After nearly 1 1/2 years on Council waiting list we have been moved down from band b to a d!!!

[Sakura03]

We applied to the local council to upgrade from a 1 bedroom flat to 2 bedrooms when I was 24 weeks pregnant with our son. We both work full time and have some savings (savings have gone down since having our son in Nov 17). Before Christmas we were offered a property but it needed a lot doing to it do we turned it down. Today I received a call from the same housing officer who showed us around saying we were high on the list again for a property but needed to check if I was back working part or full time. I confirmed dull time and she explained that in that case she'd have to overlook us as our household income was to high and we would be degraded to band d. I challenges this ad we had followed instructions and updated info re earnings etc every 6 months and were let to believe that we would be eligible for housing. We pay £1200 nursery fees and can't afford private rented. My partners job isn't secure (works through agency)
What do we do? I really feel this should have been flagged up the minute we had provided all the proofs. Our relationship is already suffering from living on top of each other in a small flat. Any advice?

Apologies for typos!!!

Mutual exchange?
Because of the bedroom tax, people are looking for smaller places.

You turned down a flat as it needed “doing up” sorry but that’s crazy, I lived in a one bed flat for 3 years with DH, baby and dog, it’s was cramped but we both work ft so council said pretty much same as yours.
Most councils only offer one place and if you refuse they’ll take you off thier list.

I thought you were allowed 2 refusals? Or does it alter according to locality?

Not all LA allow refusals, mine don’t, if you don’t take the property then you are off the list.

So you decided to have a baby in a flat with too little space, rejected another flat with more space because you’d need to do a bit of work and are surprised when the council tell you providing you with housing that meets your standards isn’t a priority for them?

It doesn’t sound like providing your family with adequate housing isn’t a priority for you or your partner, why do you think it should be a priority for anyone else?

Oh wow didn't see all this negstivity coming!!!
In my area there are no limitation to the number refusals you can make. Even the housing officer agreed the property needed work doing to it but the council only do the bare minimum and you are not allowed to do any work within the 1st year.
Never mind I'll seek advice elsewhere.

Gemme that is really quite nasty and uncalled for, don't suppose OP will be back but how about apologising just in case?

Harsh as it sounds, Gemme is correct. In my locality, having a baby whilst living in a 1 bed flat wouldn't get you priority to upgrade to 2 beds at all. I know families who have 5 children living in a 3 bed house, another with 2 children in a 1 bed and so on. When it comes to LA housing, you have to accept what's offered or else the offers stop. I would say that as soon as your little one qualifies for free nursery hours, you will have more disposable income for private renting so if I were you I'd start saving now and make the most of where you currently live. Frustrating as it may seem, you're actually fortunate compared to many other families.

I am not familiar with the system, but if you were two working adults with no dependents, what was the rationale for housing you initially?

The reality is that others are much higher priority, you need to look at private rentals or save and buy. I don't understand the attitude of expecting the council (aka our council tax money) to rehouse you because you decided to have a baby. Anyway like many we only had a one bedroom until dd1 was 18 months and rent (private) was half our income.

Can you sleep in the living room? I know many families who are overcrowded (us included). I'm in an owned flat where we can't afford to sell and move so we make do. It gets easier when the child is out of a buggy / carry cot. When they start school, their toys get smaller too and that helps.