Council refusing to let us adapt our house

[cantsleep]

We have a small 3 bed council house. Seperate bathroom and toilet both minute and difficult to use, there is literally only room for the bath in there it is tiny.

Downstairs we have a living room and kitchen which is same size, a small utility area by back door.

I asked the council could we move the kitchen area to the right hand side where the utility area and back door are, freeing up so much space that we could then have another small room downstairs. They said no.

I also asked could the bathroom and toilet be knocked through to make a larger bathroom, they said no again but the surveyor who came to the house said we could change the bathroom door to open outward s rather than inwards even though for health and safety reasons we shouldn't really As it could be opened, hit somebody and make them fall down the stairs.

I am really cross that the council are so unhelpful. Even to the point that we asked for the 3 small steps to the door be levelled out and to have a slope instead and they said no and gave us 2 stupid ramps which didn't even fit so are useless to us and even if they did its a shared entrance so they could t be left there which would mean us constantly putting them down, going out, picking them up etc etc.

We really need a bigger bathroom and are in desperate need of an extra room due to health issues and I feel the council are being very nasty saying no to our requests.

AIBU to be so annoyed, I feel like going to see them and not leaving till they agree.

It sounds then as though your house just can't be adapted to suit your needs. The council has a duty to provide adaptations for those with a disability, but if the property just can't be changed, then rehousing is your only option. What has your OT said about your bathroom?

We put in a new kitchen, landscaped the garden and ripped their shitty fencing out so we could put a gate.. we've also changed all the internal doors.

They never noticed when they came round to see if we needed any mods.

And what has the OT said about the stairs?

Meant to say without permission .

The OT said one possibility would be get rid of the bath and just have a shower to make more space but the 2 younger ones (1 and3) need baths and tbh a warm bath often helps dd a lot so I'm loathed t get rid of it.

At a basic level, the reason for building a downstairs bedroom will be because someone can't get up stairs easily and a stair lift/through floor lift doesn't solve the issues. Therefore, logically a d/s bathroom is also needed so enough space is required to build such an extension.

OTs tend to want to future proof adaptations as much as possible. So wont do a lot of work if it won't meet needs in a few years time. Therefore, if your DC have trouble with the stairs and you say they need a d/s bedroom then what would be the logic of an u/s bathroom?

You need the OT to do full assessment and recommendation to the council as it is on grounds of disability.
To those who said if you owned you'd be paying...that isnt true. A Disabled Facilities Grant is available to Under 18's to adapt a house. Of course, it rarely covers the full cost but thats another matter.

I'd be too worried to do it without permission. Dh had mentioned that his cousin who is a plumber could do the bathroom and also most of the kitchen if I was desperate but I know I'd get caught. Then it would all have to be put back and the disruption would be bad for dcs.

It's tempting but I would get caught, especially now we have asked I expect they would check.

You do need to go back to the OT and ask what happens next.

It does sound like you need another OT visit, having a stair lift installed is one of the easier ones that would solve some of your problems. Would putting in a bifold door for the bathroon help? YOu could keep the original door and swap back when you move out?

The bathroom is just so so tiny. We actually changed the sink unit to a much smaller one to make a bit more room but it hasn't helped that much. I can't even fit next to bath to bath dcs it is so small.

Haha mrsGaryKeilhofner I love your name!!

A bifold door could definitely be a good option for the bathroom. Get back to the OT and see if they can problem solve with you anymore. However it really does sound as though your house will never be able to meet your needs. Please don't do your own adaptations. You'll end up paying a heavy price for it and could you be at risk of eviction?

I understand you're in a shitty situation. I meet people every week stuck in properties that no way meet their needs, but there's not enough housing stick to solve the problem (and the car crash that is the bedroom tax only causes more misery).

How does the bathroom size affect you bathing your DD? This is what you need to explain to the OT. Does she have her own room? is this room sufficient for her needs, if not why not. What difficulties do you have dealing with your DD and her needs.

You need to get an OT so that they can do a full assessment of all your DCs' needs. If your house can not be adapted then your Council should be looking at finding you a suitable house and making sure any adaptations are carried out in there.

I have an adapted house, not council, and needed an OT to do an assessment before it was done. I was warned that I was only entitled to the bare minimum to make my life easier. I wasn't allowed to ask for things or give preferences.

