On behalf of my disabled partner

ShaunOfTheDead78

Hello everybody.. I am in desperate need of help/advice please. I am the full time carer to my disabled partner.. I am 46 she is 44.. we live currently in a 2nd floor 2 bedroom flat with a housing association.. there are 2 flights of stairs that my partner (and myself at times) find it near on impossible to navigate nowadays as my partner is getting progressively worse.. we have been in contact with our occupational therapist who has been good enough to draft us a letter detailing our wish to move as well as making some small adaptions to our flat to make life easier for my partner.. the problem we are facing is that our housing association say they can't move us as all of their properties are given to our local council.. I've spoken to our local council and registered etc for them to tell us that we are in the lowest band and probably won't be moved up as we are not homeless.. so basically we are stuck in a rut.. my partner and myself seek a 2 bedroom house or bungalow or are even open to the possibility of another flat, but would need a small garden/outside space etc for my partners and my mental health.. we are basically confined to our flat on a daily basis due to my partner being in so much pain it literally cripples her to venture out.. any suggestions please? I fully understand the situation of the current housing problems/issues but there has to be something we can do except voluntary make ourselves homeless to make the council take notice.. we are at our wits end we really are..

Kimi87

If you are unhappy with your council banding, there should be an appeals process.

Did you do any form of medical assessment with the council as part of the housing application process? 

ShaunOfTheDead78

Council requested uploads of medical background and occupational therapist report which was supplied 

Luchia

Please don’t voluntarily make yourself homeless as the council can class this as intentionally making yourself homeless and refuse to offer any help or support 

Kimi87

Okay, so my advice would be to read the council's allocation policy (should be on their website).
This will contain details of appeal process over your banding, and whether they have followed their guidleines on the medical assessment.

I would have expected medical points to be awarded to you if you are struggling with stairs, then seeking a ground floor property (for example) should mean some medical priority in your banding.

I was Band C with medical points for being assessed as needing a wet room + ground floor (was living in a house with over bath.
Band C is the lowest in my area that has any chance of success- Band D is basically the LA acceptance of an application but realistically very few Band D applicants are ever offered a property.
Those medical points however counted for a lot.