local housing authority / social housing questions ?

Lioness_Twinkletoes

Marktheshark wrote: »

Your disability would qualify you for housing group A1/c as a vulnerable person, chasing up PIP is a good idea as this will help your case.
First thing is to make an application to the local council for housing.

Once you have this you can also apply to housing associations who have a better attitude towards people with disabilities than local councils and will offer priority housing without calling you a liar.

I am quite sure you will be able to secure some social housing using the priority scheme

Quite possibly but it won't be the delightful haven the OP wants. In all likelihood it'll be a one bed flat in a block in a town.

elsien

Marktheshark wrote: »

Your disability would qualify you for housing group A1/c as a vulnerable person, chasing up PIP is a good idea as this will help your case.
First thing is to make an application to the local council for housing.

Once you have this you can also apply to housing associations who have a better attitude towards people with disabilities than local councils and will offer priority housing without calling you a liar.

I am quite sure you will be able to secure some social housing using the priority scheme

It's a lovely thought but I would be less sure about this. Firstly, some areas have council and social housing through the one portal / housing band.
Secondly, I know people who have serious MH issues (as in sectioned and in hospital for months) who have been waiting to be offered something for months now. Even vulnerable groups can spend a long time in bed and breakfasts in the @rse end of nowhere. It is also not unknown for informal patients to be discharged as street homeless and for councils to be less than helpful.

davidplans

I think the group least affected by homelessness are people who meet the learning disabilities criteria because the local CLDT will support this group, much better then mental health services.

Laurensalive

Go into the local council office, housing section.Take them proof you will be homeless. Tell your GP the situation as he or she might be able to provide evidence to support your disability. This might help with the local authority putting you in a high priority group. The local authority will advise you on any grants available to you. Plus give you some advice.
Do not leave doing this, as they can help.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

Laurensalive wrote: »

Go into the local council office, housing section.Take them proof you will be homeless. Tell your GP the situation as he or she might be able to provide evidence to support your disability. This might help with the local authority putting you in a high priority group. The local authority will advise you on any grants available to you. Plus give you some advice.
Do not leave doing this, as they can help.

The LA won't act until the OP is actually homeless. Pending homelessness holds no sway with LA's today.

You can get advice from them on how best to find a private rental and they might be able to offer help with a deposit for a private rental.

Bananas123

edited:

thankyou VERY much for the help!!!

regards

Cyclamen

I am a little out of date as thankfully insurance paid up and i could buy a home but i went through this when looking into council houses a few years ago and trying to change area to be in a better location for accessibility.

If you are under 35 you are likely to be limited to 'room in shared house' rate if you rent privately..unless you can prove medical need to live alone.. i have friends battling with this now.

In theory you can apply anywhere however local residents and those with a connection will receive 'points' for this when they prioritise applicants.

Do you have any family in an area who ma be willing to help support you as that can help get points when changing area. For example my cousins gave me a statement saying they lived in the area and would provide practical support for tasks i cant do due to disability.. which in fairness they did after i moved.

Scotland still has ESA and PIP so they would carry over.

Do check you are getting all the disability benefits.. as having certain levels of DLA/PIP can provide extra income to help and also provide evidence of illness.

Start applying now, it can take a very long time.. the council may not do anything until your are homeless but the sooner you start the better
Good luck with it all

Bananas123

thankyou very very much cyclaman!!!.

my family are all tucked away in the same LHA unfortunately, in the north of england, in relative close proximity, although i don't really mind much moving away from them.

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you know if you set about privately renting, and aquire a house to live in > does that mean you are completely deemed to be low priority on the list, as housed already ?

> would i be shooting myself in the foot, going for a nicer place location wise privately ? for example ?, as presumably will have a much harder time finding money for it.

thanks again to all.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

Bananas123 wrote: »

thankyou very very much cyclaman!!!.

my family are all tucked away in the same LHA unfortunately, in the north of england, in relative close proximity, although i don't really mind much moving away from them.

---

you know if you set about privately renting, and aquire a house to live in > does that mean you are completely deemed to be low priority on the list, as housed already ?

> would i be shooting myself in the foot, going for a nicer place location wise privately ? for example ?, as presumably will have a much harder time finding money for it.

thanks again to all.

Effectively you would get a lower banding from the council if you had a private rental. You could still bid though.

It's swings and roundabouts really, and is up to you to decide what's more important.

A council/HA home is lower rent and a more secure tenancy (although do bear in mind many LA's no longer offer lifetime tenancies). The downside is that you could be waiting years for a home, your choices will be limited and when your are offered a home it is likely to be a one bed flat in a tower block. It's not going to be pretty!

Private rental is more expensive and there is less security of tenure (although many have rented from the same landlord for many years) but you'll have a much wider choice of where to live. You can choose your home and area and will more than likely end up in a much, much nicer home in a nicer area.

Cyclamen

You get more choice with private.. but it generally costs more and they can limit your contract length.

If you have a home you can still apply for council housing but unless it is not fit for purpose you are unlikely to get high enough on the list to receive a property

It very much depends where you live there are still some nice one bed bungalows out there in council ownership but they are hard to find and often come with a minimum age. In some areas they are being sold off as the cost of a single one bed bungalow would provide two flats etc..

The council list is a good way to start, each area has different waiting times, and you may be lucky you may not but until you are on it you cant be gathering points for 'time on list'. As your situation changes you can update your application with health and homeless status

good luck