Please can anyone help with regards to re-housing and the council?

[misdee]

we have applied for a transfer. dh has been awarded 50medical points so with our 30points this puts up in a very good positin for rehousing. unfortunatly the council has decided that the 50points can only go towards a ground floor property. there are only around 12 3 bed ground floor flats/bungalows which are owned by the council. so basically we are stuck here, in a 1st floor masionette which my dh cant cope with as he is breathless. the last few weeks have been hell as we havent had a car so dh doesnt go out much as it exhausts him so much. I have explained to the council that all we really need is a house with a toliet on both levels, and suitable parking close by. I tried phoning social services to see if they could help, they dont get involved in housing needs, they gave me a number to speak to housing needs at the local council, who in turn put me back thro to my housing officier who i have explained all this too. doesw anyone have any advice? apprently a letter has been sent out, but i know we are going to have a battle on out hands to get a suitable place, and all the time dh is feeling worse. if we really need a ground floor property like they say we do, why only give him group b points (50) instead of group a (150)?

Would you be willing to try a transfer to a housing association? These usually work with the council and have more properties. A lot of the councils (including ours) are transferring their houses to the HA's anyway.

Misdee, this is completly unacceptable. I cannot believe that your dh has only been given 50 points instead of 150. Can you appeal ??

Am a bit confused but are they saying that you need somewhere without stairs ???

Surely you could have a house but with a stair lift ??

we have said we will go with HA, but they only open their lists to the councils once their lists are clear. which i dont know when that will be. All we want is a place with a downstairs loo, not too many stairs, maybe room to add an extension if the time comes that dh cant get upstairs anymore or if they will put a stairlift in. there are people in wheelchairs in houses, dh isnt totally immobile, he can walk, just not the 30 odd stairs we currently have in our property. will a gp's letter stating that he can do stairs, not that many, and a place with downstairs bathroom will be ok for him, would that help at all? even if i have to pay for a letter i'd do it.

the problem with the medical form is, that they are not always seen by anyone with a medical background. we had to fight for dh to get DLA (7months) as his condition isnt widely known about, and as MIL quite rightly said once, this is what will more than likely kill him at an early age. I shouldnt have to be fighting to help him lead a somewhat normal life. even his specialist says light gardening would help him, thing is we dont have a garden.

yeah they are saying we can use the points (50) for a flat or bungalow, but the 30 can go towards a house. which would mean living in scummy area.

When you applied for your points, what evidence did you have to give ??? Did you give them a doctors letter then ???

As far as H/A's go, usually you cannot apply yourself if you are on the councils waiting list BUT I would still search for any in your area and give them a ring. I did managae to get on a H/A list whilst on the council list too.

Also try to find out if any homes are being built nearby, and if you find any fight like mad for one and do not take no for an answer until there are all occupied.

I think it's disgusting, i needed to move because i was overcrowded and depressed but you really NEED to move. IMO you should be classed as urgent.

I know i've asked you this before but which area do you live in ??
If you give me your area and any others you'd consider, i would be more than happy to do some digging for you.

They dont accept gp's letter with the application, but can ask for them themselves. I have searched for new properties being built, i check the local paper each week for planning permission asked for, and check up on whaqt the land will be used for. the only bungalows which will be built and 1+2beds. I'll be going thro the phone book tomorrow for HA's, and also getting onto my housign officier again. I am fuming that they can do this to us.

We live in hatfield in herts, local council is welwyn hatfield county council.

i took in his DLA award letter, all his meds (whole carrier bag full) plus loads of other paperowrk. belive me, the council are going to know my name by the end of the week!!

could you not contact your local mp?
im sorry i dont know much about housing probs with points so im prob not much help, but my cousin is having similar probs and her local mp is now dealing with it for her.

I'll contact the local mp, and if i had to i will do a sit-in at the housing offices. I am going to bombard them with so much information and phone calls, till they change the 50 points so we can use them for a house (which would put us very close to the top) and even try and fight for 150points.
really want to know more about the letter that is been sent to us, so i know what i'm up against.

misdee i think you are entitled to an assessment by local authority to yours and Dh's needs esp . if he has DLA have you asked for one (if you are his main carer you can be assessed in your own right Sorry do not know about your circumstances or if you have already been down this path

i think the assessment for his needs id based on the medical form. I know it sounds like i'm being fussy as they have said we can have a bungalow or g/f flat, but as i know there are limited in 3 beds available, i know we will be waiting years and years. and tbh, dh doesnt really have years and years, and the situation we are in atm is making him worse, not better. surely social services should be able to help? or point us towards someone else who can, other than the council who just dont listen.

social services can also do assessment it might be worth your whielto contatc them If the situation is making things worse then you should contact them and see if they can help. from you have said I would have though you would get one.

i contacted social services today and all i got was sent back to housing needs who sent me back to my housing officier.

