Council Flat dilemma

[lia88xxx]

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me?
I'm currently living with my dad in Pimlico and he has major health issues. I have been trying to put my name on the lease but with no joy so far. I have lived here all my life and really don't want to move should the worst thing happen. Does anyone have any advice on this? TIA x

Has he got sole tenancy, is there a succession clause in his lease, are there any other relatives, have you got proof you live there like bills in your name or the electoral roll. They don't make it easy, Shelter have a website that might help. Have they said why you can't put your name on the lease.

What does his tenancy agreement say?

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/can-i-add-a-relative-to-my-social-housing-tenancy-agreement/

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/housing/tenants/about-your-tenancy

Was it always the two of you living there? Have there been any other alterations to the tenancy? What kind of tenancy does he have?

Maybe it also depends on your own situation. Do you qualify for social housing.

Call shelter. I’m flabbergasted that your housing officer cannot give you this answer in a nano second tbh!

Yes he has the sole tenancy. I do have bills to prove I live here but I just don't want to be in a position that if he passes away I will be forced to move :(

He has sole tenancy. My son who is now at uni used to live here so he's moved out now. Do you think I will have to move now I don't have dependants at home?

Yes I qualify for social housing but haven't looked to find somewhere else to live because my dad really needs my help. I have lived here for so long now I don't really know what to move but I'm not sure how to put my name on the agreement or what would happen if he passed away.

I think I will call Shelter for some advice thank you. The housing officer has been awful :(

A friend of my DMs got to stay in her DGMs council flat (had been here carer the last years of her life). However, this was in a not great area of a not great town. I imagine Pimlico is a very different beast.
The only other person I know who kind of got help with this was my friends ex. He’d been brought up in care and then by his DGPs and when they passed he was evicted from their council flat. As he had no way of avoiding becoming homeless, his MP got involved and the council did eventually house him. According to my friend it wasn’t a nice flat or in a particularly nice are (it was London) but he did get housed. I assume it was because he had been a LAC.

If the flat has more than one bedroom (which I'm presuming it does from what you've said) then you may still be housed by the local authority/ housing association but in a different/ smaller property. With social housing being in such demand then if you under occupy the property then you may well be required to move out but be rehomed in appropriate social accommodation

I was going to say this. They're not likely to let a two bedroom (or three? if your DC used to live there too) flat go to one person when it can go back in the system. But talk to Shelter and they should give you the full picture. It's terrible that the housing officer hasn't been clear on it as it shouldn't be complicated to answer your concerns when they have the paperwork.

Also, if he had a joint tenancy with your mum/a partner and they either passed away or left, he would've then gone from a joint to sole tenancy and this is also considered succession.

You can only do this once so he would, in that scenario, be unable to pass it onto you through another succession.