At some point has someone put in a larger bath than the one it would have originally had? Sounds like a nightmare

Are you asking them to pay for these adaptations or are you offering to pay for it yourself?

If you are willing to pay for it, then YANBU to be annoyed at the council.

If you are expecting them to pay for it, YABU about most of it. Ramps that work are a reasonable request, but a whole new room is a lot to ask for, and it's not as if they'd ever pay for that if you lived in a private property.

They might pay for small adaptations in a private property, they paid for a ramp and a stairlift for my DHs Dad after he had a stroke and they owned their home. I'm fairly certain they would have laughed in our faces if we'd asked for something as major as a whole new room, kitchen and bathroom though, even knowing that there would be a benefit to a disabled person.

Would a bath lift fit in the bathroom?

Broken I own my home, the council will and do pay. I have just had a large extension built on to my home for my DD, the council have paid for 60% of the costs. I have a new kitchen, extra bedroom and en suite bathroom.

can you ask for the bath to be taken out and a shower put in?

I am Social Services OT. I think the OT needs to go through your options with you again so you are clear on your choices and their rationale for providing the service that they are providing. However, they aren't being nasty saying no to your requests because they need to work within the rules surrounding adaptations. I understand it is frustrating. If I had a magic wand I would make sure every home in this country have large bathrooms, a downstairs toilet, no stairs and preferably are located on the flat.

Major adaptations are available to support disabled people access bathing/washing, sleeping, toilet, living facilities and access in/out and around the home. The person needing the adaptations must be "permanently and substantially" disabled. Therefore if a child needs an adaptation the council has a legal duty to provide these adaptations.

However, If you are planning to move then it is unlikely that the council will support a major adaptation through a Disabled Facilities Grant as if you move to a new house you would then require that house to be adapted as well. Therefore, it is better to move to a house which is suitable to be adapted rather than have a bad adaptation in a house which is too small. After all, space is a really important thing if equipment (wheelchairs, walkers etc.) are required in the long run.

Swapping kitchens over often looks simple but actually is a very costly solution. It sounds like the house is too small for major adaptations for a wheelchair user (that is if you children are likely in the future to use a wheelchair). Stair lifts often aren't appropriate for children and also if physical help is required off the stair lift then again it sounds as if there wouldn't be space for that either.

Also a permanent ramp cannot be less than 1:12 but is better at 1:20. Therefore for every 1" of step you need a foot long stretch of ramp. If they put a ramp with a steeper gradient it would be pretty dangerous, particularly in icy weather.

It sounds like the OT is giving you temporary ramps and is looking at minor adaptations to help you until you move to a new house. Although frustrating for you, this is appropriate. If you are going to vent your spleen at anyone, it should be Housing. I'm sure your OT would support you at any Housing panels.

The bath is not that big (my mum has a much larger bath that I always thought was a standard size one).

Dd1 share a room with dd2, it is quite cramped. She struggles terribly with stairs and can't sleep well due to dd2 being unwell and me or dh often end up in there each night too for dd2.

Dd needs supervision when bathing due to her problems, she struggles getting in and out too hence the OT giving us a bath board.

We would hope a grant would cover majority of the work. If not and we had permission dh family are plumbers/decorators/electricians etc so could do remainder of work if need be.

Rather than swap, you need to ask to go on the transfer list for when an adapted property becomes available. The adaptations you are requesting would cost far more than your housing provider can afford. Every housing provider has a limited pot for both day to day repairs and planned works, and with the under occupancy levy, reassessment of other benefits and the general poor state of the economy , arrears levels are generally rising.....

broken the council have a duty to disabled people in council AND private homes. The grants are means tested, so it's savings that are considered, not whether you are a council tenant or not.

'If you are expecting them to pay for it, YABU about most of it. Ramps that work are a reasonable request, but a whole new room is a lot to ask for, and it's not as if they'd ever pay for that if you lived in a private property.'

Broken, the DFG is up to £30K so will pay for a room and adapted bathroom. The homeowner is expected to pay if it is more. We had an extension built onto an existing room for a downstairs bedroom/bathroom with hoists for a severely disabled child after an OT assessment.We did have to fundraise the difference though but the grant was 30K. The DFG is avilable for all disabled children under 18.

I was not sure also if a stair lift would be safe with younger children in the house.