3 bed council house with one person living in it?

anewman

Me and my mum live in a council house of which she is the tenant. It is a 3 bedroom property. Originally there was my mum, me and my sister but she has already moved out. I was wondering if, when I move out, the council could *insist* that she takes a smaller property?

I saw something in one of the many magazines produced by the housing people they are offering people £1000 who live in properties too big for them if they move to a smaller one, suggesting it is not mandatory - but I do seem to remember a story in the news in West Yorkshire of a man being forced to move out of a house bigger than his needs when his mother had just died not too long ago.

It would of course make sense I agree for her to move into a smaller property, in terms of allowing a family that needs a large property to get one - and in terms of electric and gas bills. I guess my main concern is that she could end up forced into a high rise small 1 bed flat not of her choosing, surrounded by even more of the nation's annoying underclass chavs than we currently are and that it probably wouldn't do her mental health (for which she is on numerous tablets) much good.

poppysarah

Are you on the tenancy?

The two of you could discuss moving with the housing - moving to a smaller, cheaper to heat, one level property could be a good move for your mum. Are you planning on moving with her or would you have to be housed separately.

skylight

The person who was forced out, was probably not on the tenancy in the first place. The council cannot force your Mum to leave - unless she is behind on the rent etc, you know, the usual stuff.

In our area, people over a certain age ...... are allocated certain areas, such as bungalows etc. I would suggest that your Mum makes some enquiries annomously if necessary to the council to ask their procedure. Or talk to a local councillor about it, they should be able to help.

Please do not worry about any potential family moving in - your Mum takes priority here as its her home. A smaller place is easier to manage as she gets older, but a smaller place will mean a drastic change for her - getting rid of a lot of memories to fit into a smaller place etc.

LandyAndy

anewman wrote: »

Me and my mum live in a council house of which she is the tenant. .

Hello anewman. Not seen you anywhere except the motoring board;) .

You're in higher ed and you don't know it should be 'my mum and I' .:D


If you had a pound for every time you've told us that you can buy a great car for under GBP500 you could buy a house.;)

Unfortunately, I can't offer any real advice.

anewman

poppysarah wrote: »

Are you on the tenancy?

The two of you could discuss moving with the housing - moving to a smaller, cheaper to heat, one level property could be a good move for your mum. Are you planning on moving with her or would you have to be housed separately.

I believe I am on the tenancy if that means included in the list of people they have that live here.

I would be planning on moving out and renting privately with my partner, should hopefully be able to afford it if we're both working

LandyAndy wrote: »

If you had a pound for every time you've told us that you can buy a great car for under GBP500 you could buy a house.;)

(Disclaimer: Well erm, maybe not a "great" car, but one that works, goes from a to b (at the time of purchase), has MOT and maybe road tax - and is much cheaper than getting a loan for £8k and trundling off to buy a new one :rotfl:). After 15 years bricks and mortar will have probably tripled their price (even if falling to pieces), but a metal tin can will be worth less than a tenth of the purchase price. It's a shame houses can not be so cheap. I remember seeing houses in need of a little renovation in the papers for £30k what seems barely any time ago. Would be doing well to find one less than double that now.

So the impression I get is they can't kick her out so there'd be no rush - but perhaps the best thing to do is for her to consider putting her name down to look for a smaller property and see what turns up, and if it doesn't look any good there's always the safe option of "no thanks" so it's up to the council to offer something half-decent

jay11_2

It is often better for older people to move into a more manageable property before they 'need' to. For many elderly people, adjusting to new surroundings becomes increasingly difficult as they age. So if a suitable property is available, and she's happy with the prospect, moving might well help your mum in the longer term.

tbs624

The Transfer Incentive Schemes are usually dealt with via the Housing Dept’s Under-Occupation Officer. The schemes can also be accessed by those who want to move out of the council housing sector altogether

Different Councils seem to offer variants in which the tenant can be paid £1000 per bedroom reduction and/or help with removal costs and/or redecoration of the new property.

Anyone signing up gets registered under the highest priority category - Band A - but the tenant can choose the type of accommodation and area before making a final decision.

Your mother could register on the mutual exchange register to swap with another tenant who is also registered, but is in a smaller property and who has priority for t/f because of overcrowding.

You should be able to arrange for someone from the Housing Office to come round to your home to discuss the options with her.

If she/you need clarification on anything that is discussed at the meeting then you/she could contact the Shelter helpline on 0808 800 4444 (7 days, 8-8)

margaretclare

jay11 wrote: »

It is often better for older people to move into a more manageable property before they 'need' to. For many elderly people, adjusting to new surroundings becomes increasingly difficult as they age. So if a suitable property is available, and she's happy with the prospect, moving might well help your mum in the longer term.

I completely agree with jay11. I have seen this happen many many times - people leave it too late and for many reasons, it just becomes too daunting a prospect.

However, once you reach a 'certain age', the council have their own rules about what you can be offered, what they call 'your entitlement'. For instance, I know a family where Mum and Dad brought up 4 sons in a council house. All were grown and flown, parents becoming increasingly less able, but they wanted a spare bedroom for when family came to stay - all were at a distance, from Cornwall to Derbyshire - they requested a 2-bedroom bungalow. Council didn't agree. As a married couple they were 'only entitled to' one bedroom. Eventually they moved there and now Mum lives there alone. But at least it's on the ground floor and she has a walk-in shower room.

There was recently a case in Essex, couple in their 80s had lived in same council house for 50 years and had consistently refused to allow any repairs, refurbishment etc until it got to a state of danger - old wiring etc was unsafe. They had to be evicted, rehoused, and the house completely done out, none of which they'd wanted, and 50 years' worth of clutter had to be moved out so that workmen could get in. But the point was, that house is still available for them to move back in - even in circumstances like that they could NOT be forced out except on a temporary basis.