Get dad from one council house borough to another?

Abcyyymmm

Hi, i joined just now on this site just so i could help you. In my personal opinion the other advice you got on here is rubbish and not very helpful to you.

For last few years i have been my relatives carer after they had stroke. It has been challenging at times but now we are used to things and we moving forward in life.

When my relative was first coming home from hospital few years ago now, our home was no good. I was in a very bad situation because of the pressure and responsibility i had chosen to accept.

Eventually i managed to get a flat by applying for housing association flat. It was not a palace but it was better than nothing. Me and relative could live together in 2 bed flat and focus on their recovary.

The person who suggested you do home swapping or transfer is not helping you at all, its a silly suggestion for the seriousness of your concerns.

My advice to you is first: DECIDE if you wish to live with your dad. You can either be his carer if that is needed, or he could just live with you. So try to understand what i am saying, decide if you want to live with him, and then decide if you also want to be his carer.

If you decide to live together you can now focus on finding a two bedroom flat or house. A flat may be easier for him due to bathroom being on same level as all other rooms.

Ok! So now you need to go on rightmove website and keep searching everyday for property in your chosen areas. My tip is that many housing associations struggle to fill property. Sometimes it may because of timewasters or no one winnibg on a bidding process.

These are the properties you need to apply for. The ones that housing associations put on right move. They are the fish that got away from the net but you are going after them whilst everyone else in social housing is using the bidding process!

One you find a house you think could work you need to spend all evening writing a powerful email. It needs to be clear and to the point. Explain you and dad want to live together. Dont complicate things by giving them too much detail. Just the basics.

Hopefully a housing ifficer will then invite you to view the house. If you and dad are happy with it then you can say you want it. They will then simply just want your references checked and if happy you sign tenancy agreement and get keys!

Wait until you get the keys, then you can get help you need to get any adaptations done to house to help dad! First you nedd to get in!

The only other problem you may have is that you will also have decide if yoy just want house in your name or joint tenancy with both your names. My advice will be to do joint tenancy. Then for his half of rent he can get housing benefit and you pay your half rent. I am guessing your rent will be very very cheap considering! So dont worry about rent, you will be alright as ling ad you not silly with the situation.

Also the other problem is what about if you dont want dad livibg with you?

Well then do the same as i said, but look for a one bedroom property and house be in his name.

In my opinion this is best advice for you. Once you get you and dad into new house, then you can get new involvemennt from social services and medical staff in new area.

Just make sure when dad miving from old house you give them proper notice, pay any rent oweing and clean it and hand in keys.

As long as dad is happy and he wants you to arrange things on his behalf then you need to get cracking and soend as much time on rightmove. Dont bother with bidding or swapping. Just lookout for the extra houses are quickly put on rightmove to fill quickly.

I dont mind you speaking to me again if you ever need more help.

Hopefully you be ok, i managed to succeed only because i knew that if i failed getting somewhere then things would get worse for my relative.

Just do what i say! Rightmove!

Abcyyymmm

Sorry i also forgot to mention!
I would also ask you to stay away from private lanlords.

With housing association property you will get more security in terms of lanlord wgo privaye may decide sell propert aftet a year and you have move dad again!

Also with housing association property it will be more easu for you to get adaptations done for didabled. Also things like repars and gad checks will more likely be done smoothly and mire organised.

I not suggesting dont bother if you find a private house, but in your situation housing association will be less of a headache for you.

And again i tell you, the advice the others gave you on here is really silly! Especually for your situation! They may all reply to me now! But hopefully they will respect i seriously using my situation to help you also and they will just let you ficus on the Good advice i have given you.

Good luck!

marliepanda

I cannot believe the last two posts called previous advice rubbish and then gave the worst advice I’ve ever seen.

Need a house?! Just pick one off Rightmove! There’s tonnes of HA flats on there just waiting for people to ask for them!

Morglin

margaretn wrote: »

I'm sorry if this is the wrong thread to post this in, I didn't know which one would be most appropriate.

My dad is 65, disabled, vulnerable and lives by himself 50 minutes away from me in a council house. We unfortunately have no other family. He currently receives Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment for both daily living and mobility. I NEED him to be moved to my borough, it's desperate, I can't bare the thought of him living there by himself and just last week he was admitted to hospital for a week with kidney failure. He needs to be closer to me so I can look after him. He cannot move in with me as I live in a 1 bed flat. I cannot move to him because my job and life is here.