Nutty you ar ethe expert!

i have already phoned the council six times over the last 2 days, have spoken to the medical team already, and she said she would put a note on to say g/f loo is needed, but we can have a house. but now i've been told that we cant use the points for a house!

The stupid thing is, we already had an offer pending, but turned it down on the fact is was totally unsuitable for dh, it had bathroom and toilet downstairs, none upstairs, no parking facilities, and the street looked packed, plus a few steep steps upto the property as well. plus it was in a horrible area. no way we could have accepted it as deh wouldnt have been able to live there.

Have you tried your local councillor(s)? Round here they're so keen to score point off one another (no pun intended) that they'll do anything to help.

HI misdee, spoke to u earlier, you know we had to fight to get this house, we were also told we needed a g/f flat or bungalow, so I got SS involved and here we are. As there is limited numbers of 3 bed GF flats and bungalows you could argue that you would be taking a place away from a wheelchair user,(I used that one ) Also DH isn't immobile and can manage a few stairs, like the lady from SS told me, you can't take stairs fully out of someones life anyway... And the council are very good at adapting houses here anyway. Also MIL had SS come out and assess her housing needs, and she got a shower and stairlift put in so why can't someone come and assess your DHs needs?

Hi Misdee, sorry i didn't get straight back to you (poorly ds).

Right i've written your area down now so i don't forget. I will see if i can find any H/A's in your area. Looking in the yellow pages is good, but i found loads more online.

Definatly contact your Mp ours didn't do a fat lot but she did write letters to every one who's list i was on and that at least makes them realise you are not going to take no for an answer.

Your councils way of doing things sounds quite different from mine. I was just given a set amount of medical points and the whole lot went towards whatever properties i needed.
Have you got a copy of the councils allocations policy ?? would request one as it sounds very confusing (maybe it's just me).

Bombarding them with phonecalls is exactly what you need to do. Your name needs to be on the tip of their tounge when a house becomes empty.
My H/A knew it was me when i rang them and i hadn't even given my name and address.

I will let you know if i think of anything else.
Sounds like speaking to SS again would be a good idea. Also ring the CAB if you aren't sure who should be involved.

in a way i have almost given up. i made a round of phone calls today, spoke to medical officier who wont change the points. they say i have to get social services or dh health visitor (would that be the ones attached the docs? gonna call them in a bit) to assess his needs and liase with the council.
I have change my application to say we will accept a 2bed bungalow as well as 3bed, but i wont accept a flat at all, my dd's havent had a garden for over 2yrs so i am denying them that any more. if we get a 2bed bungalow my parents (my dad is diabled) or mieows in-laws say they will exchange with us at a later date. the lady at the council said that bunge;lows tend to go to the eldery, but if my dh is disabled then surely he should get a bungalow, they are annoying the hell out of me, and just want to go and smack them. i know there are loads of 1and2 bed bungalows going to be built over the next 2 years in welwyn, the planning permission has been granted and work starts there over the summer holidays.

I have made sure i am going to be nominated to HA's. there are more bungalows due for completion shortly, i want to find out who they are with so ican bug them too. all i want is a suitable home for my family, is that too much to ask?

after 7months of fighting DLA i'm surprised i have any fight left in me now.

misdee what is your dp's condition?Is there any chance of treatment for him?

he has dilated cardiomyopathy. his treatment is medication, if that doesnt keep him stable he will need a transplant.

misdee I have the same and am on medication at present.I have already had a kidney transplant so am hoping for some other treatment eventually.I get DLA and a parking badge and I am sure that your dp should get more points than that because this is truly a disabling condition.What about his doctors can they help?

I haven't read all this tread right through but couldn't you get your doctor to write a letter?? if you haven't done so already.

Misdee, i know it's hard but don't give up. Yes you and your family do deserve a house/bungalow with a garden, and i wouldn't accept anything less.

Contact all the people the council have told you too and also your mp.

As for the bungalows that er built/being built, do you know the name of the company doing the building work ?? If you do, ring them and ask who the homes are being given to (which h/a) and then badger them.

Am still trying to think of anything else you can do and will let you know if i think of anything else.

i phoned a charity for diabled people, and they said to contact the gp who can refer us to adult services and they will assess our needs.

housing officier can round today, and started saying we should take a flat, as bungelows go to disabled peopel and there is an extra £10 a week rent for having a warden system in place, which 'we may not need'. excuse me?? my dh is disabled, he has high rate mobility and low rate care, has a blue badge and can barely get upstairs, and she tells me we wont get a bungelow. and surely my kids needs come into it as well? stoopid woman.

noddy5, do u find it hard for people to take your condition seriously as its a hidden disability? as dh is only 24 we are finding this all a struggle and it is getting me down.