Bipolar disorder & housing.

satankidneypie

Hi I'm a carer for someone with Bipolar and need a bit of advice in relation to housing.

The person in question lives in a 2 bedroom house (social housing) by themself. They want to move closer to family but the letting agent for the social housing will only let them have a two bedroom flat as they claim houses are only for "families". The second bedroom isnt an issue as they are allowed (well actually frequently NEED) a carer to stop over night. Everyone (sufferer, social worker, authorities) agrees moving closer to family would help.

This person's social worker agrees that a house is better suited as being surrounded by neighbours on all sides will increase anxiety and paranoia when on a downer. Being able to escape into a garden (without having to be confronted with other people) is also theraputic.

Is there anything I can do to help my friend move to a suitable property (preferably social housing). It almost feels as tho the authorities are discriminating against my friend. My friend is not capable of being involved in a regular family situation. I know my friend already feels terrible about not being able to cope with living with a partner/children.

jetta_wales

Would they consider a swap? They do that sometimes.

Tulip09

Damn this is a very similar situation that i have had experience of. I wish you good luck. The only thing i can suggest is to get all relevant parties to write a letter explaining the situation, and hope it does not fall on deaf ears or ask for a ground floor flat only (incase they jump from a higher floor during down times). Perhaps you could arrange private rental in the area of choice initially untill something suitable comes up.

satankidneypie

jetta_wales wrote: »

Would they consider a swap? They do that sometimes.

Yes, they would. Theyve been waiting for 3 years tho and no one has been willing to do so. Id imagine this is becuase they do not live in a fantastic part of town.

Richie-from-the-Boro

satankidneypie wrote: »

Hi I'm a carer for someone with Bipolar and need a bit of advice in relation to housing.

The person in question lives in a 2 bedroom house (social housing) by themself. They want to move closer to family but the letting agent for the social housing will only let them have a two bedroom flat as they claim houses are only for "families". The second bedroom isnt an issue as they are allowed (well actually frequently NEED) a carer to stop over night. Everyone (sufferer, social worker, authorities) agrees moving closer to family would help.

This person's social worker agrees that a house is better suited as being surrounded by neighbours on all sides will increase anxiety and paranoia when on a downer. Being able to escape into a garden (without having to be confronted with other people) is also therapeutic.

Is there anything I can do to help my friend move to a suitable property (preferably social housing). It almost feels as though the authorities are discriminating against my friend. My friend is not capable of being involved in a regular family situation. I know my friend already feels terrible about not being able to cope with living with a partner/children.

If there is a night care element, the second bedroom ordinarily disallowed under the proposed new legislation is not only allowed, but is a pre-requirement for the client.

I'm sure you are trying to do the very best for your friend but you seem to be arguing that that s/he is one more exception to the rule. S/he is not being discriminated against, the rules are being applied as they should be. I'm a little confused by what you are suggesting s/he / you want to achieve, are you saying that :

- a three bedroom property with garden is preferred for a single person
- a three bedroom house not a three bedroom ground floor garden flat is preferred for a single person

There are many disabled families of 3 or 4 members in need of two / three bedroom social housing accommodation the HA / LA in question is only doing the best it can with its housing stock to meet the demand. A family of 3 or 4 will quickly fill all the available space in a three bedroom unit, a single person will rattle around a two bed unit.

newleaf

Sometimes the Housing Association will have a special 'medical needs' form to complete, which is where you could state these special requirements, with reasons - does your friend have a CPN or social worker who could add some influence to the request?

satankidneypie

Tulip09 wrote: »

Damn this is a very similar situation that i have had experience of. I wish you good luck. The only thing i can suggest is to get all relevant parties to write a letter explaining the situation, and hope it does not fall on deaf ears or ask for a ground floor flat only (incase they jump from a higher floor during down times). Perhaps you could arrange private rental in the area of choice initially untill something suitable comes up.

We're going to look at private options soon. My friend has made a decision not to move to a flat full stop, but I fear that when theres a bit a hyper situation going on the letting agent will try it on. If they give the house up they will never get it back, unfortunately.

I think it is falling on deaf ears unfortunately. I cant see the point of them having an indepentant living team if they have policies that cant be broken, even for exceptional/severe cases. I intend to write to them on their behalf and question if they have any power to do anything, if they dont/cant help I intend to write to my MP and suggest the service is cut as essentially they must just be "middle men" recieving lots funding operating in lavish houses. It would be far easier if these thing were ran the old way.

satankidneypie

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

If there is a night care element, the second bedroom ordinarily disallowed under the proposed new legislation is not only allowed, but is a pre-requirement for the client.

I'm sure you are trying to do the very best for your friend but you seem to be arguing that that s/he is one more exception to the rule. S/he is not being discriminated against, the rules are being applied as they should be. I'm a little confused by what you are suggesting s/he / you want to achieve, are you saying that :

- a three bedroom property with garden is preferred for a single person
- a three bedroom house not a three bedroom ground floor garden flat is preferred for a single person

There are many disabled families of 3 or 4 members in need of two / three bedroom social housing accommodation the HA / LA in question is only doing the best it can with its housing stock to meet the demand. A family of 3 or 4 will quickly fill all the available space in a three bedroom unit, a single person will rattle around a two bed unit.

