Social Housing - Completely prepared to be U..

[Bathsheba]

Slightly different Social Housing quandry - this is also posted for both myself and my Mum (she asked me...)

My Mum lives in a little block of 7, single story, single bedroom little council houses. These are lovely houses. Whilst they aren't disabled adapted (well, 1 actually is as a previous tenant was wheelchair bound and ramps/wet room etc were all put in) and there are no wardens etc, these have always been seen as "elderly or vulnerable" houses.

My Mum's next door neighbour passed away in April. After a couple of weeks for his parents to clear the house (it was a sudden and tragic death), the house was returned to the council "stock".

The house was allocated to a single woman, about 55/60 who lived in a town about 20 miles away but wanted to move to be closer to her elderly mother in the city. Perfectly reasonable of course.

However she has yet to move in..!!! Obviously she is paying the rent and things, but she comes and goes, stays maybe 1 or 2 nights per week, or her brother says over. There is very very little furniture in the house at all - certainly nothing like a sofa etc. (and no huge TV...or goat)

My Mum says that, from chatting to her, that they are simply using it as a stop off point - a place to crash after seeing their elderly mother, instead of heading the 20 miles down to where they are actually living..

Which, if they are keeping up with the rent is really not against any rules etc...but it just sits wrongly with us. These houses are lovely...and very desirable 1 bedroom, no stair, near bus route, about 50 yards from a school (previous vulnerable residents had children) etc....someone/a couple who needs a house could actually be LIVING in this house, rather than it being used 2 or 3 nights a week for 1 of the 2 of them to crash in.

Like I say, we know its not really against the rules but it sits uneasily with us - can my mum, or should my mum call the local Housing dept to let them know that the tenant isn't actually living in the house...

So this property is a housing association property/council property? If so them I'm surprised that she's been given this if she has another property further away.
Also if she's taken out contents insurance then she's defrauding the company (maybe) if she's said that she's there more than she is

Is there any actual rule in place that says it is for 'elderly or vulnerable' people, or is that just how it's been to date?

If it's the latter, then I think you would BU to call anyone.

I understand your feeling a bit sad that the house isn't being used to its full potential but you might be seen as an interfering sort if you intervene.

Well she obviously 'bid' for it and was top of the list to actually get it. Unless she lied on her application form, of course.

If she was eligible and still is the Council won't give a shit for at least six months as long as she pays her rent.

Sounds wrong to me to. If they want to be close they should move in not have the best of both worlds.

Is having someone else stay regularly allowed? If not perhaps you could report them on that premis?

Should add the caveat that I know nothing about how social housing allocation operates and there might be rules I am unaware of!

I think for most social housing it has to occupied most days. ask your mum to read up on her tenancy about the rules.

is it possible that elderly mum isn't very well at all, and lady and brother are splitting caring between the two of them during her last days, and going back to other family for support the other days?

YWNBU to call and tell them.

I agree with you. Someone IS in great need of that house. Waiting lists are so long at the minute, its just not on for someone to misuse it in this way.

Grass her up to the HA.

Could they be taking it in turns to stay with their elderly mother and so they are in and out for this reason. No time to make it homely because they are too busy caring for their mother?

So many reasons this could be happening, until you are certain something untoward is happening is it really worth risking putting these people through the extra stress of an investigation?

My friend didn't stay in her house for a long time when her father was very ill, it was after her father passed away she went home.

She owns her house, but the stress of looking after her father was very hard on her without having the extra stress of trying to keep a home if she rented.

I really don't think someone should be using it as a part-time crash pad, whatever the circumstances. I'd be v surprised if there wasn't a clause in the tenancy agreement about it being the main residence (with a definition of that). With the huge pressure on social housing and no doubt many people wanting to downsize, I'd be inclined to inform the council.

It is rule breaking. Something to do with it having to be your sole residence. They normally do a home visit a few weeks in. It is not fair that they are using it in this fashion, it is meant to be for those in need, not just want or convenience.

I thought that the rules were that the houses were to be lived in, not used some of the time.

When we got our house we had someone come to see us after a month and she looked round, obviously making sure we were living there and not using it for anything else.

Im sure the actual law is the local council (with the help of HAs) are to house you if you have nowhere to live. They dont just hand out houses to people who need to use it some of the time.

If they only live 20 miles away too that's not that far at all. Id maybe do a bit more research, but personally I think they are breaking the rules.

If its housing association they do regular visits for the first 12 months and then a lifetime tenancy is given if all is deemed ok on all the visits so surely they will see she's not properly living there by her lack of furniture etc?

I'd be tempted to keep quiet because if they kick her out your mum could end up with a nightmare noisy neighbour!

Fortunately as my mum has itching but knitting to do she keeps a goodly eye on the place - she says that the house is only occupied overnight 2 or 3 night a week - it s of course perfectly plausible that the care required by the elderly mother has lead o this. However the initial reason she couldn't move in was that she was on holiday in Portugal for a month....

I think with the bedroom tax coming in etc then small houses like this are even more like gold dust - not only will there be people needing it but there will be people in larger properties paying a premium...

It's a council house but they run all their council houses as a housing association - the houses are allocated etc by "fancy name Homes" rather than "our City Council". I don't know how they are classified at the council but everyone who lives in them is either over 70 or with a physical disability. The tenant who died was a reformed (but sometimes lapsing) drug user (nice guy - my mum and him got on really well).

Sounds like non-residency to me.
This could be very dodgy for a number of reasons and you should definitely report it.

Most HA's have a 'main residency' rule in place so if you have a holiday home, you can still have that, but if there are no real signs of habitation then yes, the HA will take a dim view and ask her to explain why. If it's legit, then fine, no probs, but they will keep an eye on things. If not then she may have breached tenancy and be served a notice to quit.

I its council and she was high priority then she souldnt have another house to live in. sounds dodgy and id ask about it to HA.

If she have another actual residence then you should definitely report her. With the bedtoom tax, single bedroom council housing are gold dust and no-one should be allowed to get away with anything the slightest bit untoward, and a social housing agreement is only every for being your main residence. However, is it possible you have misunderstood? Might it be that the nights she isn't in the new flat is when she's staying overnight with her elderly mum who needs overnight support? If that is so then it's perfectly reasonable for her to have a home of her own which she isn't in all the time. I could imagine a conversation-between-neighbours which could be misunderstood in this way if either party wasn't quite concentrating.

there is probably something in her tenancy agreement about it being her only or principal home which the landlord can investigate. however if she is paying the rent and not on housing benefit and is in the house at least 2 or 3 days a week it would be very hard to prove. if she's claiming hb though and has another property then that can make it easier. all you or your mum can do is report it to the landlord who should have an investigation process.

Oh God drip feeding what a joy?

On holiday for a month was she? How do you know, some one must be talking to the lady in question, so why doesn't that person ask the lady why she hasn't moved in fully yet?

Could she possibly have a job where she works night (sleep in carer etc)?

When I moved into my council house they done a visit to check that I was actually living there fulltime. I know that with my council that you are not classed as a resident in a house unless you stay there more than 3 nights a week.

TBH I would speak to the housing about it she could be living in a house in someone else's name and saying she's not to get this house to stop in and might be claiming rent benefit for it too. If she is honestly entitled to the house then no harm done if not it should be given to someone who needs it.