Moving up the list - How?

outofmoney

There probably isn't really an answer but someone may have some advice.

We have been on the social housing list for just over 13 years. We are currently Band C, and dip in and out the top 20 on the list.

We have 4 children, 1 girl, 3 boys. The girl is 16, and has the tiny box room. The boys, 16, 14 and 13, share a slightly larger single room. We have one shorty bunk and then have to put a small mattress on the floor at night.

Two of the boys are disabled and require care during the night so they all get disturbed throughout the night.

We don't have an occupational therapist and can't seem to get one (I have tried a few times) The council say they do not have special lists for those with disabilities. Nor will they send someone round to access the situation.

Is there anything we could do to try and move up the list? I can't see any of the children moving out in the next ten years or so, partly due to the cost and also their ability to cope, so we really could do with a larger property.

theartfullodger

Have you VERY CAREFULLY read your council's "housing allocation" policy (or similar name..). I can't read it from here & don't know which council you are with.. e.g.
http://www.slough.info/slough/s33/s33alloc/s33alloc10.html

All councils have to have an allocation policy but they are different: So, if (say) Newcastle gives extra points for people who have been in prison but you council does not there ain't much point in getting banged up for 3 months for GBH as it won't help you...

Having read it then write a calm, polite but careful letter to council arguing your case.... keep a copy.

BigAunty

Does the priority banding that you've been given actually reflect the household overcrowding and disabilities. according to their policy document? Or are you saying that their allocations policy will not include these factors?

My local housing association (there's no council housing, its all handed over to a HA) has very detailed criteria and awards significant points for overcrowding and medical needs, for each relevant person affected. It doesn't have special, separate lists for households with disabilities, either, but the points system does give weighting to them and hence does provide priority. It asks those applying to fill in medical self assessment forms. There's no stated requirement for an OT assessment, it simply asks about the condition, name of specialist, GP, receipt of DLA and so on.

Their future policy will have 6 groups - Group 1 as low priority, Group 6 as high. Households with medical needs/overcrowding are group 3, those with mobility needs, group 5 while those with 3 empty bedrooms are the highest at group 6.

If you believe the social housing policy is weak and your application has not been fairly processed, then contact your local MP. If its the case that you live in an area with very little social housing stock and thousands of households on the waiting list, a transparent social housing allocation but there's simply not the infrastructure, I can't see how you can influence matters.

Have you looked into the Local Housing Allowance rate for your household in the private sector which may allow you more space - does this allow you more than the 3 bed property you are currently in?

tim123456789

BigAunty wrote: »

Have you looked into the Local Housing Allowance rate for your household in the private sector which may allow you more space - does this allow you more than the 3 bed property you are currently in?

They're entitled to 4 beds (though OP doesn't actually say that they are paying with HB)

But if they are, I suspect the availability of private 4 beds available to HB tenants is slim

tim

outofmoney

Thanks to both. Our local council have pretty much scrapped points. We bid on properties and then it goes to highest on the list. The more need, the higher on the list you go. They won't take into account disabilities (unless you need adaptations and get Dr involved) or anything like that. We used to have points, and may still have, which dictates where we are on the list, but these are not made available to us like before.

We are in Band C due to living in overcrowded housing. But Band B is for very overcrowded, which I would personally say we are. We did ask them to look at our situation again and sent a long letter. They just sent a form to fill in, but the details we would give would be no different to what they already have and each time they do they re set their date of priority and this makes a difference to where you are on the list. So we may possibly drop down the list as effectively it will look like we have just joined.

About 7 years ago we asked a local MP to help us as we were being made homeless. We got moved to Band B but couldn't actually offer us anything until we were actually homeless. With the two disabled children that was not really an option, and so when our current house came up (private rent) we took it. It is in a nice area and we have a nice LL, it is just not big enough. We got put back to Band C and our date re-set.

In our area there is just over 3000 housing stock. 77 that would be suitable for us. Sadly loads have been bought over the years and not replaced and we live in an area that has lots of people living on low income and we also are an area that housed a number of people coming over from other countries.

The LHA for our area is pants! We pay £50 top up to our HB yet our rent is at least £200 below the average. If we went for a 4 bed, we would be looking at a top up of around £200+. Then we have the problem of being 'DSS' because of having two disabled children.

We do keep looking but nothing ever comes up that we could afford, or would be accepted for.

Might just try a letter anyway, and maybe ask local MP.

outofmoney

Yes Tim, we are entitled to 4 bed, although the council also ask us to bid on large 3 bed as they say two can share a bedroom. That would mean a girl of 16 sharing with a boy though so not really suitable!

We get full HB. Before we moved in we asked about Discretionary payments. We were told we could not apply until we were getting HB. So we moved in then applied. We were then told we knew we would not get enough HB to cover the rent so should not have taken the property. :mad: Despite the fact it was the only property available at the time and we were about to become homeless they would not budge on their decision.

BigAunty

outofmoney wrote: »

... We did ask them to look at our situation again and sent a long letter. They just sent a form to fill in, but the details we would give would be no different to what they already have and each time they do they re set their date of priority and this makes a difference to where you are on the list. So we may possibly drop down the list as effectively it will look like we have just joined.



.

Wow, I'm blown away by this - your social housing landlord discourages appeals or checks about banding by re-setting dates as the applicants then plunge down the list rather than retain the status quo?

To other posters - is this a normal social housing allocation practice?!

theartfullodger

So you have or haven't bothered to read the policy, carefully, and written a letter?

tim123456789

outofmoney wrote: »

Yes Tim, we are entitled to 4 bed, although the council also ask us to bid on large 3 bed as they say two can share a bedroom. That would mean a girl of 16 sharing with a boy though so not really suitable!

What on earth is the point of there being a policy on children sharing bedrooms if LAs think that they should ignore them?

outofmoney

theartfullodger wrote: »

So you have or haven't bothered to read the policy, carefully, and written a letter?

I have read the policy, yes. In it it speaks about someone coming out to access and taking into account disabilities etc but when he have called and also when we took an MP in with us to a meet with the housing department they stated that they do not have separate lists and do not come out to access. So the policy is pointless really as they don't follow it.

PasturesNew: As for us having the larger bedroom it is only fractionally larger, and of course we have a double bed. The middle room is only big enough for a single bed, or in our case bunk beds. So we couldn't move into there. Believe me we have measured very carefully as we did see it as a possible option but we would still have 3 boys in one room.

BigAunty

outofmoney wrote: »

I have read the policy, yes. In it it speaks about someone coming out to access and taking into account disabilities etc but when he have called and also when we took an MP in with us to a meet with the housing department they stated that they do not have separate lists and do not come out to access. So the policy is pointless really as they don't follow it.

...

I'm not aware of social housing providers running separate lists for those with disabilities - you keep mentioning this but generally I think the allocation policy streams applicants into bands or points, not multiple lists.

So you definately have not been awarded extra points for the disabilities in the household, even without this assessment taking place in the property and this is because the council only calculate this if it requires adaptions to a property and your kids don't have the type of care/mobility needs that require things like ramps, stair lifts, widening doors and so forth?

Presumably the local council have a complaints procedure where you can address the fact that they don't honour part of their policy? And this can be escalated to the local council ombudsman if you aren't satisfied?

Perhaps you could contact a disability rights charity or housing charity to see if housing law obliges the council to take into account the type of disabilities that your children have when setting bands/points/priorities or if they are allowed full discretion on this?

Perhaps you could ask your MP to challenge the council over their policy of resetting dates to zero each time they review/amend the application?