Am I being discriminated against?

sophiedaa2121

Hello. 

I’m currently in a tough situation and I’m beginning to think I might be being discriminated against due to poor mental health. 

I live in a one bed with myself, my partner, my 18 month old son and my dog. I have poor mental health and have carers stay over to help support me with things like getting out the house, cooking, shopping, housework, appointments ect ect. 

I have applied with my local council for housing in March 2022. We have been bidding (two beds) but no suitable property’s have been offered yet. In may 2023 my mental health became awful and in June 2023 I ended up in hospital after attempting suicide.

I meet the requirements for a three bed as I receive PIP, I have over night carers and a letter from my GP to support this. 

Could anyone advise me on if I am being discriminated against and just offer any assistance/advice? 

They ignore my emails, avoid calls and don’t call back at all. It’s really making my mental health worse and I’m suffering. 

Councils reply below ⬇️ 

History of Account & Local Connection

You originally came on the housing register on 7th Sep 2021 at that time you were 1 bed need, you then became 2 bed need after the birth of your child. You submitted a Change of Circumstances Form on 2nd Mar 2022 updating this with us.

Since becoming 2 bed need on 2nd Mar 2022 you have left your bids on only 6 properties. During that period of time 312x 2 bed properties have been advertised in the District. Of these 90 stated they allowed pets and had no S106 Local Connection restrictions on them (although you may still have been considered on S106 properties just potentially not finished 1st) - it is evident from your account that you placed but removed bids on many of these properties. It is also evident from your bid history that you have only placed bids on 2 bed houses despite many 2 bed bunaglows and flats which would have met your needs being advertised during this period - 50 in total.

While how you have bid previously does not mean you are unable to qualify for any changes to your account now, it does lead me to query the urgency of your circumstances if your willing to be so selective about the properties your willing to consider.

Extra Bedroom

In respect of additonal bedrooms we must consider the wording of the Homeseeker Plus Policy at Section 24:

24.2 Households can include someone on the application if there is a need for them to live with the household in order to give or receive care or support, where no one in the immediate household is able to provide that care. Evidence will be required to demonstrate:

• That the household is dependent upon this care or support and that other satisfactory arrangements cannot be made

• that the arrangement is ‘permanent’

24.3 We will also require evidence that the person requires your support or care; for example, proof that you/they are providing care, are in receipt of care allowances and are able to meet any costs associated with the additional bedroom either through benefits, income or savings.

Further in the GP Letter you have provided it states:

"she regularly needs a carer to stay to assist with day-to-day tasks in helping looking after the child and also giving support and care. This carer often needs to sleep over"

I accept that the GP Letter has explicitly stated you require a 3 bed however it is still open to the Council to consider other information or the lack of other information and whether the overall picture of evidence on file supports the contention that an extra bedroom or higher banding is actually required and the reasons for it.

November 2013

Formality and Permanency of Care

When you attended the Council Office on 27th Jul 2023 and spoke to Officers you explained it was your own mother providing this care and she would occaisionally stay over and sleep on a blow up bed.

While your mother being your carer does not mean you are unable to apply for an extra bedroom, it does mean we need additional evidence to show he formality and permanency of the situation. As there are likely many tenants whose family support them and their children and occaisionally stay over however we would not catagorise them as carers who require a bedroom specifically for them.

Taking everything into consideration I am satisfied that you have family attending your property and occaisionally staying over however I am not satisfied with the permanency of this situation, whether any carer benefits are being paid or whether if you moved to a suitable 2 bed property the pressure on your needs would be greatly reduced, so as to remove the need for such assistance.

⬆️ 

I never said it was my mum providing care nore did I say it was ‘most of the week’. Unsure where they have got that from! Which dosnt help my head because now I think they are just avoiding helping me because they can’t be assed. 

The reason I havnt bid on all 90 houses is because I need to consider rental cost and heating system costs. That they accept pets and that it is no more than 10 miles from where we live now due to my partners work and sons nursrey! That took it from 90 to 6…. 

But we need a three bed not a 2 bed now so it’s irrelevant what I did or didn’t bid on! 

Jimm_Scope

Hi @sophiedaa2121, this sounds like a really difficult and stressful situation. Not having enough space to live in can really put a lot of pressure on every aspect of living. I can understand the frustration that they are assuming you are being "selective" and that means your situation must be fine. I can imagine many reasons why someone may not bid on many properties and none of them are due to being picky.

I'm going to signpost you to some places you can get advice and help regarding getting a home and communicating with the council. 

Have you spoken to your GP about their response? Perhaps a letter more specific about your situation that leave it less open to interpretation?

Citizen's Advice have webpages that give advice on getting a council home - Getting a council home - Citizens Advice

It also sounds like it would be helpful to contact your nearest Citizens Advice so they can offer advice more specific to your situation - Contact us - Citizens Advice 

Please do keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on.