Info on social housing.

[Upamountain43]

I've noticed a couple of threads on here about social housing and thought there might be people who know more about this than me.

I live with.my husband and 3 children with my Mum in her house - whilst this is not for everyone it has been fantastic for us. My husband worked and I was a SAHM so I could Home Educate the children. We have a number of pets, grew a lot of our own food - in general I was living the life of my dreams.

3 months ago my husband had a pain in his leg and to cut a long story short he had an above knee leg amputation. Our lives have been turned upside down - he can no longer do his job and everything has changed.

The OT came last week to look at adaptations for the house and has said it cannot be adapted and is totally unsuitable for my husband now. She is writing to the LA to say we need rehousing. We are completely devastated.

Can I ask how this works in this circumstance? I do not know how we can bid.on houses in the normal way without being able to visit and see if they can be adapted.

So do we have to wait for an adapted property to come up or do the LA have to find a property. How much choice would we have?

Ideally we would want to be near my Mum and my eldest has significant SEN and uses the garden a lot. The thought of my children losing the garden on top of everything else is heartbreaking.

I am so scared as to what is going to happen. We just wanted to stay at my.Mums with adaptions, we are all devastated at having to move but the house as it is means my husband is stuck upstairs.

As he can not work at the moment and we have no idea when he will or what he could do we are unable to get a mortgage so buying is not possible.

You will register with the LA and be given a banding which allows you to bid on suitable properties and will be in a higher priority banding. The LA will decide if the property is suitable for you and do the required adaptations under a DFG. It will depend where you are in the country as to how quickly a suitable property will become available. I hope you get sorted quickly x

As above, the LA will band you. You may have many years wait depending on what is identified as required. The LA may overrule and decide adaptions can be made instead. It is a minefield

Thanks - as we are being housed because of my husband will his needs be prioritised or do they look at the family as a whole?

The priority will be the inside accommodation for your husband.

I guess my main concern is how much choice we will get.

Being told where we have to go without any control is terrifying.

You don't have to accept the first property they offer you, but you can really only turn a couple down before you can not bid on anymore.

Finding a property that can be adapted and house 3 children and 2 adults could be difficult, presumably it will need to be at least a 3 bed, with either stairs that can take a stairlift or a bungalow. With flat access or able to add a ramp to the entrance and with doors that can accommodate any mobility aids.

What are the prospects/timelines around things like a prosthesis or increased mobility for your DH? Is it likely that the adaptations will be needed forever or more temporarily?

Are there any options for you to work and kids to go to school so that you could think about private lets?

Are there any rooms downstairs where you are currently that could be converted to a bedroom/wet room so that your DH isn't confined upstairs?

Have you looked at getting a stairlift fitted? You can actually rent them now. www.stannah.co.uk/our-stairlifts/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CD%20-%20Stairlifts%20-%20Generic%20-%20Search%20-%20RoUK&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~ar~405521399894~kw~stairlifts~mt~p~cmp~CD%20-%20Stairlifts%20-%20Generic%20-%20Search%20-%20RoUK~ag~_stairlifts&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvaeJBhCvARIsABgTDM79XtqsSu2HFtNWxLzEFfxOPomcp4VBNPvQBhG7INxQj_O_HW2Om7IaAs_QEALw_wcB
Does he have other health needs as well as his amputation? As has already been said, being told by an OT that you need to be housed by the LA, and actually being given a suitable house are two totally different things.

He will get a prosthetic but as he has lost virtually all his leg he will probably only be able to use it for a few steps. He will be in a wheelchair at least 50% of the time for the rest of his life.

Our kids going to school would be the absolute last resort and thought of it makes me feel sick - I was Home Educated and it is a big part of who we are as a family.

The problem with current house is corridors are too narrow for a wheelchair.

We fully accept the current house cannot be adapted but all the alternatives feel like a punishment.

Remember you don't have to go down the path set by the OT. It could be that there are limitations on what the OT is able to recommend due to funding cuts or their departments restrictions.

Is there a way that the house is used be altered,ie; a downstairs bedroom with a suitable bathroom installed?
I looked into this for a relative recently and funding was available to have a downstairs bathroom installed although I recognise that different Local Authorities may not be offering this.

