Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

I AM SO VERY VERY MAD...........I HATE MY COUNCIL

37 replies

Titania · 08/09/2004 10:15

We have been next on the council housing list for the past 7 months, and have been on the list for a total of 3 and a half years so far.

I knew there was a house coming up this month and that it was a 3 bed house with a garden....the council said we were next on the list so technically it should have been ours.

Well apparently a single mum has just waltzed in from a completley different county and they put her straight in it!!!! She doesn't even need the 3 bedrooms as she has 2 young girls, who technically, according to the council themselves, can share a bedroom.

I have nothing against single mums, please please please don't get me wrong, but I think its a bit unfair, especially as we have been waiting for so long.

5 of us live in a 2 bed first floor flat, that is covered in mould and dd has asthma. We have no garden and have been on the list 3 and a half years........does anyone else think this is unfair???

I am at the end of my tether.....I really thought we would be able to move soon....I hate it here so very very much and so do the kids...... God knows how long it will take for another one to come up, as the council have said they don't come empty very often as people either stay in them or buy them.

I don't know what to do now.....we can't get a mortgage and the private rents round here are so high for a 3 bed house...we can't afford them. Apparently, DH earns 'just a bit' too much money for us to get housing benefit as well, otherwise that would make a difference.

Oh I'm so very upset Sad that my children havent got a garden to play in, sad that my daughter has asthma which isnt helped by the mould, sad that I have to replace the childrend pillows and duvets up to twice a month as they get covered in mould.

What have I done to my children???...... If I had known that it was all going to be this difficult I would never have brought the poor litle darlings into the world

Sorry to rant.....going to go have a cry now

OP posts:
bundle · 08/09/2004 10:16

huge sympathies, i know there are lots of Mners who understand much better than i do the points system etc. but no, it doesn't seem right. have you spoken to your local councillor or mp?

Twiglett · 08/09/2004 10:21

message withdrawn

Twiglett · 08/09/2004 10:21

message withdrawn

earlygirl · 08/09/2004 10:24

huge sympthies too titania theyre b*ds
they should have a complaints procedure
but its difficult cause you dont want to annoy them and get their backs up.....maybe this girl had a good reason to be put there that they cant tell you about (abuse?)
it still awful for you though
is there anyone sympathetic at their office,it may be worth finding an ally their and it is worth hassiling them on a weekly monthy basis they should get fed up of you and offer you some thing
good luck titania hope it works out xx

Original poster
Titania · 08/09/2004 11:16

unsure about paycut.....i dont think it would be worth it in a way. I dont think i can write to my MP as i dont vote......there are so many people round here that think if you dont vote you dont have a right to a say what happens with the council here.

OP posts:
pixiefish · 08/09/2004 12:02

of course you can contact your mp. doesn't matter that you don't vote. maybe if your mp helps you out you may be inclined to vote next time. Who knows you don't vote anyway? contact your local councillor and your mp

earlygirl · 08/09/2004 12:09

good id pixief

nutcracker · 08/09/2004 13:29

Oh god Titania, you are in the exact situation I was in until june, even with the dd with asthma and the mould.

Right ok, firstly who told you that you were next on the list and the house would be yours ??? Make sure every time you speak to someone at the council you ALWAYS get there name, ask right at the start of the conversation, that way then you can say who said what when you need to complain.

Has this girl with 2 kids already moved in ??? If she has then obvioulsy there is nothing that can be done about it BUT I suggest that you ring them up and ask to speak to someone higher up. Keep going higher and higher until you are sure that they understand that you are not going to be treated like this and that if they ever even dare to do it again you will not be taking it lying down.

Regarding the mould in the flat, has the council given you poiunts for it ??? Have you had anyone look at it ???
We took pictures of everytihng that was ruined by it and threatened the H/A with legal action at which point they installed a dehumidifyer.
Has your H.V written to your council for you, or your g.p ??? Letters from them carry alot of weight usually.

I don't know how your councils points system works but just before i moved my council changed ours to a system where you were put into a catergory and then each category had points too.
It was supposed to stop people doing exactly what this women with 2 kids has done.

Are you on any waiting lists for H/A's ???
The council can nominate you to them, but it is worth ringing them yourself too as sometimes you can apply directly (not often though) and they can give useful advice.

Lastly are you registered on any homeswap lists ??? I was registered on available homes and it is quite a good site. I know it's hard to find someone willing to swap to a flat from a house though.

Oh and which area are you in ?? I'd be more than happy to do a bit of digging around to see if any H/A's were building any properties and stuff like that.