I am saying that a 2 bedroom house is prefered. Shared garden is no good as ive said. Medical people/Social Worker agrees. A family/whoever would benifit the two bedroom house they currently occupy if a move happens. If not they will stay in the house already occupied as moving to a flat is likely to make health worse. Everyone who knows the person agrees that a flat will make health worse.

Medical form for the housing company has been filled in, social worker has backed it up. Over the phone they've stated that they wont consider a house full stop.

Basically they just want like for like in an area were they can have more support from the family and friends.

To be frank the person doesnt care about any rent shortfall, they are willing to pay for it.

sunnyone

Some 70% of disabled people live in unsuitable housing, there inst enough suitable housing to go round for any group of people especially in social housing.

If this person really needs to be near family they would look at the available housing and choose one of the places offered, they dont need adapted housing so they shouldnt have a long wait if medical evidence supports their claim but housing cant be picked from thin air for them and they cant take priority over a family also in desperate need, they probably only got their current house because its a bad area and no one else wanted it and things are very diffrent in popular areas.

In this case it seems the disability card is being play to try and get an unfair advantage over other needy aplicants because they WANT a house, OP you WANT them to get a house and feel that they will never get a house unless they demand one now but they wont get one so they will stay where thay are, if they are so desperate to move they would take whats available.

Single people will never, ever get priority over a family for a 2/3/4 bedroomed home and thats correct and right.

Need and want are very diffrent things.

satankidneypie

sunnyone wrote: »

Some 70% of disabled people live in unsuitable housing, there inst enough suitable housing to go round for any group of people especially in social housing.

If this person really needs to be near family they would look at the available housing and choose one of the places offered, they dont need adapted housing so they shouldnt have a long wait if medical evidence supports their claim but housing cant be picked from thin air for them and they cant take priority over a family also in desperate need, they probably only got their current house because its a bad area and no one else wanted it and things are very diffrent in popular areas.

In this case it seems the disability card is being play to try and get an unfair advantage over other needy aplicants because they WANT a house, OP you WANT them to get a house and feel that they will never get a house unless they demand one now but they wont get one so they will stay where thay are, if they are so desperate to move they would take whats available.

Single people will never, ever get priority over a family for a 2/3/4 bedroomed home and thats correct and right.

Need and want are very diffrent things.

They are willing to wait an appreciate that other people have needs. If someone said, theres a big list that wouldnt be a problem.

Yes they WANT a house, infact the social worker thinks they NEED a house. IMO opinion i'd feel safer that they stayed where they are as opposed to moving to a flat even if its closer to family. I feel that swapping to a flat anywere would be counter productive, paranoia levels would shoot through the roof. This week the person is genuinely convinced that the medical people have a conspiracy against them. I can just see these eppisodes happening more frequently.

I can see why a single able'd body person would never get a house over a family. For instance myself.

However (this is purely my opinion and not that of my friend), that if some one is in need be it a family or a single person I dont see a need to distinguish between them as groups. I feel it should be done based on personal circumstance and not generic groupings. Again my opinion but regular (non disabled people/ and not those trapped in long term unemployment) folk should take more responsibility when breeding. Working in FE I personally see a lot of scrounging in all walks of life. If I start a family, I intend to pay for it. But thats not relevant.

Yes the area was in a hard to let area at the time, however the area isnt anymore. There is no empty houses on the estate in question.

So if anyone can help, please do.

sunnyone

satankidneypie wrote: »

They are willing to wait an appreciate that other people have needs. If someone said, theres a big list that wouldnt be a problem.

Yes they WANT a house, infact the social worker thinks they NEED a house. IMO opinion i'd feel safer that they stayed where they are as opposed to moving to a flat even if its closer to family. I feel that swapping to a flat anywere would be counter productive, paranoia levels would shoot through the roof. This week the person is genuinely convinced that the medical people have a conspiracy against them. I can just see these eppisodes happening more frequently.

I can see why a single able'd body person would never get a house over a family. For instance myself.

However (this is purely my opinion and not that of my friend), that if some one is in need be it a family or a single person I dont see a need to distinguish between them as groups. I feel it should be done based on personal circumstance and not generic groupings. Again my opinion but regular (non disabled people/ and not those trapped in long term unemployment) folk should take more responsibility when breeding. Working in FE I personally see a lot of scrounging in all walks of life. If I start a family, I intend to pay for it. But thats not relevant.

Yes the area was in a hard to let area at the time, however the area isnt anymore. There is no empty houses on the estate in question.

So if anyone can help, please do.

So you want the house and not the person in question, most SW's go with the flow so I wouldnt rate their opinion and yours is null and void because you dont have a clue about medical issues unless you have worked as a pdoc or cpn in a qualified role and you work in FE.

He got the house because they couldnt let it then, what it's like on that estate now is irrelavant and null and void because if it was a nice place it wouldnt take three years for a swap.

He wont and shouldnt get a house above other needy classes, they are prepared to give them priority for a suitable home near their family and that fulfils their duty in law.