Also try Adult Health Social Services for your area and ask for an assessment,also ask what funding is available to help you stay in the home and if this isn't fruitful then try contacting charitable organisations for further advice.

G'luck.

Stairs are too narrow for a stairlift.

The only way to stay where we are would be an extention to build a bedroom and bathroom.

@Upamountain43

Stairs are too narrow for a stairlift.

Here’s some info on narrow staircases. www.stairliftexperts.co.uk/stairlifts-for-a-narrow-staircase/

Cross post @Upamountain43,sorry.

It's difficult to understand the current layout of the house but I'm trying to think around it. I've unwillingly had to leave my home and lifestyle and recognise how upsetting and disruptive it can be,especially as you've created a lifestyle that suits you and maybe difficult to recreate.

My first thought is an external corridor running around the house,or several wheelchairs kept in the appropriate rooms so your DH only has to walk between rooms?

Otherwise it could be that your DH's progress is better than expected and he's able to manage the ground floor but only you know if any of this is useful.

So I must stress that every LA does things differently, I’m answering the questions based on my experience and to take with a pinch of salt-

1. My LA takes family support (your mother for example) into consideration - which means they’d try to put you in the same area if at all possible and prioritise you in certain places close to your mother. Obviously you may not be right across the street but they would try to support you being nearby.

1. In a bidding system, YOU bid on the houses. They won’t always be pre adapted(see point 3) but you can at least see exactly where they are and sometimes a few photos of them, new houses become available each week. If the only houses available one week are all miles away or in terrible areas then you can just abstain from bidding. The longer you’re on a housing list in a specific band the higher your priority becomes anyway, a band B who’s been on the list for 2yrs comes above a Band B who’s been on the list for 2 weeks (in terms of who’s bid wins) so even just being on the list is useful even if you can’t bid on anything for a bit due to unsuitable areas…

1. The LA will specifically adapt the house to your husbands specifications - there is money available for this. This was done in my mothers home for my brother (severely disabled) the only pain was that the adaptations took over a year to be approved and put in, from the time of moving. But they were all done to a very high, specific standard and free of charge.

1. A family sized home often has a garden, usually front and rear. So you could have your own garden as well as use of your mothers.

5, I know you didn’t ask but people are often a bit privately concerned that social housing isn’t great. I just want to add that (I know all places are different) I grew up in social housing and am about to move into a SH flat too, I’ve had nothing but good experiences in terms of a good community, lovely local people + initiatives and very safe, warm homes with good gardens and the council has always been fairly prompt with repairs (99% of the time). Good luck!

Honestly OT has had three stairlift companies and two builders look at the house and we fully accept the view the house cannot be adapted.

We assumed it would be possible but we have had it fully explained about turning circles for wheelchairs and now accept it is not.

It will vary depending on where yiu live and LA we live in social housing, my son has severe autism and learning disabilities our fencing to the garden was knee high, and i couldnt let him in the garden unsupervised,as he was constantly trying to climb the fence, plus he has a tendency to strip off if he gets his clothes wet so trying to maintain his dignity was hard too he was assessed as needing seven foot fencing for the garden by OT, it took nearly a year for it to be done with quite a lot of feet dragging by the housing association, and this was just fencing no structural changes, im, just warning you it may be a a wait.

What were the specifics about the house that mean it cannot be adapted?

Sorry just seen you update

And narrow wheelchairs.
scootaround.com/en/the-best-narrow-wheelchairs-for-tight-spaces-and-doorways#5

I’d suggest he looks at how the current home can be made suitable for the time he is living there - I say this as my dm has been waiting for 18 months for the LA to fit a walk in shower for my stepfather, who has Parkinson’s disease, and dementia, so cannot use a bath. It’s been approved, but there are so many delays!
You may have to wait months if not years for the LA to come up with a property you deem suitable. As has already been suggested, you should look up the Allocations and Lettings policy for your LA to see where in the priority list your Dh would come. In my LA, a medical need comes 4th, below homeless, those the LA is legally obliged to house, those living in overcrowded / unsanitary LA housing.

