House with Asbestos and 2 disabled residents

zincoxide

Stick with me and I'll try to explain this best.

My parents who are both severly disabled bought an ex-council property in the 1980's, since them they have both become disabled. Now I've found out that the house has asbestos in a bin cupboard that is sealed up, the cupboard is 2-3ft squared. They also have old artex on the wall that may have asbestos.

I'm trying to find out their rights, as I believe the council should remove the cupboard asbestos free of charge to give them their space back (they sealed it after they bought the house privately). As for the artex, I'm trying to find out if they can get a concession on the removal of it.

A 3rd thing is the electricity meter is about 6 inchec off the floor inside a cupboard which is inside another cupboard, they cannot get to read the meter so I'm also trying to find out if the electricity board has to move the meter to a more accesible place again at their cost or with a big concession.

Both adults have severe physical disabilities and only get disability allowance so they cannot afford to employee contractors to do it themselves.

If anyone could give me some help, it would be much appreciated.

If it helps, the property is based in Scotland.

googler

From a different council, but page 7 of this document suggests grants for removal are generally not available, but may be covered under house repair grant schemes, and your parents' disabled status may help here. Otherwise, some good advice herein, it seems.

Suggest contacting their local council to see what's available grant-wise.

http://www.eastbourne.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=3793&type=full&servicetype=Inline

googler

I don't reckon the council will accept responsibility for removal, if your parents bought the house over 20 years ago - if they'd bought it from a private seller at that time, would you suggest that seller is liable for the cost of removal now?

You seem to also suggest it was your parents who sealed the cupboard, and not the council?

Oldernotwiser

A lot of asbestos is perfectly fine as long as you leave it where it is. It's the taking it out that can be dangerous.

zincoxide

No - the council sealed up the cupboard AFTER my parents used the right-to-buy scheme.

Reason for me asking, is we need the space inside that cupboard as my Mum has a new electric wheelchair which has nowhere to go, they live in a split level house and it has to sit behind the front door which means you can only open the fron door around 35degrees for normal use.

I want to get into that cupboard as I have meaured it from the outside and know the wheelchair will fit. If I can get the council to remove the asbestos then I can do everything else that needs doing.

googler

OK, I just couldn't figure out who the 'they' was in that sentence....

The council sealed it AFTER your parents had taken ownership, and at a stage when the council didn't actually OWN the property anymore...... is that what we're saying here?

As is said above, and in the link provided, it's not the actual presence that's the problem, just the disturbance of it that releases the fibres into the atmosphere - so covering up the asbestos is always an option to actual removal, but the trouble with this approach is that if, for instance, someone plastered over the artex, then someone could come along later, after your parents have departed, say, and drill into what they think is plaster, and into the asbsestos artex, releasing asbestos fibres.

zincoxide

The reason I want it removed is because of my mothers disability she needs that space for her chair - so does anyone know if the council are duty bound to do this to provide housing to a tolerable standard fro a disabled person?

Or am I taking a visit to CAB this week?

Doozergirl

The council aren't obliged to provide anything for them if it is their private residence. 'tolerable' to me doesn't exactly include the use of a cupboard either, however I'd be interested to know why they sealed the cupboard up - ie. on the request of whom? What is the purpose of the asbestos in the cupboard? Is it in the wall, is the wall made of it or is it on something like a water tank? I'm fairly sure anyway that if it's standard white asbestos then it can just be left or covered over. It's probably best to have a survey - someone is going to have to pay for it and I really think that it's going to be down to your family.

Artex is not a problem at all, you just leave it alone. There is no need to remove it so you're going to have a hard time getting the council to do that at all, even if there were some kind of grant available.

devils_spawn

wrong message posted

zincoxide

The cupboard used to be a bin cupboard and was asbestos lined in case of fire. If we could get access it provides space to put the wheelchair which is currently either obstructing the front door or stuck in the bathroom.

It's a split level house so it cannot be moved anywhere else, if we could get into that cupboard then my Mum wouldn't have to struggle around her chair when going to the toilet or opening the front door.

Doozergirl

What would it take to open the cupboard? How did they seal it? Surely it can't be that hard to open it?

Perhaps if they were lucky then perhaps the work would fall under some kind of adaptation grant for disabled people rather than a specific grant for the removal of asbestos, so that she can manouvre around the house more freely?