Refusing permanent council housing

[UFK]

I am staying in a temporary accommodation for 2 years given by the council and have just been offered a permanent flat by council on the 2nd floor.

I am a single mother of 3 daughters, all under the age of 7 and i do not have any family in UK. My ex partner is not giving me consent to take my girls abroad to visit my family, especially my elderly parents. My girls have never met my parents. I had made a court application to be allowed to take them for a visit without his consent but it was dismissed by the judge.

Now my elderly parents, both in their 70s and 80s have applied and received a 5 year visa to visit me and my girls in UK as we cannot visit them.

Both of them are incapable of walking up a flight of stairs and have to stay with me during their visits because of their advanced age and inability to speak English.

They will not be able visit me if I live on a 2nd floor. My girls and me will be isolated with no family in uk, no means to travel to them and for them not able to visit us either. I have on these grounds refused the 2nd floor property and requested for one with a lift or a ground floor one.

I have been warned that this is not a valid reason to refuse and the council could discharge me of the housing duty and I may get evicted.

What is the best way to deal with this if the council does indeed discharge me and I am evicted??

“Now my elderly parents, both in their 70s and 80s have applied and received a 5 year visa to visit me and my girls in UK”

^Am i the only one who is surprised that OPs parents were granted a 5 year visa. Something smells fishy here…….

*They will be entitled to NHS care and for public funding, just as any UK resident, if they are joining OP settled status.

It's something OP should check with CAB.*

Yes, they will I just got the impression that they were coming for visits not to live here but maybe I'm wrong.

OP says

"Now my elderly parents, both in their 70s and 80s have applied and received a 5 year visa to visit me and my girls in UK as we cannot visit them."

That’s not a valid reason so refuse the property and I agree with them. I’d have just taken the flat!!!! You can’t be picky.

If you reject this flat you will have made yourself intentionally homeless and the council will have no obligation to house you. You'll have to find somewhere to live yourself. If you can't find anywhere for your children to live, social services will step in and house them. Them, not you. So take the flat or risk losing your children.

Entitlement entitlement entitlement.

To be honest, although it’s not ideal, you need to accept what they are offering. You’ve spent 2 years in temp accommodation, does it not mean more to you to have a stable home for your children?

I don’t believe the parents have been given a 5 year visa …… this may be all fabricated

https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk

Even though it's a standard 5 year visa the parents are limited to 6 month stays at a time.

You're utterly mad to turn down a secure tenancy. There is no way to deal with this. You will be served notice on the temporary accommodation and they will discharge duty. You will not be able to apply as in need of accommodation until a period of settled housing.

Utterly mad.

This has to be a wind up thread - no one is this entitled surely.
Rent privately and leave the flat for someone grateful if you don’t like the free / hugely discounted property you’ve been offered, but it won’t be cheap!

This is complete bollocks.

If your parents can afford 2 long haul flights they can afford to give you a deposit for a private let.

Who's going to be paying for the health care for an immobile 80 something and 70 something year old?

I was about to say this. They may be considered as adults who live with you and it would affect any housing benefit or UC that you're receiving. So it may be better to find/save for other living arrangements for them unless they're not staying for long - you'll need to ask how longish considered temporary.

I'm really sorry OP. But foreign non-resident guests are not a reason for adjustment to your social housing.

Name change people. Mumsnet has name change feature. This isn't a gotcha on mumsnet.

Thank you for all your messages, Some harsh Some not. No it's not a wind up post, though I can see how it has everyone riled up.

1. I can only take my girls, 6 year old twins and a 5 year old, without their dads consent to a hague convention country. My parents live in a non-hague. I need a courts permission in this case.

1. The temporary accommodation is a 2 bedroom flat on a ground floor. The council moved me to this flat from a shelter. I was a victim of DV. My kids and I are well settled in this flat, my kids are going to school and we did not even know it was a temporary accommodation until the council informed me last month.

1. My parents have received a 5 year visa where I have confirmed to the visa agency that they will staying with me and got the visa on the grounds that of them visiting their granddaughters who they have never seen.

I have gone back and accepted the property and may sign the contract today. Thank you for letting me know of the consequences.

I would definitely try the houseswap after a year. My parents are on a pension and can barely afford the tickets, and in this age they are making all this effort to bond with their granddaughters in their final years. I am being moved to Southall so hopefully someone would want to be willing to swap and I may still get a ground floor or an apartment with a lift.

Well done for taking it onboard OP. It's a horrible situation to be in. I wish it was more suitable for all your needs but sadly, the social housing in the UK is rare. Now be thankful you have stable, below market rent and your parents can come and you may be able to figure something out.

I hope the courts waive in your favour.

The council are housing you not your parents. For a temporary stay your parents would be expected to provide their own accommodation. I would not turn this down because of your parents visit.

Isn't Southall in London?
Interesting that you've been able to get council housing after only 2 years. Unless one of your girls is disabled.
Also I didn't know that there was a visa allowing a 5 year visit, especially for older people. The U.K unlike other countries doesn't allow you to bring your parents over, and After 5 years one can apply for ILR...

So you arranged a visa for your parents and two children to stay in two bed council flat. Wasn’t that going to be a bit overcrowded, five of you in this flat for five years?

@PrincessofWellies this is what doesn't make sense to me, surely the parents affording return flights several times over as is implied by the 6 year visa would mean they have money.

Also no council property should be allocated on the basis of one adult and 3 dc only to then house 3 adults and 3 dc because OP is happy to overcrowd the place to accommodate her parents rather then them pay to meet in a Hague convention country. It's actually a sensible rule to ensure people can't take their dc to non Hague convention countries when there is nothing the non resident parent can really do if the other one does a runner and courts have deemed it a risk.

Obviously being a victim of DV suggests your ex is not nice but it doesn't automatically lead to the council somehow needing to house your extended family unfortunately and I do think it's entitled.

What a surprise. Wind 'em up and watch 'em go!😂

Did you miss OP’s new post?

I take it all back. I was wrong ---- gosh hurts to admit that.