Disability hate speech from landlord?

Wonky
Wonky Online Community Member Posts: 0 Listener

We live in a private rented house that we have been in for over 3 years. The landlady keeps making comments about my and my kids disability. She has made comments to my face about how her niece and nephew are "properly disabled" making out that myself and my kids aren't. She sent an email lying to us that she was required to have a list of all occupants disabilities and pip, we never gave her any details.

Most recently she posted on Facebook, publicly, on a mirror headline share about pip rates rising to nearly £800 per month, that "while the rest of us work 7 days a week…at least some of my rents are guaranteed! Really why can all these people not at least work part time? We all have hard times but we get up and keep trying, these lot aren't trying in the first place."

I know people are going to say ignore her, but she lives next door and I cannot leave my house without walking past her front door. My kids refuse to go outside now as she makes comments to them. She is always there, she sits next to my front door smoking. It's obvious to our other neighbours that she is referring to me, as I am the only tenant with a visable disability. I don't know what we can do. We have been looking for another house for nearly 3 years, but as only hubby works we never get selected when we apply. We are on social housing list, second highest band with 13 years waiting, but they just don't have anything suitable or we come way down the list. I feel trapped in my own home. I don't feel like I can do anything about what she is saying as she will just evict us, and we will end up in totally unsuitable housing, if we can get something and don't end up homeless.

On a side note, I have been looking for work since my son got more independent, and even got a job at a building society a few months ago, but had to pull out when I found out that the only toilet was on the second floor of a building with narrow steep stairs, and hr told me it just isn't possible for me to work there! I do want to work, partly so that we can get a better house, but finding suitable employment isn't easy when you have a visable physical disability.

Comments

  • Holly_Scope
    Holly_Scope Posts: 3,927 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    That's awful @Wonky, I'm so sorry that you and your family are being treated this way. This definitely sounds like discrimination under the equality act and you might be able to pursue this further legally if that's something you'd consider. It's important to keep records of what's happening, screen shots of the online indirect posts etc. I found this Shelter site quite helpful too, it includes some links to alternative options as well such as a renters union - What to do about discrimination from landlords or agents - Shelter England. I hope you're able to find some resolution to this.