I am new here. Diagnosed with MS in August 2017 after months of agony and displacement. Anyhooo… I have recently asked my landlord to make adjustments to the bathroom in my flat. I need help sitting down and standing up from the loo. With numb feet and weak hands and a pre-existing Lupus flare up that has seem to have increased with the Copaxone injections I struggle every time I am going to the toilet. Not to mention the weak bladder that doesn’t seem to get better regardless how many Kegels I do a day. The landlord initially refused to make the adjustment. Eventually he issued a section 21 notice and me and my two young daughters are now facing homelessness. I approached the local council and they told me to sit tight until the landlord has a bailiffs order to evict us and then re-approach them again. I did mention to them about my condition but they seem to put that on the deaf. Please help comrades!
Hi, You need professional advice. Get yourself to your Citizens Advice Bureau first thing. I’m sure they deal with this sort of situation quite often these days. They will know what to do. Best wishes, Anthony
I second what Anthony said. You need to know where you stand legally with your landlord, and what your rights are. So definitely speak to Citizens Advice.
And with regard to your bathroom, ask your MS nurse or GP for a referral to an occupational therapist. They can sort you out with a raised seating frame to go over your toilet (no need to make any permanent change to the bathroom).
I would get in touch with your local MP you can google who they are, then email them to explain the situation you are in my daughter was in the same position and the council put her as low priority so I got in touch with our MP and within a month she was put on high priority it took her about 10 month to be offered an house with an housing association.
You definately need to get specialist advise BEFORE you do anything, The section 21 is just the start and once that expires then a court hearing takes place and an eviction notice will be served.It may be that if you for moved out (to stay with relatives for example) before the eviction notice that the HA will deem you to have made yourself voluntarily homeless.
I really feel for you, some relatives of mine with 2 kids (now 3) have just got a new house after over a year of staying with relatives.Eventually the relatives they were staying with gave them notice and until then there was no sign of anything happening at all.
Hi SAE, what a bad situation this is. Definitely get advice from CAB but ALSO, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR M.P.
There are many newspapers needing headlines: LOCAL COUNCIL TOLD DISABLED MOTHER and her TWO YOUNG CHILDREN TO WAIT FOR A COSTLY COURT CASE BEFORE RE-HOUSING A FAMILY.
I definitely don’t agree to wait until bailiffs turn up. You will have to pay all the landlords fees, court charges and bailiff attendance fees. This will be avoided if your landlord has issued a latest date you have to leave the property by, you need to be able to move into another property in the same day!
Without having the next property lined up, you run the risk of having to “sofa surf” with friends relatives or be put up in emergency accommodation (which is rough), won’t be disabled friendly and could be far from your current nursery or schools, doctors etc.I
Please contact MP, Councillors themselves and Social Services. They all have a duty of care to you, as a disabled person, and to your young children. Don’t be fobbed off, get names & extension numbers, ring twice every day to chase what 'they’re have done.
Let us all know how you get on this coming week, I wish you every success.
Comrades, I appreciate you guys so much. So I have been in contact with the council again and they have now told me to complete a medical assessment form, which I have done and have also been referred to the Councils occupational therapist by my MS nurse whom I’ve got involved as well. Fingers crossed this will be sorted before I am actually made to sofa surf. My two girls will be staying with my mum if things goes bad so I’m happy they are sorted. More update to come as things progress.
All going in the right direction Sae. Professional support like MS Nurse & Council Occ.Health have to give their professional opinion, and it may be worthwhile stressing to all areas that you need to keep your children with you.
Believe me, once a Council knows your children have an alternative home to stay in, your mum’s, then the Council will relax & won’t deal with your case as urgent.
Hope you’re managing to call “those in charge & their bosses”, at least twice each week. This isn’t pestering those in charge, it is a worried mum trying to move into a family home.
Looking forward to your updates. Good luck & best wishes x
Lots of good advice here. I would definitely agree and don’t tell Council your 2 girls have somewhere else to say. Otherwise you will no longer be a priority.
That’s awful. Which Legal are really good. I think it costs about £39 for a year. I have used them several times, cheaper than going to a solicitor. I think that he can’t serve a section 21 until you are outside your contract otherwise he has to give you two months notice in writing, which he hasn’t. So he has done it wrong. Ending a tenancy. This may help.