Disability Housing

Hannah89

Hello, I'm looking for some advice please.
I am disabled and currently living in a 1st floor maisonette which has been unsuitable for my needs since Sept 2019. I applied to my local council in October 2019 for housing however they have been useless. They had forgotten about my application which the council only made live in June 2020 after i made a formal complaint to the council and involving my local housing MP. 
I have not had a bath in 9 months as I am unable to get in and out the bath and no shower. My Gp and the housing OT have both said my current property is unsuitable and yet I still have not been moved and I'm getting nowhere with bidding. I'm band 5. I have a benefit over payment which I have to pay off before they increase my banding to 4 however, I use crutches to get round my home and a wheelchair outside the home. I have not left my home in months due to the 14 stairs from my front door to the main door of the maisonette. I rely on my wheelchair to get around. My partner is my carer so I can't go out by myself. The housing know that I am struggling both physically and mentally yet they still will not help. I honestly do not no what to do any more. Every property I bid on i start off in position 1 and end quite low where I am not considered. They will not increase my banding until the benefit overpayment is sorted (£300), which I might add is there own fault, but I can not clear it off in full.
I am really struggling and I am getting to the point of why bother. Please can somebody give me any advice. 
I am only allowed to bid on adapted properties.
Thanks

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

Firstly have you had a needs assessment from your local social services? They can help you with difficulties you have around your home, while you wait for another house. https://www.gov.uk/apply-needs-assessment-social-services

I do know that waiting lists for properties is huge across most of the country and adapted properties are even harder to get. You will need to speak to you housing association regarding what you can bid on. I wouldn't have thought that you can only bid on adapted properties because they can do any adaptions needed while you're living there.

Regarding your benefit overpayment. May i ask what benefit this was for because you said it was their fault and depending on the reason for the overpayment and what benefit it's for then if you have evidence it's their fault then you may not have to pay it back.

Cher_Alumni

Hello @Hannah89 and welcome to Scope's online community.  

Thank you for sharing your story and I am sorry you are in such a difficult position housing-wise.  I can imagine the frustrations you are going through and to not have had a bath in 9 months must be incredibly hard.

In the meantime, I have moved your post to our Housing and Independent Living discussion board and I hope our members can help you in some way.

Just to add - Scope has some information that might be helpful at Getting more suitable accommodation and moving house.

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community I am sorry tyo hear of your housing issues

First of all could you have a bath if you had a bath seat that goes up and down to get you into the bath by transferring from your wheelchair, I have one and they are a god send. This was provided free to me from the OT who did my housing needs assessment

Has the OT sent a report to the housing stating your need for more suitable property

I was only allowed to bid on wheelchair suitable properties eg bungalows but was put in highest band ( I do have a child )

Could you look at private rent I know this is hard if you are on benefits

I was about to become homeless so hence the higher banding but had a very helpful housing officer assigned to me

Also would moving to another area be a possible

Shelter the charity may be able to offer dome advice

Hannah89

I have 4 children, I am allowed to bid on properties that are adapted with wheelchair access. I require a level access shower only. A bath seat that lowers was ruled out. I need ground floor living or a property with a vertical lift. I've bidded this week on a property that offers me all of this yet my position has now gone down to 7. I won't even be considered. It has been like this since June when my bidding number was made live. Every property i bid on they say is either unsuitable for me (even though its an adapted property) or I am not even considered.

The housing benefit overpayment is £300, they kept sending letters stating different amounts then said they had overpaid. Already this year, since the new tax year I have recieved 4 different tax letters stating 4 different amounts. I have been on UC since Feb this year. I have no letter's to prove last years mistake from them but this year I have saved every letter.

janer1967

Unfortunately there wont be many properties that meet your needs. I understand the frustration you have when you bid and you dont get considered it happened lots to me too 

Contact shelter as advised 

Topkitten

I am in much the same position but I refuse to give them the excuse that they are trying to help when they aren't, so I haven't even gone on the waiting list. Even if I was to be offered a viewing I could not go without help and I don't have any help at all. I tried explaining this to them and got a nasty phone call from my housing officer for my trouble, evidently 2 phone calls is wasting their "valuable" time. I too need an adapted property but I also need a procedure that allows me to actually be able to follow. Being healthy they just have no concept of what difficulties people who aren't healthy face.

TK

poppy123456

Hannah89 said:

The housing benefit overpayment is £300, they kept sending letters stating different amounts then said they had overpaid. Already this year, since the new tax year I have recieved 4 different tax letters stating 4 different amounts. I have been on UC since Feb this year. I have no letter's to prove last years mistake from them but this year I have saved every letter.

A little confused by this because you mention housing benefit and also UC, which have different rules for overpayments if it was their mistake. For housing benefit, which includes the housing element then all overpayments are repayable even if it's their mistake.

If you're claiming housing benefit and the overpayment was their mistake and you can prove this then you don't have to pay it back.

Not sure what you mean by tax letters? Are these from HMRC? UC don't usually send letters in paper form, they are usually uploaded onto your journal.

Hannah89

I was on the old style system before where I applied for housing benefit through my council.