Medical priority housing with the council

joanna700

Can someone tell me why the council say medical priority houses are hard to come by ? When you some people just need a standard 3 bedroom house no adaptions to be made and there boarded up houses all over the country

tracey turnblad

I suppose if it's medical priority it has to be made to fit the disability that would require a certain amount of work, although there are lots of house boarded up some might not belong to the council and some may need extensive work to fit the disability and they may not have the budget

Gatling

It also comes to to what type medical reasons you need priority over others

The_Conductor

If you have a need for priority housing on medical grounds- you will automatically be placed at the top of the council housing list, in the first instance, and assessed for medical needs, on a secondary basis.

I.e. unless you are already in local authority housing- expect to hear from the council shortly- and they will then assess your needs.

If you are in local authority housing already- you are considered to be housed, and any medical needs you have will be considered secondary to providing a roof over your head.

I.e. if you are in council housing- and your needs have changed- it will take a lot longer to get a move/alternate accommodation- than it will, if you're not in council housing to begin with (if you understand what I'm saying).

The prime imperative- is to provide housing, period- the secondary imperative- is to ensure the housing is suitable to specific needs.

jimmycrackcorm

Medical priority housing is typically single story ground floor or bungalow. So choice is restricted by supply.

AndrewJRenko

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Medical priority housing is typically single story ground floor or bungalow. So choice is restricted by supply.

Does this assume that the disability is a mobility issue? There are more reasons for housing than just being a wheelchair user.

Gatling

There are 3 bands of medical priorities ,

You can get medical priority for a multitude of minor ailments including depression and kids on the autism spectrum to people with severe disabilities or loss of mobility

TresGats

Depression nor a child on the Autism spectrum are not "minor ailments".

Gatling

TresGats wrote: »

Depression nor a child on the Autism spectrum are not "minor ailments".

In the scheme of things they can be actually compared to someone with severe disabilities,
Remember the difference between mild symptoms to something life altering

AndrewJRenko

Gatling wrote: »

In the scheme of things they can be actually compared to someone with severe disabilities,
Remember the difference between mild symptoms to something life altering

Depression and autism are both most certainly life altering in some cases.

Gatling

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Depression and autism are both most certainly life altering in some cases.

Some but not all ,

But thats hardly the point ,the point is you can get a letter off gp just by asking to get housing priority rather than having an actual genuine medical reason to get housed over others

quadrifoglio verde

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Depression and autism are both most certainly life altering in some cases.

Someone who lives in a 2 store but is confined to a wheelchair is in greater need of suitable housing than someone who suffers from depression

AndrewJRenko

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Someone who lives in a 2 store but is confined to a wheelchair is in greater need of suitable housing than someone who suffers from depression

Gatling wrote: »

Some but not all ,

Every case is unique. There is no simple 'physical disability' trumps 'mental health disability' or vice versa. There are wheelchair users who live complete lives in downstairs areas of 2-storey houses, once those houses have been adequately adapted. But everyone has their own unique needs.

Gatling wrote: »

But thats hardly the point ,the point is you can get a letter off gp just by asking to get housing priority rather than having an actual genuine medical reason to get housed over others

I really doubt if many GPs are lashing out letters like confetti. If you know of cases where GPs are issuing letters without having genuine needs, you should consider reporting them to the Medical Council or elsewhere.

Either way, all those letters and applications are reviewed by the Council's medical officer who assesses and scores them, so there is an independent assessment anyway.

Mrs OBumble

There are two main funding allocations for social housing: general and elderly/disabled.

It may be that you are nowhere near the top of the waiting list, but that your medical needs qualify you for a house under the elderly/disabled funding. If this is so, then I'm pretty sure that you can only be allocated housing from buildings that were funded out of the elderly/disabled money. And if you need a 3-bed, there aren't very many of these - most elderly/disabled is at most 2-bed. You're waiting for either the council to get allocated money to build elderly/disabled 3-beds (and yes, this can happen), or for someone who has such a house to move (unusual) or to die (the most likely way houses free up).

Of course there's a lots of "maybe" in that statement - but it's a possible explanation of the council's statement.

In more general terms - why are there people wanting when there are boarded up houses all over the country. Various reasons. Some councils don't have the funding to make the boarded-up houses habitable again (you'd be surprised at just home much damage is done to some of them). Some are just slow at doing it (usually because they're overworked - housing officers are generally hard-working, due to the nature of the job.). Sometimes there are neighbourhood issues, and the council know that until an issue is resolved it's not worth to allocating anyone into a certain house, because they will just be hounded out. Some board up all vacant houses as a policy, but the houses actually are allocated to the person at the top of the waiting list relatively quickly.

Not a lot of help for you I think. But it gives you some idea of what might be happening.

myshirt

Gatling, that is extremely offensive. The lack of suitable housing for any child impacts them greatly, and for a child with autism it is absolutely debilitating. My child has autism, and there is a young mother who is living in a hotel room with her child who attends the same autism services we do, charity is paying for it for her, not state intervention. Her relationship broke down because of the stress, she is a great girl, but really up against it.

Living in a hotel room is visibly having a huge impact on this child. Severe anxiety, toileting problems, debilitating fear, disrupted sleep, sensory disruptions, speech getting worse, no room to play, no safe haven or security for that child, and many other challenges too upsetting to write out. Kids are more resilient than we think, but autistic kids have significant challenges when their housing needs are not met. Frankly, it's not right to tell people it is minor and to turn your back on that child, it's not human. It's disgusting in fact. Meet these parents and educate yourself.

