How is the points system for social housing calculated?

willing2learn_3

Hi everyone

Just a quick question in case anyoe knows a little more than me...

My mum is about to move, she is about to sell her house as she cannot afford to stay in it following the sudden passing of my father 2 years ago.

She has just put down a holding deposit on a property that she would like to rent - it would be private rented. She was worried because the rent is the same as her pensionable income. I reminded her that she will have some equity to live off and that in future she may have to apply for housing benefit.

I asked her why she hadn't been applying for council housing and she said the lady at the council said she would bid for her because she doesn't have a computer........I couldn't believe this, I wouldn't want to leave anything in the hands of someone else, so i've asked her to give me her details and i will bid for her online.

I've just looked at the letter she has and she has been awarded 10 points for her local connection, it says 'applicants who are well placed for the type of accomodation you require have 60 points.'

I'm just wondering how you get 60 points? My mum is 65, has some health problems and a disabled elderly mother, suffering with dementia living with her.

thoughts? any advice, thoughts, experience would be appreciated. thanks

willing2learn_3

By the way i mean't no offence to the council lady who had offered to bid, rather that i personally would have to have evidence of this being done, if it were me. :-)

BitterAndTwisted

It's allocated according to need. Those most in need are families who are in imminent danger of becoming homeless. Councils can't even house those families themselves from the stock they hold and are often forced to put them into private rentals. Your mother has assets and is therefore not in desperate need.

willing2learn_3

thanks it's just the equity she has will not last her more than a year and her quality of life with a disabled person with her is not good (this person has dementia and challenging behaviour). Also having been bereaved herself there's a lot of pressure and private rented housing is usually short term contracts which means the possiblity of having to up and move again every 6 months - for a 90 year old, even a 65 year old, is hard.

I do understand though that there are others in desperate need but i hope I can be excused for asking the question as clearly there is still some need here, it's just down to lack of resources for everyone i guess.

Also I was really asking how points are allocated, for what specific criteria - not expecting her to be housed by the council as expect her to be on the list and have a certain set of points....it's just she doesn't seem to have very many at all. thanks. :-)

BitterAndTwisted

Why not address your question to the folks in the housing department? I would have thought that having a frail 90 year old not in good physical or mental health in tow there might be scope for being considered for specialist sheltered housing for the elderly.

Is your Mum getting carer's or attendance allowance for her mother? Are the housing people aware that she has her mother to look after? Has she applied to any of the local Housing Associations?

casualwalks

You don't say what council your mum lives in. This is the criteria for my local council http://www.homechoicebristol.co.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/32.aspx . Who is the disabled 90 year old living with your mum? Does the council know about them? If it is just your mum she will be very low down the list as she doesn't have an urgent need for housing (as you say she has enough equity to live for a year). Housing is allocated based on present need not on future need.

poppysarah

willing2learn wrote: »

Hi everyone

Just a quick question in case anyoe knows a little more than me...

My mum is about to move, she is about to sell her house as she cannot afford to stay in it following the sudden passing of my father 2 years ago.

Bills? Mortgage still?
Is she getting all the benefits she is entitled to?
She should probably get this checked first. See if the CAB do a benefits check.

BigAunty

Why is struggling with retaining her property? Does she have debts? an outstanding mortgage? are the running costs too high?

People with low income and low capital can receiving Local Housing Allowance (housing benefit) for a private rental. She will be restricted to the 2 bedroom rate unless her mother is classed as having a disability that requires an overnight carer, in which case her entitlement increases by an extra bedroom.

Capital over 6k affects means tested benefits and over 16k pretty much rules it out. Income also impacts LHA and other benefits.

You can identify the LHA rates for the local area on the Direct Gov website. You need to double check her overall benefit entitlements on the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

The local council website should detail the points system. Double check whether her mother's health issues will entitle her to more points/higher priority.

Have you considered asking social services for a care assessment for her mother's needs? Does she receive carers allowance for looking after her mother, does her mother receive attendance allowance? Sounds like the household needs a thorough review of their benefit and care entitlements which might prevent them from having to sell up or which could help them with social housing or extra care services.

The Direct Gov website explains about the benefit entitlement criterias for various types.

willing2learn_3

thanks everyone!

I will come back to this thread later as i'm on a late lunch at work right now....the question re will mum get carers allowance....no, as i understand it pensioners do not get carers allowance. If you have a state pension you do not get carers allowance also.

willing2learn_3

poppysarah wrote: »

Bills? Mortgage still?
Is she getting all the benefits she is entitled to?
She should probably get this checked first. See if the CAB do a benefits check.

Thanks the reason is a remaining mortage/loan secured on the house....the insurance was supposed to have been renewed a few weeks before my dad died, but he couldn't think of everything he was already doing too much and an elderly relative had come to stay with them to be cared for with a hip fracture - so it was all just circumstance. My dad had o way of knowing he was going to die, he was in excellent helath as far as anyone could see.

Benefits check has been done thanks - she's not entitled to anything, not even pension credit - however she's grateful that she is not in the position to require benefits - has never had any benefits in her life.

willing2learn_3

BigAunty wrote: »

The local council website should detail the points system. Double check whether her mother's health issues will entitle her to more points/higher priority.

Have you considered asking social services for a care assessment for her mother's needs? Does she receive carers allowance for looking after her mother, does her mother receive attendance allowance? Sounds like the household needs a thorough review of their benefit and care entitlements which might prevent them from having to sell up or which could help them with social housing or extra care services.

Thanks Big Aunty

She is not entitled to any benefits or carers as i've stated above. However that means she's better off so it's a good thing.

Yes i will check the answer to my question on the council website thanks