Council are only offering me flats and not houses

TrishH23

Hello. 

I registered with the council back in April 2023. I have a number different health issues and receive hight pip allowance. After input from my GP and psychologist The council have acknowledged that I require a 2 bedroom property as I require daily and regular overnight care and for the last 3 months it has been showing that I was eligible to bid on 2 bedroom houses and 2 bedroom flats. After asking for a review on my banding last week the council have now come back and said I am only eligible to bid on flats. I suffer with severe social anxiety and PTSD which I have a very strong physical reaction to. this causes vomiting and bowl issues and has a serious effect of my appetite. I have now been diagnosed with an eating disorder and malnutrition. Due to my social anxiety and PTSD I could mentally not deal with living in any kind of shared accommodation. I don't go out apart from to attend doctors/hospital appointments so my only chance of ever being outdoor would be in a private yard or garden. Would input from adult social care carry any weight with the council and help me get a house instead of a flat as the council have said houses are allocated to families and not single people.

Thank you in advance 

poppy123456

A flat isn’t shared accommodation. You may have a shared entrance to the building but your home will be entirely yours and not shared with anyone else.

As for the house you can try to ask adult social care for a letter of support. 

TrishH23

I meant shared garden/outdoor area. I wouldn't have any private outdoor area if I was in a flat. 

poppy123456

Some flats have their own private garden. I’m currently on the housing list as priority medical but can only bid in adapted properties, houses or flats and I often see flats with own private garden. 

When you asked for a review on your banding did they change that? 

TrishH23

That would be ideal. But as it stands I haven't seen any of them kind of flats being advertised with my local council. I hope you are successful in getting your own property soon. 🤞🏽

TrishH23

And yes they moved me from band C to Band B they said that the houses are only allocated to families. I have requested an assessment with adult social care and hoping this will help

OverlyAnxious

I have a very similar problem unfortunately, particularly with the physical inability to manage socially.  I cannot reliably manage stairs now due to physical reasons, so a house would not be suitable either.  Technically I am allowed to bid on 'separate' properties with my local authority, but the reality is that almost all of the ones available to me are flats in large blocks, which would be even worse than where I am now.  On the rare occasion that a suitable property does appear (only 2 or 3 each year so far!) I am too far down the priority list.

I have given up any hope of getting a bungalow with a small private garden through the housing association now.  I have also been rejected for many private let properties due to benefits (despite never missing a rent payment and keeping properties in good order!) so no hope of private let either.  And I am now physically and mentally too ill to move, as well as not managing in my current property.  Without that move, I have no way to make health improvements, and therefore the future can only be worse.  Yet still people keep throwing unfounded positive cliches in my direction which is infuriating tbh.

TrishH23

I'm sorry to hear about your situation, I can imagine how much it affects your mood. It's soul destroying being locked away indoors all the time. Have you had your own assessment with adult social care? If not maybe if would be helpful getting them involved 

OverlyAnxious

TrishH23 said:

I'm sorry to hear about your situation, I can imagine how much it affects your mood. It's soul destroying being locked away indoors all the time. Have you had your own assessment with adult social care? If not maybe if would be helpful getting them involved 

I can't manage the social aspect of a care assessment unfortunately.  I haven't been able to manage any person face to face or via telephone for over 2 years now.

If I had a ground floor property with a private garden, that would allow me to try and manage one person at a time outdoors in a controlled environment.

TrishH23

I can understand that. I wouldn't be able to complete an assessment if my carer wasn't with me. It still blows my mind how much anxiety can completely take over your whole body. Is a video call an option. I do my therapy via video calls now. 

OverlyAnxious

TrishH23 said:

I can understand that. I wouldn't be able to complete an assessment if my carer wasn't with me. It still blows my mind how much anxiety can completely take over your whole body. Is a video call an option. I do my therapy via video calls now. 

I'm glad to hear they work for you but sadly I cannot manage any person at all.  Video calls cause the same physical reaction in me as face to face.  Even the person who gets my shopping has to leave it outside, I cannot contact them in any way other than online text messages.

I also have a long term severe phobia of bodily fluids.  So being repeatedly forced through social events that created a lot of uncontrollable bodily fluids has just made things totally impossible physically now.  I can't manage on my own and can't cope with another person to assist.

TrishH23

Sending love your way