Can you afford that? Or is there enough equity?

Otherwise, sadly, it probably is going to be a massive compromise for the rest of you.

There are generally two systems - one where the council allocates properties, and a more common one where you bid for properties and the bidder with the highest priority score generally gets the property. The LA would assess what you bid on to make sure it meets your husbands needs.

In most places, you can turn down two options that are considered suitable, but if you turn down a third, the council doesn’t need to offer you anything else until you can reapply in a year.

I’d second that the OT doesn’t provide a totally unbiased opinion, they have to take into account how easy something would be to adjust; the costs involved, etc. They’re also looking at your husbands needs specifically - in reality, you’re going to have to compromise to find something that works for everyone.

Lists are pretty long, in general, but they vary based on area. I’m in the Midlands and it’s around two years here, for the top band, on average.

But, they have built adapted ground floor flats that are open plan and are designed for wheelchairs in a lot of the new council builds, so they’d be ideal for your husband. They don’t have outdoor space; generally, but they have lower kitchens to be usable from wheelchairs etc - so you’d probably be able to be rehoused into one of those within a few months.

It’s not what you asked, but I’d consider the wider lifestyle changes before you sort housing. If your husband returning to work isn’t likely, will he be able to homeschool so you can work? I’m a big believer that there should be a good benefits system, but sadly, we don’t have one; and I’d be very nervous about relying on ours long term. I’m also not sure how it’d be viewed if he was too disabled to work, and you were homeschooling… there’s sadly a chance the current system would see you as choosing not to work.

Once you know what money is coming from where; you’ll probably be able to make a clearer decision. Things like extending the mortgage to make the modifications; or accepting a smaller flat for lower costs but building a plan that gets your eldest outdoors to the park for as long as possible each day…

This is a hard path, I feel for you massively

In the meantime, as suggested, get the application in ASAP, so at least you’re hopefully placed on a list.

It might not all be doom and gloom. My friend has a brand new HA property and they are building them to Lifetime Homes Standard. This means they are accessible with a downstairs welcome even though they don't have disabilities. So you might get a new home. Google your area and lifetime homes Standard and see if any HAS are building to that specification.

@QueenOfHell669

So I must stress that every LA does things differently, I’m answering the questions based on my experience and to take with a pinch of salt-

1. My LA takes family support (your mother for example) into consideration - which means they’d try to put you in the same area if at all possible and prioritise you in certain places close to your mother. Obviously you may not be right across the street but they would try to support you being nearby.

1. In a bidding system, YOU bid on the houses. They won’t always be pre adapted(see point 3) but you can at least see exactly where they are and sometimes a few photos of them, new houses become available each week. If the only houses available one week are all miles away or in terrible areas then you can just abstain from bidding. The longer you’re on a housing list in a specific band the higher your priority becomes anyway, a band B who’s been on the list for 2yrs comes above a Band B who’s been on the list for 2 weeks (in terms of who’s bid wins) so even just being on the list is useful even if you can’t bid on anything for a bit due to unsuitable areas…

1. The LA will specifically adapt the house to your husbands specifications - there is money available for this. This was done in my mothers home for my brother (severely disabled) the only pain was that the adaptations took over a year to be approved and put in, from the time of moving. But they were all done to a very high, specific standard and free of charge.

1. A family sized home often has a garden, usually front and rear. So you could have your own garden as well as use of your mothers.

5, I know you didn’t ask but people are often a bit privately concerned that social housing isn’t great. I just want to add that (I know all places are different) I grew up in social housing and am about to move into a SH flat too, I’ve had nothing but good experiences in terms of a good community, lovely local people + initiatives and very safe, warm homes with good gardens and the council has always been fairly prompt with repairs (99% of the time). Good luck!

Thank you for this - it is a bit reassuring.

We have struggled to find any information on what happens.

My eldest boy is 12 and has LD, SPD, TS, ASP and this is so stressful for him, my Mums house with the big garden and loads of animals has been perfect. It just seems everyone is just focused on my husbands needs but we are a whole family.

Could you get a mortgage if you worked full time and your husband took over the home education?