Let me know what help you need

Feel free to CAT me if you like.

nutcracker · 08/09/2004 13:30

Oh and no you don't have to vote to get your mp involved. I spoke to my local couniller and i've never voted in my life.

It's a good idea too. Mine contacted the council and h/a to ask them exactly what was going on and reported back to me.

bundle · 08/09/2004 13:34

your mp is your representative, even if you voted for the other party, or no one. s/he will have regular surgeries, or try emailing

nutcracker · 09/09/2004 13:28

Just bumping this.

Original poster
Titania · 16/09/2004 14:16

ive rung the council and spoken to the head of the housing department.....she said that the woman who got the house was homeless so they had a statutory obligation to house her in whatever property was available.....in this case a 3 bed house.

there is another one coming up but its housing association and apparently it depends on if its theirs or the councils turn to allocate as to if we get that one as well.

i cant stop crying now

OP posts:
nutcracker · 16/09/2004 16:46

Oh Titania I'm sorry but i think your council are talking through their arse.

If that woman was homeless then she would have had to accept anything she was offered and I do not believe that there were no smaller properties available anywhere in your area, as there are always more smaller properties available then large.
They also have rules about under occupation and these would have been broken too.

Right the house that is coming up, do you know which H/A it is with ????
If you can find out that would be great. Then ring them and dig as much as you can. Just explain that you are a council tennant and you are waiting to find out about the house and do they know if it is going to be allocated to the council.

They will most probably refuse to tell you but it's worth a try as there is always someone who hasn't been told what they can and can't tell people.

Which area are you in again ???

Original poster
Titania · 16/09/2004 16:49

shropshire nutty

OP posts:
nutcracker · 16/09/2004 16:52

Righty ho.

Do you want to stay in that area or are there any others you would consider ????

Original poster
Titania · 16/09/2004 16:57

i would love to move away from this dump!!!

OP posts:
nutcracker · 16/09/2004 17:03

So what areas are you looking for ????

Really the more you'd accept the better but you do really need to know the areas you are putting down.

I put some down and then looked at them and they were horrid.

If you tell me any areas you would like then i'll have a dig around and see what i can find.

When i was looking i found a great site belonging to developers and it had all differnt developments on and told you who the houses were to be owned by.
If you can find anything like that you can then hassle them before the houses are even built.

NomDePlume · 17/09/2004 11:48

Nutty is your guardian angel where re-housing is concerned

misdee · 17/09/2004 11:55

have you filled in medical form for your dd regarding her asthma? i'm assuming you already have. make sure you keep in touch with head of housing, i found our head of housing billiant in getting our bungalow sorted. we were passed by on the lost for someone with less points than us.
be prepared to fight and make an nuisence of your self.

stupidgirl · 17/09/2004 12:09

No advice at all - it sounds like Nutty has most of it covered - just lots of sympathy

Original poster
Titania · 17/09/2004 12:17

thanks nutty.......i am doing all i can i think.....we were looking into shared ownership but there is nothing like that around here. we have put down that we will consider anywhere, except the one really rough street where all the bullies and druggies are....not very suitable for my kids i think!

misdee...yes we have filled in the forms thank you. not made much difference though...i think we got 10 points for it. my head of housing was useless yesterday .....not very helpful at all.

OP posts:
Original poster
Titania · 17/09/2004 16:31

ive just rung one of the local councillors and she it totally disgusted with what is going on......i have found out more information about this woman that got that house and my blood is totally boiling....

OP posts:
misdee · 17/09/2004 19:19

oo tell us more.

u shoud've got more than 10points imo. your dd's health is being adversely affected by your living condition. dont they relaise that asthma can be life threatening?

twogorgeousboys · 17/09/2004 19:37

Titiana, when I desperately needed to get my Dad moved from his council flat to another (reasons are too upsetting for me to go into), the housing dept were USELESS. So I wrote to the Leader of the Council, explaining our predicament.

Boy, did things suddenly start moving fast. Within 2 weeks we had a meeting with the Director of Housing and a week later an offer of suitable alternative accommodation for him.

I really feel for you in your predicament, when I was a child I spent a number of years in dreadful accommodation, the worst being a 1 bedroom flat, with no bathroom.

You and your family deserve better, I really hope you can get this sorted out.

nutcracker · 17/09/2004 19:52

Misdee is right you should gave got more than 10 points for your Dd's asthma.
Mind you i guess it depends on what their points system is.

Is the counciller going to do anything about it for you ??? Even if she just wrote to them it would help, as it lets them know that you aren't giving up.

I did a quick search on H/A's in Shropshire yesterday but didn't find anything particulalry hopeful.
Don't worry i'm still looking though.

Is Telford any good to you ???

Swipe left for the next trending thread