Unable to maintain garden - disabled

Aimeep
Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener
in Start here and say hello!

I need some advice I'm disabled and unable to afford to pay a gardener. I have a council bungalow for disabled seniors and unable to use hands well and partially paralysed,but I cannot maintain the garden as I'm house bound and have limited mobility. If I don't have the garden done I could get evicted and risk homeless again and I'm a pensioner in two years. My council doesn't give this kind of help and I have no family . I don't know what to do . Thank you.

Comments

  • ColonelBlink
    ColonelBlink Community Member Posts: 804 Pioneering
    edited May 24

    I pay a local man £20 per fortnight, to cut and tidy both front and rear grass. (I give him £25 If he makes a quick effort with a hoe. He even periodically takes a pick and removes the large thistles at the front. A very pleasant young man he is).

    There is no help available from the council, they stopped using 'criminal justice' gangs a number of years ago.

    I forgot to say that next door only pay £20 every 3 weeks, but I opted for fortnightly, as I have a dog to pick up after.

    Three tenants in the street, they continually refuse to pay, and only grudgingly pay when they get a visit from the housing officer. I bet they have to pay alot more than £20, as they have a jungle needing dealt with by then.

  • ColonelBlink
    ColonelBlink Community Member Posts: 804 Pioneering
    edited May 24

    I bet they have to lay alot more than £20, as they have a jungle needing dealt with by then.


    I gave up trying to correct 'lay' to 'pay', as a message kept informing me "format body on false"?🤔

  • Aimeep
    Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener

    I don't have that kind of money to spare unfortunately and my garden is huge .

  • Aimeep
    Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener

    Unfortunately it's not possible to pay those prices here of £20 every three weeks minimum charge is £250. I don't have that kind of money .Not do I have £20 spare every three weeks I have zero at end of month and vat really afford food or electricity.

  • ColonelBlink
    ColonelBlink Community Member Posts: 804 Pioneering
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127338#Comment_1127338

    Do you not get PIP/ADP? I can't really see what else can be done. How on earth can we be talking £250, what size of a garden do you have? I am pretty much just getting the grass cut.

  • Aimeep
    Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener

    These are the charges here unfortunately. Gardens are not done hourly were I live there's a day rate and only charged at £250 a day or £500 a day . Yes garden is huge . I get pip but that pays things I need to live on and there's no spare money at end of month . I had one quote for hourly rate £55 an hour but unable to find lower or any more hourly rates . Garden would take 2-4 hours or half a day regularly.

  • Aimeep
    Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener

    What's ADP?

  • Aimeep
    Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener

    I moved in 8 months ago it was left for a year or more unoccupied and has grown into a huge jungle so cost a huge amount to put tight as no grass all cracked concrete etc that's dangerous and stones underfoot I can't detect . Fences made of old tin not wood . Can afford to fix or replace being held up by encroaching soil etc Complete and utter mess. But so large will cost at least £250 a month to maintain with gardening basics .

  • Aimeep
    Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener

    No they won't cut.brass here they will only do a full garden . Even if get grass cut daily rate still £250-£500 for just grass cut as they will not charge less to just cut grass once a week. One gardener asked for £7000 to clear etc . I just haven't got it .

  • ColonelBlink
    ColonelBlink Community Member Posts: 804 Pioneering
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127344#Comment_1127344

    The council couldn't possibly expect you to find that kind of money, what kind of dialogue have you got going with them?

    If it was me, i would be making an appointment to meet a local councillor at their next surgery. They work for you, and are always a good place to start. I would then escalate to my MSP (I'm talking about my locality), maybe you have an assembly member or mayor to contact? Your MP is there of course, but I find those on the ground locally are more effective at sorting such things out.

  • Aimeep
    Aimeep Community Member Posts: 8 Listener

    They told me all tenants responsible to pay own gardening costs no matter how big garden .As they don't receive funding for this kind of help . I am house bound as I'm partially paralysed and cannot afford mobility scooter and barely able to walk anymore I've not left a home for over 8 years . I have severe vertigo and have broken bones from falling in my homes as well as not being steady on feet because of disability and arthritis.So cannot do appointments. I've not yet contacted my MP about this matter but I have others regarding council and he was extremely helpful and understanding.So perhaps I should contact his office about this too. I live in Cheshire and prices are extremely high for everything. Thank you colonel blink your advice is very helpful 👍

  • ColonelBlink
    ColonelBlink Community Member Posts: 804 Pioneering
    edited May 24

    Can you tell me if your garden is very overgrown? It wouldn't surprise me if those high prices were to bring it up to standard, but then normal prices would apply to keep things under control.

    Commercial disposal of garden waste is expensive, my grass cutter has to pay £60.90 per van load of garden waste at the local recycling centre, larger luton style vans are charged £119.90, plus another £60.90 for an additional trailer.

    If similar pricing applies with your council, and your garden is very overgrown, we are talking over £300 to dispose of 3 large vans and 3 trailers; saying nothing about men's labour, liability insurance, vehicle costs etc. Would it take a full day and multiple van loads to clear your garden?

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