To think 4 people can't fit in 2 bed house

[BananaCakePie]

The title explains it all really.

Teenage son in one room,mother,grandmother and teenage daughter sharing a room.

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

A two bedroom house is less than ideal to say the least and I understand finances mitigate against a third bedroom, but does it have to be this to bed house they rent, given that the shared space downstairs seems limited.

Buying things like double beds/wall beds furniture to divide rooms is going to be expensive and possibly unaffordable. Even if they can afford these modifications, I can't see the landlord being too chuffed if they start drilling holes into the lounge wall to fit in a wall bed.

I really can't see how it will work out with that house, with that combination of people. Sadly I can't see any solution that doesn't involve the Granny being accommodated elsewhere.

[draculasteabag]

The living room would be a bedroom not a living space anymore. That would be the deal. It's best if it's a big kitchen. Sacrifices need to bed made. The kitchen can be where they do everything.

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

Yep Dracula - the kitchen is very much a limiting factor. I think they only have a galley kitchen so no space for a table.

[SunsetOnTheHorizon]

There are 5 of us in a 2bed. 3dcs and Dh and I. Dc's are under 7 so not a big deal. Teenagers should share as there is only one living room. My PIL's children share a room, (foriegn country) children are teenage and older, they are not poor, have a huge home but thats how its been. They have thier personal belongings in seperate parts of the house, clothes jewellery etc.

It is possible for teeenagers to share, set the room up whereby they have thier own allocated spaces.

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

sunset It isn't just the numbers in the scenario the op's has laid out is it? It is the ages and relationships of the people involved spanning three generations and teenage children of both sexes.

There doesn't appear to be a combination that doesn't involve using the living room as sleeping accommodation, unless mother and grandmother share a bedroom as well as the two teenagers.

[ivegotdreadfulpmttoday]

When I bought my then two bedroomed house the large family who had it before me used the loft space as a bedroom. There was a pull down ladder and they'd boarded the loft. Totally against fire regs but is it a possible solution for the son to have the loft space leaving the two bedrooms to be shared by the three women?

[Beebeeeight]

Even if gran moves out they still need a 3 bed.

[P1nkP0ppy]

I would suggest that your SIL contacts the Council and requests a Carers Assessment, which will suss out what she needs to care for her mum. She probably won't be entitled to Carers Allowance but it may show what else she is entitled to. It would also highlight where else she can go for help.
The rest of the family should be bloody ashamed of themselves that she's in this predicament through no fault of her own.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

The teens share a room and sil and mum share

End of. No point having someone on the sofa as they will never have any privacy and can't sleep as and when they want

Sorry for her and your loss. Many people don't have a will ESP if previous relationships - I didn't have a will when dh died

5yrs on not many of my friends have a will - I've told them countless times to get one

Life in is cheap when non smoker and 25/30

Much more when 45/50 and a smoker

I can't believe the selfishness of sil siblings. The gran is all their mum and all should help

Do the half siblings ever see the teens?

If gran is contributing £600 per month then if she moved out would sil be able to afford a 2bed place

[BananaCakePie]

Sorry for your loss too blondeshavemorefun
The half siblings don't see the teens,they've met a couple of times and they always come back upset so they've given up.

Just catching up and answering questions-we don't think she has dementia,I work with dementia patients and don't think she has it but we will get her assessed.

SIL is not claiming bereaved parent allowance.(didn't know that was a thing)

This is the most affordable property they can find without the kids having to move school

Like the idea of bunk beds but it wouldn't work for SIL and gran because of grans age she can't stay on the top bunk and SIL will find it hard to get up to the top as she has bad feet from cancer.

[BecauseIamaBear]

The basic problem is we don't have anywhere near enough houses for the population..

Building a house is really a simple matter.. Just get a crew of brickies and chippies and build away.. The problem is getting the paperwork to be allowed to build a house. Which is where council werkers get involved. I could wax on for hours and hours as I used to work in the system. It lead to a mental breakdown so I stopped. But in short, the process doesn't work and that is down to council workers doing a very poor job.

[Thinkingblonde]

I am guessing that if the gran wasn't in the equation, contributing 150.00 a month SIL could qualify for housing benefit. That's just a guess though.
OP, To apply for Pension Credit the person applying has to be the recipient (gran), It can be done over the phone, they ask what income she has, does she have property apart from the place she is living in, they will ask for balances of any bank accounts (it helps to have all of this info to hand) they ask about any investments, shares the applicant may have. They tell you straight away if the application has been successful. If it is Pension Credit opens the door to other benefits.

Attendance Allowance is applied for via a form, it's several pages long though but do-able. Wine got me through it when we applied for it for my in laws.

[BananaCakePie]

She did get housing benefit but she's no longer entitled to it anymore.

I will get SIS in law to look at pension credit for gran and attendance allowance

[SantinoRice]

This is all so sad, Banana. You must feel so helpless. You're already doing a lot but maybe you can suggest to your niece that she can come to you on weekends? That could give her something to look forward to.

[titchy]

Is it possible for the rent to be effectively split in two, so SIL and the grandmother are responsible for their half - kind of like a house share. That assumes the grandmother is herself entitled to HB of course, but if both get HB as individuals they might be able to afford a three-bed long term.

[MrEBear]

Banana
I might have given you a bum steer, after google its "widowed parents allowance" rather than bereaved parents allowance - were they married?

[BananaCakePie]

That's a great idea,she'll be welcome round mine st weekends and holidays and have sleepovers with her friends here too so she has space.

[BananaCakePie]

Not sure if Gran qualifies for housing benefit. will look into it titchy

They weren't married

[Blondeshavemorefun]

As not married she won't be entitled to parents allowance or the other £2k when a spouse dies

Unfair but the 'bit of paper' makes a difference

[BananaCakePie]

Oh that's a shame. That money would have been really useful.

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

This isn't a suggestion because I don't know how it would pan out, but people who work in housing might be able to advise.

If the op's sister in law told housing that she is moving on x date and is not able to accommodate her mother beyond then and on that date the mother will be homeless? Given her age and need for support, would that be enough to spur them into action? I realise the accommodation and budgets are stretched, but would the grandmother get priority?

[draculasteabag]

Like the idea of bunk beds but it wouldn't work for SIL and gran because of grans age she can't stay on the top bunk and SIL will find it hard to get up to the top as she has bad feet from cancer. Op they would have three beds in the biggest room.
Her Dd would sleep on the top bed and sil on the bottom.
Grand would take the single bed.

[woodhill]

It's time that the other siblings look after their mother or give sil money to rent the house size she needs,

Do they not want their mother to have her own room?

[BananaCakePie]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I showed SIL the thread and it really did help. She's managed to stand her ground and another family member has agreed to have Gran. They are married and have two spare rooms and no kids so have the time and space for her.

We have also found a more affordable 3bed house for SIL (£800 less than she was paying before).Nephew can stay in his current school and Neice can start school near home too. so for the first time they will all have their own room and space. The house needs quite a bit of work but I will pay for the carpets,paint,wallpaper etc.

Thank you so much to eveyone,we are still looking at benefits and assessing gran.

[Graphista]

That's great news but begs the question wtf the couple who are taking gran now didn't step up before! Good luck to sil.