Embarrassed about housing

letsbetfair

Glad things are looking up It's also worth checking out if other housing associations have anything similar more in the area you want to be in, and you could potentially look at both rental and shared ownership places...

Green_garnet

stingey wrote: »

I work in the social housing sector in Scotland and I will give you the honest and upfront info you need. You may not like what I say, but part of my job is delivering news like this daily.

- You will not be given homeless status if you sell a property and approach the council as homeless. This will NOT propel you to the top of the list. Those currently assessed as homeless can wait over a year to be housed. The council (if they decide you are homeless) will offer you short term accommodation in homeless hostels, B&B's, scatter flats etc, anywhere in your Local Authority area. You could be placed miles from family, friends and amenities. As said they are short term temporary accommodation and you can be moved frequently over a long term basis. You may be living in close proximity to drug addicts/newly released prisoners/ people who have chaotic lifestyles.

- Depending on where you are placed you may not be able to take pets with you.

- If they decide you are not homeless you can place your name on a waiting or bidding list whatever your area uses, but be prepared to wait, unless you are willing to take a property in an undesirable area. You are on your own.

- The council/Registered Social Housing Landlord will want your tenancy history. Where you've been living and why your circumstances has changed. They WILL complete checks on you. The council will do Council Tax checks. The solicitor selling your property will inform the council of the change and the reason why.

- Local Authorities are currently overwhelmed with homeless due to changes in the benefit system. Ie people moving onto Universal Credit. I cannot stress this enough, it is not a quick process. You can wait weeks just to speak to someone.

- Do not move into your friend's Sheltered Accommodation flat. You could cause them to lose their tenancy. You will not be allowed to live there. There are long lists of people waiting for this type of housing. The council will recieve notification that you are living there by either the residents, the Warden (if there is one) or people waiting for an opportunity to get a flat there. Jungle drums will beat quickly if anyone on the waiting lists believe that someone is leapfrogging them or doing something they shouldn't be doing. . Dont believe me? When someone dies in Sheltered Accommodation we have calls wanting to know when the property will be available and where they are in the list, before the funeral takes place. It is savage and people talk. The landlord will move very quickly to remove you.

- Doctors letters are very rarely accepted now, only in certain situations. Being stressed will not give you priority.

Please think twice about this. I've seen people destroyed by being homeless. It can change you.

If it is appropriate stingey, from her work experience, may be able to give an opinion or it would help if anyone else had experience. My long silence is because I have been very unwell and escaped hospital admission by a hairsbreadth. I think you would call it a 'breakdown'. For my own peace of mind, and with no ulterior motive, I would feel better knowing what information the Council Housing Department hold on me.

If I read up on this properly then make application to The Council Housing Department ? Subject Access Request, I wonder if they will agree to let me have the information on my housing application which has been on medical grounds. This includes the completed medical form I was asked to send them with my application form. I understand that, rightly, this was sent on to their medical advisor (and this seems to have been after a delay when the doctor was off sick then on holiday) for his assessment. This was also after the housing staff had seen it first and I feel so embarrassed. I know this because they have referred to it during conversations. I have asked several times what the Medical Advisor recomnended and I am only told the medical points and nothing more about the reason.

Not knowing what is in my personal housing application file troubles me. I am definitely not going to make a fuss - i think it would really help me just to know. I worry a bit in case I may, intentionally, be causing bother making this request for my information or, worse, be penalised in some way.

I have had to abandon any thoughts of selling or trying to buy property just now and from recent medical assessments - two this week - I am told would benefit more from some supported accommodation. I know I may not get this but I would feel 'better' knowing what personal information is in my file.

Any thoughts on this will be so very much appreciated, thanks. I won't be offended if this is not the sort of question to ask here.

Green garnet

elsien

Putting in a SAR request shouldn't be held against you. Under GDPR you have the right to know (aside from certain prescribed circumstances) what is being said about you and why.
Horrible though it is for you to be so unwell, on the housing front you may find it goes in your favour as increased vulnerability due to MH issues can bump you up the relevant lists. If you are willing for that information to be shared, obviously.
Glad to see you back and posting, anyway.

Green_garnet

That is very kind of you elsien. I've been kind of knocked sideways and knowing what information is there, and what is not, I think really would be a help, thanks.

Green garnet

[Deleted User]

There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about with mental health issues. Would you feel ashamed if you had appendicitis and needed some medication and an operation to make you well? Or cancer - longer term treatment and lots of support needed. You wouldn't judge people in these situations so don't judge yourself. This is just another illness.

I feel that the shame might actually cause you to not be open to support sometimes. I hope that you are able to get support.

No one on here is criticising you.., please see that. We just want to help.

All of us have had difficult times, times when our thinking wasn't as organised as it could be due to moments of crisis (sometimes very long moments lol). I know I have had times of stress when I felt I was mentally falling off a cliff because of stress although of course I wasn't. Eventually the mist does clear and you can begin to decide how to improve your life. Writing on this forum has helped me a lot in the past, even answers I didn't particularly like as they sometimes made me see things from another viewpoint and find solutions I wouldn't have found on my own.

I hope you can see that there is nothing to be ashamed about. I am very glad you posted on here, it must have taken a lot of courage. Give yourself credit for that.

Yalpsmol

Any large organisation will now be very used to people making a SAR. Give them a call, ask them to send along the relevant form via email/post, check what ID they want (or if there's anything you need to know before you hang up, like a case reference or anything) and then return the forms and wait for their response. I work in an ares where we get a lot of people requesting information weeks, months and years after we have had contact and no one thinks anyone is making a "fuss" by just politely ringing and asking for that information.

Green_garnet

Thank you. I'll see what the process is and if I can deal with it. In calm times I think I don't need to know then I think that knowing will be a help.

Homework on the process, getting a form etc. Is good for now. I'm afraid my health 'issues' are causing me not to cope or think straight.

Thank you so very much.

Green garnet

Green_garnet

I have an update. The SAR proved to me that I had been lied to and lied about by housing staff. My formal complaint was not upheld - I believe because the housing staff closed rank and did not own up to what they had said and done. I was referred to The SPSO.

Because of your long Welfare Rights experience, Skiddaw1, I hope to send you a pm - please ignore if unsuitable.

Green garnet.

Jonathan_Kelvin

Green_garnet wrote: »

I have an update. The SAR proved to me that I had been lied to and lied about by housing staff. My formal complaint was not upheld - I believe because the housing staff closed rank and did not own up to what they had said and done. I was referred to The SPSO.

Because of your long Welfare Rights experience, Skiddaw1, I hope to send you a pm - please ignore if unsuitable.

Green garnet.

Can you expand a bit so that people can better advise and help?

HampshireH

“

I have an update. The SAR proved to me that I had been lied to and lied about by housing staff. My formal complaint was not upheld - I believe because the housing staff closed rank and did not own up to what they had said and done. I was referred to The SPSO.

Bold statement to make with very little info to support the forum in making an informed judgement.

Formal complaints don't have to be upheld if investigated and deemed not to be valid.