Band 3 (c) waiting for medical panel assessment

sarahw85 said:

Thanks for checking in . 

Does wait time count from the day my general housing application got accepted ( one month ago) 

or from when medical priority got awarded( one week ago )

Any suggestions as to anything that can help speed up the process? 

Hey 

It may differ for each council but here it’s started from the time you was awarded medical banding.

Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do to speed the process up with direct offers it’s just as and when they pick a property for you, even with medical banding it can takes months to years to be offered a property depending on the councils stock

sarahw85 said:

Hi thanks, I’ll try to stay positive in the meantime. Frustrated is an understatement .

also did you have an interview before moving in? Was it on the phone or in person 

Nope didn’t have any interviews.

Once my account was updated to Medical Priority I was able to start bidding on Bungalows each week.
Nothing came up in the first 7 weeks that I wanted but on 7th week a Bungalow I absolutely loved came up in a very difficult to get area(Huge demand for the area) so I phoned my friend who works for council housing department and he pushed me to the top of the list for it.
Got a call to arrange a viewing and if you accept it you get the keys then and there or decline and go back to bidding again.
Already knew I was gonna accept it as we came and had a good nosey before the viewing, They also arranged for the bathroom to be adapted into a wet room at the viewing appointment.
This might vary from council to council but they also arranged for the entire bungalow to be decorated before moving in(they did all the decorating but I got to pick colours) and fit a new kitchen(also got to pick the design)

poppy123456 said:

sarahw85 said:

Thanks for checking in . 

Does wait time count from the day my general housing application got accepted ( one month ago) 

or from when medical priority got awarded( one week ago )

Any suggestions as to anything that can help speed up the process? 

In my area waiting times do not apply if you have medical priority. I think you've done all you can do now and there's nothing more that can speed up the process. Hopefully, you're not waiting too long. 

Plus side as it’s a direct offer it might be a bit faster since there’s no bidding etc.

letitbe said:

Luchia said:

poppy123456 said:

sarahw85 said:

Update:  I chased up the council for an update on my home search they said positions change daily so there is no telling of my position and have suggested I look to secure private renting as I could be waiting a very long time.

Could???  My first thought .. what do you know if the positions change daily .. ?!
personally I’m fuming. Do they not realise I had a stroke .. am currently disabled .. a single parent and my toddlers primary carer. How on earth am I supposed to afford the private rent worthy of a full time job . By Myself.

There are no boxes to tick that describe my situation but where are the humans instead of Robots . I am now browsing right move but I feel I shouldn’t have to be. Though a friend tells me at least I can build up my furniture if I move out out of this room . 

Should I be writing to my mp what would you do ? 

It's true sadly. Although you've moved up the banding this never means you'll be guaranteed to be housed any quicker.

When I was placed into urgent medical priority I was also told that I could be waiting quite sometime to be rehoused. For me, that wasn't the case and I was offered a property very quickly as I advised earlier in the thread. 

Sadly, it's a waiting game but for your area it does seem worse because you can't bid on properties yourself, which to me seems rather odd. 

I agree it's frustrating but sadly it's the way it is. 

Was the same for me Poppy but I do have a friend who works in allocations that pulled some strings so it only took 7 weeks to get my bungalow, I dread to think how long it could of taken without that, I’d have no chance of the Bungalow I got as it’s in an extremely desirable area and the size of the property is far bigger than most they have.

Something really needs to be done about the over inflation and lack of security in the private rent sector to make them more accessible to people.

Ideally councils would be able to build enough housing for demand but that costs a lot of money and most councils are struggling financially 

Wow that’s really fortunate that you had a friend that work in council to help you get it faster. 

Private rent especially in SE is so unbelievably high and to get a 1 bedroom is upwards of £1600. 

Unfortunately there’s a lot of private landlords that take advantage of this and will buy properties and squeeze as many ‘studio flats’ as they can into them and then rent them to people on benefits charging the upper limit and more of the LHA , which in a lot of the SE is £1280. 

To get a decent 1 bedroom is pretty impossible if you’re  on benefits coz of the stigma. 

There absolutely has to be some sort of regulation for private landlords rental fees, it’s really disheartening and if you’re a single male you’re at the bottom of the pile.

Sounds absolutely dreadful!

I got a lovely large 2 bedroom bungalow with private front and back garden in a very desirable area, the rent you mentioned for private is 5X more than what I pay for my home although we are in the process of buying the Bungalow, thankfully it’s all been approved so just awaiting the paperwork 

sarahw85 said:

that’s awesome congratulations!! Are you doing the right to buy scheme? that is my goal if I like the place .

Yes I’m doing it through right to buy, I have 15 years worth of discounts so they are practically giving it to me.

Make sure to research the right to buy as a lot of councils don’t allow it on newer tenancy’s or the discount is practically nothing