Anyone Work For The Housing Department? Need Advice!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

Is there anyone working current or previous within the housing department of a council...ideally special needs

We have been advised to apply to ask the council to re-house on medical grounds into a bungalow with an extra bedroom as I am keeping OH awake with different gadgets I have to use etc. We only have a toilet downstairs which means I have to use the Stairlift (which is noisey) to get down to the loo in the night. We have a walk in shower/wet room with no room for a toilet (health and safety). I also sometimes cant use the stairlift if Im having a bad day as I get dizzy and can black out. OH has to carry me to bed or I sleep downstairs.

We currently have a lovely 2 bed semi in a quiet cul-de-sac and really dont want to move as we have good neighbours etc, but the property is just not suitable for us and there is no space for an extension or any further work.

We have got the forms but there is a tiny amount of space to write all the info above and I dont know the best way to word it all. Can anyone help us?

There is also NO 3 bed bungalows in the borough, so am not sure what they will do ....another possibility would be to have a 3 bed house which can be adapted, but we still have the problem with the stairlift.

Many thanks in advance.

PP
xx

seven-day-weekend

Why don't you just write everything down on a sheet of paper, attach it to the form and write 'see attached sheet' on the form?

Penny-Pincher!!

It states on form-"please write details in the box and please dont attach extra sheets".

Thanks though.

PP
xx

seven-day-weekend

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

It states on form-"please write details in the box and please dont attach extra sheets".

Thanks though.

PP
xx

Right. Sorry about that!

In that case why don't you just put something like you need the extra room to enable you to cope with your disabilities (briefly list the disabilities and how they affect you) and say more information including a medical report can be provided if required.

Write in 'bullet points' rather than complete sentences as it does not take up so much room.

Bogof_Babe

Could you type it into Word and print it off. You can adjust the width and type size before printing, to ensure it fits into the available space.

squiggles

Your council must work differently to mine.We just have to tick the box that we need rehoused on medical grounds,write the brief basics in the box,speak to the woman in the council office and tell her what your problems are,and if she thinks you have a case so to speak and then she refers you to social services and an appointment for an occupational therapist for a home visit.The occupational therapist awards you between A-G and your put on a waiting list according to your need and priority.

Hapless_2

have the council done any adaptions recently? as they will not move you if they have done adaptions for 5 yrs.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hapless wrote: »

have the council done any adaptions recently? as they will not move you if they have done adaptions for 5 yrs.

Hi....yes, I have had a stairlift fitted and a walk in shower room but my health has deteriated again. It was someone who worked for the council whom suggested us ask to be re-housed on medical grounds due to health going downhill.

Can I ask where you got this information from?

Thanks

PP
xx

Hapless_2

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

Hi....yes, I have had a stairlift fitted and a walk in shower room but my health has deteriated again. It was someone who worked for the council whom suggested us ask to be re-housed on medical grounds due to health going downhill.

Can I ask where you got this information from?

Thanks

PP
xx

With our council, if they pay to do the adaptions, or if you get a grant to pay for them you cannot move for 5 years. If you do, you have to pay for the adaptions. Was it a disabled facilities grant?

You can claim if you, or someone living in your property, is disabled and:

• you, or the person on whose behalf you are applying, are either the owner or tenant (including licensees) of the property
• you can certify that you, or the person on whose behalf you are applying, intend to occupy the property as your/their only or main residence throughout the grant period - currently five years

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/HomeAndHousingOptions/YourHome/DG_4000642

~Chameleon~

Our council is the same regarding the 5 year rule if they've already paid for adaptations to your home for disability. How long ago did you have all this work done? Can't have been cheap!! :eek:

Also, I think the fact that you have an adequately adapted bathroom and toilet on the ground floor will go against you because they can request that you just sleep downstairs instead. As far as the council are concerned, living rooms and dining rooms are considered to be rooms which can be used for sleeping accomodation.

This would also satisfy the "extra room" request for your OH to sleep alone due to being disturbed by you during the night.

Having said that, all councils/HA's seem to have different rules so you may be lucky with yours but just wanted to let you know what the general rules are so you don't get your hopes built up too much and be terribly disappointed if they turn you down.

Good luck!

tenmah

Hello

I am an Adaptations Officer for my borough council, and we do not expect people to stay at their properties for five years after adaptations such as a wet room or stairlift. Usually the five year rule applies to a major adaptation such as an extension.

One of the best things you can do is to contact your Occupational Therapist department and request a Housing Needs Report (different to an assessment). They do a detailed report on what the problem is and what adaptations you would need in the new property.

When we receive one of these, we take our clients to a medical panel where an independent doctor looks at the case and awards you a medical priority to move.

As our council operates a choice based letting scheme, this means that should you then chose to move to a property that is not suitable for you (which I am sure you wouldn't!) we then wouldn't fund the adaptations. We do not use the grant system here for council housing, we fund all adaptations, so this might be different within your council.

I have to agree though, that three bed bungalows are very thin on the ground, as are any adapted properties, so having a housing needs report or a high award to give you priority to move will NOT guarantee you a suitable property and you may still have to wait sometime before you are able to move.

Sorry for the long post, if you need any more info, then let me know.