Council housing medical award - Urgent help needed

shajeda

Hi All

I live in a ground floor flat with my husband’s family – 4 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with separate toilet.

Father-in-law is diabetic, has had a stroke and has a commode in the property.

I suffered from Hirschsprung disease a baby and have bowel problems for life which includes crohns disease. I have a housing application with Tower Hamlets Council and have applied for medical priority and have been refused.

The occupation therapist has come to the conclusion that I can use a commode in my bedroom that I share with my husband even though this is undignified. I explained to her that with Crohn’s you can have good & bad days. Bad day for me is going to the toilet 20+ times and need constant access to it , however this has fallen on deaf ears.

I now have a few days to appeal this decision please can someone help me with this I need to write a lengthy appeal letter an do not know where to start.

Thanks in advance.

LupusWarrior

Have you tried  your GP/Consultant for a letter of support?   Is there not a department in your local council for people with disabilities?  There is one like that here in Edinburgh and the guy who came to see me was well versed on Lupus so I got my gold points and got re-housed pretty quickly.  Tried citizens' advice?    

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @shajeda, and welcome to the community! So sorry to hear about your current situation. 

@debbie_scope, is there anything you can suggest?

Jean_OT

Hi @shajeda

The occupational therapist is obliged to suggest the most cost effective solution to  meeting your assessed need. I can totally understand that you feel having to use a commode in a bedroom you share with your husband impacts on your dignity. However, this solution is common-place and in general use for many disabled people. Therefore, I think you would need to provide some additional evidence from other professionals to demonstrate that it isn't a workable solution for you as an individual/couple.........could you evidence cultural reasons or that it was impacting on your mental wellbeing due to the stress it was placing you under? I don't think your appeal letter needs to be overly lengthy, it just needs to clearly evidence why a commode is not a workable solution for you.

Best Wishes

Jean 

Nystagmite

I know this isn't the point; but has anyone considered the effect this could have on your husband? I personally wouldn't want to be disturbed by someone going toilet at night.

Misscleo

Well said 

shajeda

Thank you for your advise everyone.I’ve sent in my appeal form hopefully they look into my situation again.

MrsPickles

Can anyone help me pls. I live in a ground floor flat. It was a old mill. It's so cold and damp, ad i spend nearly all day, everyday here. It is msking my confition worse. Please help me to move. I live on my own and don't know where to start. I want to go back to Bedforfshire. Can't get into bath. So after 6 yrars nearly i have had enough. Thanking you all.

Jean_OT

Hi @MrsPickles

Welcome to the community. To be able to advise further I would need some more information.

Do you qualify to be considered for social housing in Bedfordshire? (please note that the criteria the Central Bedfordshire Housing Department is using is changing this month, see:   

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/housing/apply/qualify.aspx )

If so you could make an application with them.

If they consider that you are currently adequately housed you might not be a priory for housing. If you can evidence that your current housing is not fit for purpose and is impacting on your health then your social housing priority may be increased. So arranging an Occupational Therapist (from the community OT team for the area you currently live in) to assess your current property and/or a letter from your GP may be helpful.

Best Wishes

Jean

cripps

It’s all a bit **** and depressing this housing lark, i live in a first floor flat and the only way i can get around is in a wheelchair but between my social worker and the council they haven’t found me a flat on the ground floor where i could go out and see the world