Thank you all for your kind replies to my questions in relation to me trying to get my local housing to give my wife a Bungalow due to her issues with noise sensitivity whilst living in these flats.
The local housing have replied that whilst they appreciate the difficult situation we are presently in, they will not higher our banding to an A because that is only if someone has a life threatening condition and needs rehousing due to this and they are still saying that a lower ground property is appropriate and it is highly likely we will be waiting many years.
Kim recently seen her assessor and she feels that the housing will not budge, especially as Manchester has been hit with cutbacks and they are not building many more Bungalows for people but flats.
Our big dilemma is now this.
3 flats have become available which are brand new and 2 are lower ground and one is on the second floor and at £110.00 per week rent they are not cheap.
Another flat has become available in Didsbury, Manchester in a three story block on a private residential road and this is on the lower ground and is £99.00 a week.
It's a very nice area and I work part time just 10 minutes away at the Cancer Research Centre near the Christie Hospital.
We will have to bid for any of these but we will be in the top five due to Kim's medical award and my working household award but there's still no guarantee that we will be successful.
Kim is reluctant to move as she is apprehensive about noise from above which I fully understand as this is why I keep on telling the housing that a lower ground property is of no use for us due to Kim's sensory issues to noise.
I've also recently been told by a lady who deals with similar issues for Cancer patients that the housing will not offer Kim a Bungalow on grounds of noise issues because they are offering her the chance to move to a lower ground property where the neighbours maybe more quieter than the ones we have now and she is going off her own experience too due to issues she's had to deal with.
She thinks that legal aid will not be able to do much for us because I was due to see them next week to see if I could have my housing on discrimination grounds.
The big questions are do we stick it out in the hope we get a Bungalow after I reach 50 in 2 years or do we make the move and bid for these flats?
The flats are nice but I can't guarantee no noise.
I've had enough of the flat we're in and another two years will drive me to breaking point and I worry for Kim and I feel it's time to take the risk because I don't know what else I can do more as regards winning this battle for a Bungalow.
I feel it's time to go but it's a difficult one.
Any advice from you good people?
Tony & Kim
Written by
LEEJUNFAN
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I work for a local housing charity in East Sussex and advise people with housing problems.
I am unsure if Manchester council will have the same criteria as East Sussex, but to be in band A, this band is for people with a priority need, you do not have to a 'life threatening illness' to be in band A. Criteria is priority need, I.e. Have children, suffer with with chronic illness or mental health issues. All three are identified as 'vulnerable'.
I would certainly keep your legal aid appointment, as they can decide if the council is 'accepting a duty'. Because all housing dept in council are stretch to capacity, they may be 'gateway ing' clients, due to housing shortage. It is not right to take this stance. Often clients I see have already visited the council, are told they cannot help. Legal advice can help, and often our involvement will assist clients to liaise with council to accept a duty if appropriate. Obviously, I am not aware of the case and your wife's illness, but you could discuss with legal aid appointment the flat you are residing is not fit for your wife to occupy as this is detrimental to her health. I hope this helps !
My wife has FMD - Functional Movement Disorder and also EOE - Eosinophilic Oesophagitis, which is inflammation of her Oesophagus causing her difficulties in swallowing foods.
The housing are telling us that we are too young for a Bungalow and we have to be over 50 to have one despite my wife's condition.
She has become incredibly sensitive to noise and this is my argument in that too much noise comes from our second floor flat and having certain neighbours who are quite loud only worsens her symptoms.
I recorded actual footage and showed it to our local housing officer and it showed Kim's body reacting after somebody was knocking next door,albeit non intentional and her body started to spasm.
I continue to state that a Bungalow will have no one above so it won't be as bad as being in a flat, where we have noise opposite and below, but they won't budge.
I have had my own MP write on 4 occasions to the housing and also doctors letters stating that she should be offered a Bungalow as stress is exacerbating her already existing condition but they keep on replying stating that, whilst my wife is in a medical A award, which by the way is only given to people with a serious health condition, they feel that a lower ground property is suitable as there is no stairs to climb.
We are also in Band 2 as I have a working connection award.
I told my local housing officer that it comes across as discrimination.
She said a couple was given a Bungalow who was under 50 years of age but that was because they both was in a wheelchair, yet my wife has been in a wheelchair and god forbid, she could end up in one again because FMD throws so many different symptoms up including drop attacks in the legs which Kim has.
I feel this is all a cop out and I will mention the ' accepting a duty ' quote to the legal aid advisor when I see them.
Kim has lost her job through this illness so that in itself is serious enough to me.
What do you think of this?
She also said that "if they do it for one then they will have to do it for others" and this is where I feel the crux of it all is and they don't like upsetting the apple cart in that they won't have young people near elderly people in Bungalows.
Age shouldn't come into it when you are ill and this is really making me angry because all I do is work and look after Kim and I want her quality of life to be happy and not be in an atmosphere that is tense.
All the housing say is noise is a reporting issue thing and you cannot be moved because of this but I don't have the time to keep on doing this because all my energies are going into looking after Kim and working part time too.
I would appreciate your reply again and we are seeing a housing association tomorrow who are responsible for the flats I previously mentioned and we are going to ask their advice on all this.
Ironically enough, this housing association, which isn't our own, had a Bungalow which we bidded on last year and we was in the top 5 but was unsuccessful.
Get a letter from your doctor stating how ill and disabled your wife is, also register for PIP allowance, and get the occupational health team out to assess your wife's needs, a written statement from all these should get you in band A.
Done everything you've mentioned, my wife is on PIP at the enhanced rate and ESA and she's just had an assessor out but they won't put her in a band 1 because they said it's only for life threatening situations.
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