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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Refusal of a council house

78 replies

TitcHt48 · 02/11/2019 11:42

The housing association refused us a house 🏡. We pay all our own rent/council tax never been in arrears. Want a house due to my health problems the main one insomnia. I "feel we are the butt of someone who works in the local office" to much to put on here but at our pension age they are treating us very unfairly. Anyone can anyone help please

OP posts:

MeadowHay · 02/11/2019 12:18

Are you my relative?!

TheQueef · 02/11/2019 12:22

You’ve just said- you can pay your own rent and council tax.
Social housing is for those that can’t afford that
It is bollocks like this that is circulated and 'known' which causes unrealistic expectations and of course furthers the undeserving poor myth.
It just is not true

IWillJustKeepQuietThen · 02/11/2019 12:26

Disturbing your husbands sleep is hardly an excuse.
Maybe your gp needs to help. You more with your issues

I've just gone private and stretching it for us due to needing space. And it's bloody expensive

A friend and her DH are in a 2 bed and 2 kids. Was fine but her dhs ex has just up sticks and gone and left their 3 kids with them and emigrated.
Theyre not 5 kids tjny 2 bed flat and one child being almost blind ( one of the reasons the mother dumped them), . They've been told 7 to 10 years with our council.

MonkeyToesOfDoom · 02/11/2019 12:28

You’ve just said- you can pay your own rent and council tax.
Social housing is for those that can’t afford that

Not isn't..
Anyone can apply for social housing. It doesn't matter if you're working, unemployed, housed or homeless. it is open to all.

TheHobbitMum · 02/11/2019 12:29

OP if you are of pension age have you googled for local Almshouses? They may be a better option for you if you have some locally? Good luck

formerbabe · 02/11/2019 12:33

You’ve just said- you can pay your own rent and council tax
Social housing is for those that can’t afford that

You have to pay rent in social housing. Do you think it's free? And council tax too. Some people might be able to get housing benefit or council tax benefit but that would depend. Just being in social housing wouldn't make you exempt.

Anyway...back to the op. I'm massively struggling to see why insomnia would mean you need a house?

MrsMaiselsMuff · 02/11/2019 12:33

If the primary issue is insomnia, then can you not sleep in separate rooms? Set up a single bed in the lounge if need be.

Insomnia at its most severe can be debilitating, but when there are people with more complex needs having to wait for years, your needs will be very very low priority.

Wtfdoipick · 02/11/2019 12:36

Are you already housed by the housing agency in a flat? Have they refused a transfer to a house? Who wrote the medical letters?

plightofthealbatross · 02/11/2019 12:37

I'm very sorry, but you want a council house, you don't actually need one. And need is rightfully prioritised over want.

MrsDragonLady · 02/11/2019 12:40

We are in a 2 bed flat with 4 children between 12 and 1. One is autistic, I have severe medical needs and the baby also has medical issues. If we are classed as adequately housed and can’t get a house, then I don’t think you stand a chance unfortunately. Councils just don’t have an endless supply of housing to dish out.
If you’re desperate, do what we have done and make the lounge into another bedroom.

MrsMaiselsMuff · 02/11/2019 12:42

Had a look at the other posts, TitcHt48 you really need medical help with your insomnia, your difficulty is far worse than most would ever experience. Moving house isn't going to solve this.

If the GP won't help, ask for a referral to a sleep clinic.

LoveNote · 02/11/2019 12:44

6 of you in a 2 bed??

Have you had the place measured by council?

BillHadersNewWife · 02/11/2019 12:47

Focus on fixing your insomnia OP. My husband has fixed his and he also had Hypnogogia (which causes hallucinations...like waking nightmares)

He fixed it by giving up alcohol, caffeine and starting yoga. He also does some weight lifting and eats a very good diet.

Do you drink alcohol or caffeine?

TidyDancer · 02/11/2019 12:54

Is there some info you're missing here OP? Are you already in council housing? You might need to give some more detail to get specific advice.

I'm not sure why you think you need a house specifically.

Nearlyalmost50 · 02/11/2019 12:55

True insomnia can be a terrible condition. I agree with everyone though that the chances of getting rehoused are very low. You need to see someone who is expert in insomnia, self-help could take you part of the way, if there is no-one/a waiting list in your area. Unfortunately pills are usually what is offered, even though sleep training type programmes are known to work. I'm sure you have already thought of all the obvious things, sleep separately, don't drink caffeine after 12 noon and so on. It sounds like you may have other conditions (pain?) keeping you awake too. Good luck with sorting it out, go to the GP or more than one to ask for a referral if it is beyond the 'can't sleep' occasionally type situation.

PurpleFlower1983 · 02/11/2019 13:02

@TheQueef

That’s just not true.

PurpleFlower1983 · 02/11/2019 13:02

Bold fail!

Thatagain · 02/11/2019 13:05

It's not easy to get a housing association home. My DD has a 3yo and she has been refused to be put on the housing association list. She lives in a top floor 1bed flat and she has to find another private property herself. Unfortunately the system is not fair. I personally do not think you will be moved anytime soon through the housing association.

dontalltalkatonce · 02/11/2019 13:08

You want a 2-bed house. You don't qualify for one. It's not a refusal. You don't qualify for one. The living area is considered a space that can be used for sleeping.

PhilCornwall1 · 02/11/2019 13:12

Insomnia isn't going to be reason enough to get a Council house.

Witchend · 02/11/2019 13:14

You'd be so far off the list that it wouldn't be worth applying round here. Is that perhaps what they said rather than you couldn't go on the list?

I had a friend who had 4 children (2 disabled) who had to be moved hurriedly due to witness protection, and stayed with parents (meaning 4 adults, 4 children in a 2 bed flat) who was told she was top of the housing list and it still took 9 months.
Another friend and disabled partner with 3 children between them took nearly 15 months to get a place from a B&B.

That's how difficult it is round here. They wouldn't refuse to put you on the list, but they would tell you honestly that you would be very unlikely to get a place.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 02/11/2019 13:15

There can't be many 1 bedroom houses out there though. It sounds like setting the living room up as an additional bedroom when it's needed is the way to go. There are some amazing sofa beds out there.

Paying your own rent and CT isn't optional unfortunately

Schuyler · 02/11/2019 13:19

Have you tried applying for sheltered accommodation?

Passthecherrycoke · 02/11/2019 13:23

Council houses and housing association aren’t the same. Did you apply direct to a. Housing association or are you on the housing register which local housing associations offer properties on?
What about over 55s housing? They’re easy to get, rarely have waiting lists

CactusAndCacti · 02/11/2019 13:24

Different areas have different rules and demand.

If you are saying that insomnia is just the tip of the iceberg, is there other medical conditions that mean stairs etc are difficult, HA's won't re- house you somewhere that won't meet your overall needs.

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