Denied bungalow due to age

[Bungano]

I've namechanged for this thread.

Myself and DP both have complex medical issues and are disabled. Both problems with mobility and I use a wheelchair.

Living in a house atm, and have been trying to move since May. Due to our medical needs a bungalow would be perfect, and we both have medical evidence and letters supporting our application.

However our local authority is telling us we can only have a ground floor flat. The issue with this is car to door and potentially some steps.

We are being told we cannot bid on a bungalow as there is an age restriction - you have to be 55+. AIBU to think this is discrimination?

yy to this Is the issue you would 'prefer' a bungalow vs need one OP? I know would prefer a bungalow to a ground floor flat but it sounds as though you aren't in a position to have the choice.

Thanks for the range of replies.

There are a couple of issues regarding a ground floor flat. One being the distance from car to flat. A bungalow we could park outside the door. I've already mentioned steps and the housing association has confirmed they will not adapt anything. Also, we require a LAS or wet room - these generally don't have either, whereas a lot of bungalows do.

The LA maintains the garden. The properties we're looking at are not supported.

It's annoying how I'm in a wheelchair, my partner is registered blind, and we cannot bid on bungalows purely because of the age criterion.

On the plus side you won't have to worry about maintaining a garden with a flat as any outside space will be council tended.

Not round here it isn't.

Most of the ground floor flats have private gardens.

I can't see why I ground floor flat that didn't have steps, wouldn't meet your needs, but then I also can't see why many over 55s would need a whole bungalow, rather than a flat more than a younger person - who's more likely to have younger children living with them.

(Although I can see why it might be easier to convince an over 55 to move out of a big family sized council house to a bungalow rather than a flat, thus freeing up a large property for a family in need, but then I find the tenancy for life regardless of need thing bonkers when there's not enough council properties to meet those who really need them.)

The LA has a surplus of bungalows incidentally.

Which LA is it?

This is the specific example cited on the Citizens Advice page on taking action against a public authority against discrimination in housing:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/discrimination-in-housing/taking-action-about-discrimination-in-housing/taking-action-against-a-public-authority-about-discrimination-in-housing/

"Example

You're under 65 and you're disabled. You've been refused a bungalow by your local authority. The reason for the refusal is that the council has a policy of only providing bungalows to people who are aged 65 and over. You could challenge the council's policy saying it's a breach of their equality duty as they've not considered how their policy affects disabled people who are under 65."

So on that basis I would say you may well have a case!

The OP has explained it's not just steps, but the distance that the car usually ends up parked from the front door - flats generally have car parking in one area, and it can be quite a distance to your actual flat.

She's also explained that if there are steps, the HA won't make provision for them to be adapted.

Under these circumstances, I'd say YANBU and it is for their own convenience that they've created this arbitrary cut-off. It should be done on a needs basis, not an age basis - what they're saying is that you, with your needs, come lower down the list than perfectly able-bodied and probably still working people who just happen to be 55+ in age.

YANBU to say this is age discrimination.

You have been denied access to something you could have applied for based purely on age...so yes...that would be age discrimination.

It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. A ground floor flat is equally suitable for an over 55 person, there's no reason at all they should have priority for a bungalow.

I agree it is rediculous OP. My mum has COPD, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (amongst other things) which means she can't manage stairs or walk long distances. My dad has had several strokes and has several other health issues.

Their local authority told them they had to stay in their house because they don't give bungalows to under 65s. It took us 6 years to get them moved into a bungalow. We would have been happy with a ground floor flat as an interim but they kept offering first floor and above. Then got arsey because my parents wouldn't move out of their 3 bedroom house!

I ended up involving the local councillor and having their MP write to them.

A ground floor flat is equally suitable for an over 55 person, there's no reason at all they should have priority for a bungalow.

Exactly. Plenty of over 55s have no need of single floor accommodation, some under 55s do. A blanket rule based on age doesn't serve either group. Its hard to see how this isn't discriminatory on the face of it. I'd love to know the justification.

Have you looked at any of the ground floor flats?

My parents live in a la bungalow and they have to park at the end of their road, they don't have a wet room and you would get around their bungalow in a wheelchair, so I wouldnt assume a bungalow better suits your needs.

I think if you require a wet room and they refuse to fit a ramp for your wheelchair access. Then these are the reasons you need to appeal on. They can't offer you a property that'll impeed your basic quality of life more. That'd fall under disability discrimination vs the age discrimination. The fact that your partner is registered blind wouldn't prevent them living in a gff.

*impede

I'm getting a lot out of this thread, even the posts disagreeing. Again, thank you for your replies.

Worra I don't really want to name the LA, given the disabilities myself and OH have (I've shared the bare minimum here) it could be very identifying.

She's

I'm actually male.

Is the bungalow surrounded by other bungalows?
I ask as I used to work for a HA and they were able to age restrict any properties they wanted.

Sometimes they would age restrict a block of general needs flats to over 25s etc as they had had issues with younger people moving in and anti social behaviour etc.

The bungalows don't have to be supported to be 'retirement living' either.

Apologies, Bungano, I shouldn't have assumed.

We are being told we cannot bid on a bungalow as there is an age restriction - you have to be 55+. AIBU to think this is discrimination?

Not all discrimination is unlawful and age discrimination is unique in that it can be lawful if it can be objectively justified as a proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim - if the legitimate aim if to help older people be housed in appropriate properties, then that is a proportionate means to do that (I'm guessing, they may have another way to justify it). Lots of properties are for older people anyway so it must surely have been considered.

But the council still needs to house you in an appropriate property, so focus on that.

Don't think it's discrimination. It's a known fact that there is a shortage of bungalows in the country in general. When anything is bought privately, there is obviously a lot more in terms of choice but when supplied by the government, unfortunately, most people have to accept what's given to them as it's very difficult for the government to accommodate everyone's wishes on every count.

It sounds as if age discrimination is easier for them to justify (if it's a proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim) so perhaps you need to be focusing on the fact it is disability discrimination as well.

If you are in a wheelchair then the LA will have to adapt any property they offer you. Surely whether or not a flat or bungalow is close to the car is different in every situation. Some flats have close parking. Some bungalows don't. The car to door situation isn't related to the type of housing. Basically you have certain needs and any property that fits those requirements should be seen as acceptable by you. You don't get to make specific demands based on what you want.If they have a flat with good access, then what is the problem?

ii think its unfair

i thought bungalows were for disabled and elderly

We've looked at multiple flats, and the distance from car to door is too much. My partner has other disabling condition as well as the blindness. These are physical and impede her ability to walk very far without pain and needing to stop often.

As pp have said, there's no reason a 55+ able-bodied with no/minor issues cannot live in a gff. So why can we, with physical disabilities that affect walking (along with a slew of other medical conditions), not be granted a bungalow?