Social Housing Question.... 15 December 2012 at 8:58PM edited 16 December 2012 at 5:05PM in Housing benefit help 42 replies 75.7K views

ILW

slenderkitten wrote: »

if people actually read the posts that have been posted people would have got the gist that there is nothing to add and to let the CAB representative post and leave it at that but some people just cant let it go and let the professional handle it.

i have been very calm but with the amount of posts where i have already gone down the paths mentioned and that i made it clear what level of action i wanted to take. I just dont understand why people not think that i have been doing things extensively which is why i said at the very bottom of my first post that i want to take this to a higher level. i'm even considering the papers i really hope people get the message of what i am asking.

Just leave this be and let the CAB representative reply. Thank you.

CAB reps are mainly amateur volunteers.

CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative

slenderkitten wrote: »

Hi, i'm not sure if this is in the right section, apologies if it aint.

I'm not going to go into all the issues i had i will just generalise for the first two so you get the gist. I am absolutely besides myself as i cannot believe i'm in this situation again.

1A My first home of 9 years i had to leave because of bad neighbours who lived on top of me, if i hadn't at that time I am sure i would have died because of my ill health due to the serious noise and anti-social problems i suffered for the last two years.

B I was moved into another place, at the request of my MP, the council claimed it was quiet, the first night sleep was disturbed by a noisy vehicle (i didn't know the flats were next to an industrial unit). After this I spoke with neighbours who said they were complaining about it for 10 years. I moved after 3 years it had an affect with my hair, nails and sleep was seriously affected.

C I was moved into another place 4 months ago, at the request of my MP, i live ABOVE neighbours who are asleep in the afternoon and awake at night, this place is on a scheme for over 40's and pensioners. Originally, the son was coming in around midnight slamming the door, then did the same when he left at 5am. The general atmosphere was loud, there were several of the family visiting on a daily basis where then are restrictions on how many people are allowed to visit. The son is one of these lazy types who dont want to work, smokes weed etc, the mother is in her late 50's.

There were already complaints from the previous occupants of my flat about them and they left because of them, they also have too many visitors and arguments, the idiots have been there less than a year themselves. I had other problems like cigarette smoke smell, and cooking smells coming from their flat, (they didn't open windows or clean up regularly) the mother would start doing something in the bathroom/hallway but with loud banging around 6am, she would also carry on banging objects very loudly throughout the day. The smoke and the morning cleaning has stopped but i have noticed that whenever i am doing stuff around my flat, hoovering, having visitors etc just doing what you would expect people to be doing as normal in the daytime they would bang in the night.

i had problems with my other neighbours who are on my level at 6am also doing something noisy, the neighbour below them confirmed that it was waking her,but it has been resolved.

What should i do here. I have had serious headaches for years because of being woken up in the night lost my jobs twice last year due to this problem, i had already gone down the route from the first place of having counselling sessions when my depression was at its worst.

The council is going to put in recording instrument which i am well aware that it wont record nothing. Is there someone higher than the council themselves who I can report the council to about my situation. I am fed up of moving and spent alot of money which has now dried up, i am out of work and not sure how i can cope with this noise problem and being at work with ill health.

I intend to get out of this situation even if i have to do some sort of live in job that is out of my city.

My neighbour who lives on the same level as the idiots has heard what they been doing but will not complain about them and sleeps in the living room to get away from it. i am basically alone in all this, residents told me that the previous occupants were complaining and that the housing officer who i originally complained to told me that he had been round there a few times and could smell the strong smell of smoke in her home and knew that it was her son who visited her at night.

i challenged the manager (this is the guy who showed me round the flat and could smell the smoke -[he later retracted this and said he doesn't remember the smoke being here -you really couldn't miss it, at least half the residents are chain smokers]. neighbours have told me that they are aware of the smoke going into other flats

I also told him that the previous occupants were complaining about them, he said he had no knowledge about it, he also didn't know that they haven't been here long either. I asked him whether he was told about my first flat as i said that these people are just like them, he said the area manager for my last home did not tell him about it.

I hope someone can help me with this! As I feel that it needs to be escalated to a higher level

Hello
I'm sorry that you have had to wait for a response from the CAB but we do not offer a service over the weekend. Unfortunately this thread is specifically for advice on Housing Benefit and not on general housing issues.
Having read the conversations you have been having with others, I would like offer some limited advice -much of this being repetition of other comments. You could indeed consider private rental - you would need to find out what the Local Housing Allowance from the council to see what would be affordable. You have obviously got some reaction from the council and I would urge you to let the noise measurements take place as you need evidence before you can get any further action.
As your case is complex I would encourage you to make a visit to your local CAB rather than look for answers online -you can find the local bureau via https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk