at least temporary housing with the council.

You need to be proactive!

Really common problem I am afraid. :-(

Worth speaking to the local authority/housing association and say you are 'threatened with homelessness' as you cannot afford the rent and you are in 'priority need'.

I have a friend who was in a two bedroom HA house and her mum was in a three.

Her mum just has one DC, my friend has three, two boys and a girl. Her mum refused to swap and could not be forced to. My friend now has a lovely three bedroom house though. It did take three years.

I think the changes to housing benefit will change all that though. The person you know will be willing enough to move when they come in.

get your LL to sort the damp!! dont sit brooding on what others have if you aren't willing to do something for yourself!!

What Icing said. Get onto your LL about the damp and if he serves notice you'll climb to the top of the list.

If your landlord gives you notice, you will have two months (at least, and it can drag on a lot longer than that). When you have a reposession notice the housing authority will have to take you seriously. I work in Housing Benefit and know of cases where the tenant has asked the landlord to serve notice so that they can apply for a Housing Association home.

The new rules that are coming in will hardly make a difference until they are applied to pensioners as well. But that's a whole other rant.

By the way, if you can't pay your rent you should apply for Housing Benefit - many working people get some benefit. You won't lose anything by finding out.

'The new rules that are coming in will hardly make a difference until they are applied to pensioners as well. But that's a whole other rant.'

Exactly! They are the largest section of under-occupiers.

It sounds tough. I think what OP is saying is that she's paying privately over the odds for a horrible place when her peers are getting a much better deal on social housing that she cannot access.

That's all.

I'm pretty sure that her landlord won't fix the problem, and it's such a hassle to get them to do it and if she's evicted will she and her kids get a nice place or end up in B&B and all that entails and the outcomes (like another family I know).

No answers but I do feel for you OP.

Half the problem is the council not housing people correctly in the first place.
I needed a home, they offered me a three bed when I only need two, but I wasn't going to turn it down because I needed it.
Now I can't afford to downsize.

Im on the fence with this one. I do think there are some people who should be moved to smaller houses however my parents have lived in their house for more than 30 yrs. It is the only house they have had, they raised all their kids in that house. And it is their home. If they moved they would be moving out of their community and away from their friends.

OP if you have problems with your house contact your landlord and apply for housing benefit.

Both of my next door neighbours are single pensioners in large 3 bed council homes with large garden, driveway and garage, none of which they use. Both have deceased partners but never had children. I don't think it's right (but I hope they stay put until we've moved)

My mum and my best friend's mum both live in 3 bedroom houses and only use one bedroom each,both are pensioners. Both council houses. I had to rent privately when I left exdh and I put up with damp too. Thankfully I live with dp now in our own home but those days were a struggle and made me angry. You can't blame the people for staying I suppose but there's definitely an imbalance. I was lucky to have the bond to rent privately. Otherwise I have no idea what I'd have done? I worry for other LPs in the same situation and dream of a big lotto win so I can set up a fund and provide bonds. I hope things change one day and there's more support for them?

Pensioners are exempt from the bedroom tax.