Help with housing

pink_phantom

Hi there,

I am writing this in behalf of a very dear friend whom I have known for a long long time.

Basically, my friend is 23 years old and she was born with cateracts and as such has very very poor eyesight despite multiple operations and lense implants. It is so bad that she cannot drive.

This is where the problem lies. Basically, she was living with her parents and found a local job where she is progressing up the ladder. She has worked at this job for years to support herself despite the fact that she could have been claiming benefits because her sight is that bad.

Anyway, her parents have decided to move far away and have given her the option of going with them. If she does, she will have no friends and no job and find it very difficult to gain employment because of her eyes and lack of transport. She would dearly like to stay in the job she has worked so hard at but she doesn't earn that much (about £180 p.w) and is finding it difficult to find a home within her budget and locally.

She has been refused help from the council in re-homing as she works and hasn't registered herslef as having a disability. She also cannot claim housing benefit for this reason. She desperately needs a home locally so that she can stay in employment. Just a small bedsit would be enough. She has saved up enough for a bond and furniture but cannot find anything in the area cheap enough.

If she registered her disability or got a doctors letter, would they find her a local home or at least help with housing benefit? Alternatively, is there any way she can get help with transport costs because she works shifts and cannot rely on buses late at night and early mornings?

We live in Cross-Hands in South wales and any help would be appreciated.x

I have also posted this on the housing board.

Fran

She could contact RNIB to see what might be available in the form of help for her. She should contact Citizens Advice or other welfare benefits adviser to see if she should put in a claim for Disability Living Allowance. Is she still on the housing list? She should apply to local housing associations too.