Disabled child receiving chemo treatment every week for chronic illness, threatened to become homeless if I can't find another place to stay. Can the council and hospital professionals do something?

[LolaMacbeth]

Can that happen? I have been trying to speak with the hospital to explain the situation but it feels like no one cares.
Since the beginning of January, I have been declined so many times for private property. I can prove I can pay rent, but the downside I am a single parent, so I get why they would prefer 2 adults instead of one.
I have spoken with the council but they said the only thing they can do is move in banding for social housing if I can prove the house condition affects my child, which I am trying to but the hospital is so slow. And even with proof, there's no guarantee of anything. I don't think we will be priority either. I have spoken with so many different people, secretaries, and consultants, they keep postponing writing me a letter stating that my immunocompromised child can't live like this let alone become homeless. I don't know what else to do.
Yes, I've tried Shelter, no response, I've spoken to a solicitor about the housing situation. Told me I needed to wait until the last minute to become homeless, so the Council could help. I don't want that. Spoke to Citizens Advice, not helpful... My child is in therapy as well, surely she shouldn't go through witnessing becoming homeless for someone's help?

I'm don't have a lot of advice but luckily others in this thread have.

One thing that worked for me was involving the council's department that assess properties (can't remember the name but occupational health maybe?). A man came and assessed that my flat wasn't fit for purpose for my son to live in.

Involve your MP, your councillor, ask your GP to write a letter, the more evidence you present, the better are your chances. For me , I just kept presenting documentation and I think it comes a time that they just don't read anything and get fed up with you and think "Let's get rid of this one asap".

If the hospital staff try to fob you off call again, send another email, talk to them and say "I'm not leaving until you give me what I need". If it comes to a head, complain to PALS. No need to be rude but you need to be firm.

The other thing is, you can't be meek in those situations, you need to make yourself heard. I know from experience that it can be soul destroying but seeing the people at the housing office who got what they want, I've learned that you have to be heard and seen otherwise you're just forgotten.

Wishing you all the best and that your child makes a full recovery ❤️‍🩹

Sorry, forgot to say that my advice above is for moving up a band which increases your chances to get something permanent. Good luck 🤞🏼

Can't help.op but hoping others can. Sounds awful and last thing you need. Don't allow access for ll for viewings...you right to your home and tbh the immune safety of your child. Finger crossed you get help soon x

Has your landlord actually served notice?

You haven't answered this.

I am asking because if your child has a chronic condition like Crohn's or juvenile arthritis they would not be classed as immediately life threatening so not the same type of priority as an acute illness such as a cancer.

Unless I have completely misunderstood, I think it's a bit disingenuous calling the medication "chemotherapy". My child's treatment suppresses an overactive immune system down to a more typical level, different from wiping out an ordinary immune system. It also doesn't have chemo side effects such as nausea, hair loss etc.

I hope you get suitable housing soon.

Firstly at the moment you are currently adequately housed as far as the council are concerned.

If you want a higher banding as you believe the property condition impacts on your child’s health then you need to make an application to the welfare panel or follow whatever process your council has. Yes this will need medical evidence such as consultants letter.

Secondly you need to contact your local council’s private sector rent office to complain about the property condition and damp and mould. They will then look at whether they can serve a notice on the property’s landlord to bring it up to standard.

It doesn’t appear you are under notice yet from him and whilst he wants access for viewings you don’t have to.

Thirdly - if you end up under notice it’ll take months. He’ll have to get a possession order and you have to let it go this far otherwise the council can look at you as intentionally homeless. At that point you’ll be owed a relief duty and the suitability of relief accommodation will need to be considered. Again medical evidence will be needed if you feel you have specific requirements.

The landlord has to serve you what is called a Section 21. This may or may not be valid depending on whether they have protected your deposit, given you the how to rent guide , protected your deposit and carried out the legal gas/electrical inspections. If one, or only some of these have been done, then the notice is invalid which means the landlord has to rectify before he can serve notice again.

You do not have to leave the day the notice expires. If you have nowhere to go then the landlord will have to take steps to evict you. This all takes time - months usually (and you may be liable for a few hundreds of pounds costs). Take the eviction notice to your local Council who will have to help given your daughter's medical conditions or earlier once you have the section 21 and her medical confirmation letters.

They will put you in temporary accommodation which might be a hotel or bed and breakfast or they might be able to liaise with private landlords to find you another place if there are no council flats available in your area.

Wishing you some luck.

Have you tried posting on your local FB page for a place to live OP?

Honestly, this is the type of situation where a newspaper sad face may help. It will get pressure on the council and possibly even have people who know about property that is going to become available give you an early heads up. I hope you can sort something out soon.

I am so sorry, this sounds very stressful.

look up the hospitals CEO on their website and call their PA to explain you are waiting on information that is crucial to being homeless and have not had a reply from the teams. Ask for their help to resolve as you have nowhere else to go

This will be acted on, I am very sure.

I am suggesting this method as I work in this world within the NHS.

I hope you get what you need.

From NHs consultant perspective, housing in our area don’t really care about supportive letters, deliberately ignored on council part. Some councils explicitly tell you they don’t consider medical reports and not to request one. Sometimes council do write to consultants for medical info but it’s to fill in their forms answering very specific questions rather than them wanting a general letter/report. The hospital also have to see they have your consent for this information to be released. So it may be worth going back to council to ask what forms the hospital/GP might need to sign, and if you need to sign any consent. If you do need a general letter, do it in writing to consultant and explicitly state that you are giving consent for medical information to be released to the council. Good luck