I need him to be moved to a council house in my borough, but no matter who I call to ask for help, they pass me in circles. I've called his local housing office and they pass me to mine. I call them and they pass me back. I'm getting so frustrated and desperate I need to help my dad. How do I do this? Who do I speak to? Does he HAVE to live in a council house or would the council help with a privately rented house?

Please help me. Thank you all very much.

You can contact the Adult and Disability Team, where you live, and look into the possibility of getting him into sheltered housing in your area.

If he goes back into hospital, the social work team there may also help, as might the adult and disability team in his area.

Social Services CAN be a better route than housing, although that depends on area.

Sheltered Housing would have the advantages of being adapted for elderly/disabled people.

He has the 'area connection' because of you living there.

However, how long he would wait, and if they will put him on a list will depend very much on supply and demand.

Good luck.

Lin

RichardD1970

On the subject of exchanges, I often see requests on our local Facebook group asking.

A long shot, but worth joining your local (and surrounding) group and keeping an eye out?

margaretn

Wow - first off, thank you all so much for your replies! I'm overwhelmed by all the advice and how kind people can be, so, thank you. Since checking this forum last night, the last advice I got was to contact the local MP - which I have done. I have not yet heard back from her but I shall keep you updated if I do. I will also register him on all the house swap sites and re-decorate/clean his flat for him to make it look more appealing. Thank you all again, really, and please if there's anything else you can think to tell me, I am all ears and very grateful.

Mojisola wrote: »

housing swap link

Thank you very much for that link - I appreciate it!

sulkisu wrote: »

OP said her dad is in a council home, so mutual exchange is possible.

Contacting your MP is a start, but unfortunately, it all depends on availability of council homes in the area that he wants to move to. We (I used to work in social housing) received letters from MP's, doctors, social workers, teachers on a regular basis, each one stressing how important a move was for their client; unfortunately if there is nothing available - they couldn't be moved or rehoused. Tenants often assumed that a letter from an MP, etc was some kind of magic bullet which would resolve their problem, but unfortunately it usually wasn't. The idea that H of C notepaper, makes miracles happen is simply not true. Not to play down your father's situation but sadly it isn't uncommon so won't necessarily place him top of the list for rehousing.

Mutual exchange is definitely his best bet. There are websites such as Homeswapper, where you can register his details and hopefully find a suitable exchange.


Success will depend on the desirability of his home - e.g location, size, accessibility. Swappers can be incredibly choosy, so it will be helpful if your dad's home is as attractive as possible - e.g. well decorated and well maintained because when you exchange, you basically accept the other home as it is.

Thank you so much for that extremely helpful, detailed comment. I can't tell you how much you are helping, thank you. After reading all the advice, I am absolutely going to get my dad up on all of these sites and will re-decorate/clean his flat to make it as appealing looking as possible! When you say accept the other's home as is, does that also come down to all the furnishing etc? Or just the decoration? As mentioned up there, I have actually contacted the local MP too as of last night however have not heard anything back yet... I suppose it can't hurt to cover all sides. I shall post an update if anything happens with that.

elsien wrote: »

In the interim, is your dad gettimg any support from social services to help him to manage?

Unfortunately, my dad is the type of person who is so "headstrong" and proud, he struggles to ask for help so sometimes when asked (if I'm not there, which unfortunately is more than I'd like) he struggles to admit how serious things are. As well as this, because of his strokes and memory problems, a lot of the time he is not actually aware of his situation too, which is heartbreaking in itself. He DOES have a social worker and a carer who comes twice a day, I have since spoken to the social worker to see if we can update his "care package" but in general, I'm not sure what much else they can do for him. Could you suggest anything that seems obvious to yourself that you would do? Thank you.

NeilCr

Morglin wrote: »

He has the 'area connection' because of you living there.

However, how long he would wait, and if they will put him on a list will depend very much on supply and demand.

Good luck.

Lin

I am not sure if the area connection applies everywhere so, OP, I would check the allocation policy of the council that you live in now. We do not have it. The only residential criteria is to have lived in the area for a certain period of time.

Agree re supply and demand. Our council (like many) is heavily overstretched on social housing.

margaretn

paddedjohn wrote: »

Op, have you considered moving to a larger property yourself and then moving your Dad in with you? Surely that would be the easiest solution.

Absolutely, the only problem is I am on very low income, he has no income/very little money, so things like sorting out a deposit, application fees, first month's rent etc is tricky. As well as this, my dad resents the fact that he could ever be a "burden" to me (ridiculous because he spent his whole life looking after me, I'm happy to do the same back) so is very, very resistent to living with me. He has been alone for so long he is used to his own space. But yes, definitely, this is something I am heavily considering and looking into.

seashore22 wrote: »

Sorry, I misread and thought the op's father was in the private rental?

My parents have done council house exchanges numerous times over the years. It's almost a hobby for them. Not for some years though, but I assume it's still possible.

No, sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough in my first post! I was pretty worked up when writing it. But that is very encouraging to hear actually, thank you very much.

tessiesmummy wrote: »

Get him on the mutual exchange register but I think people stay on them for years. Also get him on your local housing waiting list (preferably for disability/ sheltered accomodation).

I think social services would be your best bet at moving along. I suppose you've missed the boat now but when they are an inpatient you can say it is unsafe for him to be discharged as he hasn't got care etc then they refer them to social services and things would have been put into place prior to leaving hospital. Just rimg them yourself as he is a vulnerable adult.

I will definitely get him on the exchange register and I will also get him on the local housing waiting list. Is there a specific way I do that? Should I just call the council? Oh dear, it does sound like I've missed the mark there. Should it be the hospital I ring? Very sorry for all the questions, thank you very much for your advice.

NeilCr

I think you should talk to your council to understand their allocation policy and to see if they have a team that can assist with finding housing -even if it is not social housing. As I said we have such a team - they are called housing options.

In addition, your council will likely have their policy on line with information on how to get on the list.

margaretn

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Its possible to transfer between council properties although transferring between different councils may add hurdles. Speak to the housing officers and explain you're being passed between them. Find out from them if a transfer is possible and how to initiate it.

This suggests the current landlord initiates it.

Thank you very much for that link - I have only skimmed it right now but when I'm done will read it in full. It seems very helpful. Thank you again.

NeilCr wrote: »

I have to agree with this.

What is your local council’s allocation policy? The first sentence of ours says applicants have to have lived in the area for five years. There are exceptions but they are very tight.

We have a huge shortage of social housing - even if someone gets offered somewhere it may well be that it will be rundown in a less than nice area. And people do have high expectations (not you OP). We have had people coming into CAB who think we can ring up the council and tell them to give them a place. I still remember one lady who asked us for a three bedroom house in one of the better areas with a sea view!

I think a swap is one way forward. Your council may have a team in their housing department who assist with finding places to live (not necessarily social housing). Ours is called housing options. If they have it may be worth approaching them for advice/thoughts as opposed to asking for council housing.

Good luck

I'm honestly not too sure what the allocation policy is, however, my dad has lived in the area for about 12 years... lived in the council house for 4. Yes absolutely, I understand where you're coming from with the shortage. My borough is near Middlesbrough... and I know that some of the council houses there are in very bad areas, so bad that I would be worried about my dad living there. It's just weighing up pros and cons I suppose. And I agree with the swap situation - that's what a lot of people have been advising. I will definitely approach them and ask the question, thank you so much. I really appreciate your help.

Nullboris wrote: »

Does your Dad have any disability aids in his present place? As they would need to be replicated at his new address .. also they may make it less desirable to a swapper.
Your dad sounds like he has severe? medical problems , does he require home help or home visits ..?
imho the fastest way would be as mentioned above, to rent a larger place and have him live-in, that at least would start him on the five year residency rule, and with extenuating medical problems ???
You haven't mentioned whether there is a deadline to all this ....

The only aid he is getting at the moment is he is having a walk-in shower installed in late May, so work hasn't started for that yet. The only requirements would be for a bungalow/flat as his mobility is very limited. You are right, he does unfortunately have severe medical problems. He does have a carer who comes twice a day, but she only gives him his meds, washes him and makes him a meal. I am definitely looking into moving into a bigger place, but as mentioned before, it is a very hard situation. Thankfully no deadline, however, the scare of him being in hospital last week was a big eye-opener. He was initially admitted because of kidney failure, however, that triggered his heart failure and I nearly lost him. It was very scary and is what has prompted me to act fast here. Thank you very much for all your advice.