The_Conductor

Myshirt- while I sympathise with your plight- I am not entirely sure that it equates with the OP- and taking personal offence at what was a relatively innocuous post- in the context of the extremely limited information that the original poster has volunteered- isn't appropriate behaviour.

I am only too aware of how difficult it can be living with someone on the autistic spectrum- and I am also fully aware that it covers a whole gamut of conditions some of which are very significant, others of which the person can often hide.

This however- is not pertinent or relevant- to this forum. If you wanted to discuss it elsewhere- it may be very pertinent to any of a variety of different forums- however, in the context of this thread, and the accommodation and property in general- while I do sympathise with what you're saying- its an argument for elsewhere.

myshirt

Yes, I don't want to divert the thread any further, but it was posted here, and you can't let it go unchallenged. Someone may read this down the line. Appalling comments to make by Gatling. If anything I would ask you mods what you think of deleting/editing Gatlings posts and mine as relate to autism, because it is not appropriate if any user is reading this thread looking for a steer on issues similar to op.

It is also not an argument, autism is not minor There is no such thing as mild autism or severe autism etc. It is one of the most common discriminations and prejudices against these kids.

Anyway, that's me done. Sorry to op.

AndrewJRenko

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It may be that you are nowhere near the top of the waiting list, but that your medical needs qualify you for a house under the elderly/disabled funding. If this is so, then I'm pretty sure that you can only be allocated housing from buildings that were funded out of the elderly/disabled money.

Is this really true? I worked in this area for a few years and never came across this pigeon-holing? I can't see how it would apply in practice - is a general social housing unit that has some adaptations fitted to the bathroom considered to be funded by disabled money? Does each council have a register of buildings funded
in this way? Is this mentioned There were many ups and downs on the disabled funding, so supply was very inconsistent.

There is no mention of this approach in any of the published Housing Allocation Schemes I can find. Here's what the DCC one says;
http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/Housing/Home/Documents/2013AllocationsSchemeAdopted13Jan2014.pdf

5.5 Medical Grounds
Priority status for Housing/Transfer applicants may be given in cases of exceptional medical circumstances.
This is only if it relates to the applicant’s housing conditions and the accommodation is unsuitable by reason of
the disability or illness. This priority may cover a particular type of accommodation and/or accommodation in
a particular area. The City Council, in making lettings of dwellings where priority is awarded on medical
grounds shall consider a recommendation from the appropriate designated member of the Independent
Medical Referee Panel appointed by the Council.
Medical evidence will only be considered by a member of the Independent Medical Referee Panel based on
written information received from a Medical Doctor or a Medical Consultant. Explanatory and background
material from Public Health Nurses, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and other Health Professionals
may accompany this evidence.
Priority status may be awarded for conditions which cause major problems where the management of the
course of the illness will be helped by a change in housing.
Only medical evidence relating to persons included on the application will be assessed. Medical evidence
relating to other occupants in the dwelling will not be considered.
Priority Status may be revoked if the housing circumstances of the applicant, or a household member included
on the application, change by virtue of a change of address or where the housing circumstances at the time of
award of the priority status have now altered.
Where Medical priority status was awarded and the relevant person is now deceased, priority
status will remain with the application for a period of 6 months after which the application will be
reassessed

jimmycrackcorm

AndrewJRenko wrote:

Does this assume that the disability is a mobility issue? There are more reasons for housing than just being a wheelchair user.

In practice for getting suitable housing it does mean this. For non mobility issues it's just another factor in evaluating the allocation of housing.

The_Conductor

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

In practice for getting suitable housing it does mean this. For non mobility issues it's just another factor in evaluating the allocation of housing.

Not necessarily really- for example, chronic arthritis may make going up or down a stairs very difficult or even impossible- while the person may still be able to walk, or even run, on level ground. Just because you're not in a wheelchair- doesn't mean you're capable of navigating a stairs.

AndrewJRenko

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

In practice for getting suitable housing it does mean this. For non mobility issues it's just another factor in evaluating the allocation of housing.

What's your source for this? Are you saying that medical certification of non-mobility issues like autism or depression or agrophobia is ignored in the prioritisation / points system?

Mrs OBumble

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Is this really true? I worked in this area for a few years and never came across this pigeon-holing? I can't see how it would apply in practice - is a general social housing unit that has some adaptations fitted to the bathroom considered to be funded by disabled money? Does each council have a register of buildings funded
in this way? Is this mentioned There were many ups and downs on the disabled funding, so supply was very inconsistent.

I simply don't know the full details - or how they're operated across the country.

A general-funded house with adaptations is still a general funded house. The only ones with restrictions were built with money specifically for elderly/disabled.

And yes, social housing organisations, including councils, do keep records of how each of their houses was funded: There are actually more than the two options, and for some, they don't even charge differential rents. So it's critical information to have.



To answer some of the other posts: yes, non-mobility medical need can get you more priority, but it's very individual based on the circumstances eg a person with certain behavioural issues who cannot go into a house with windows above a certain height. And it may not move you far enough up the list to get a general-funded house.

AndrewJRenko

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I simply don't know the full details - or how they're operated across the country.

A general-funded house with adaptations is still a general funded house. The only ones with restrictions were built with money specifically for elderly/disabled.

And yes, social housing organisations, including councils, do keep records of how each of their houses was funded: There are actually more than the two options, and for some, they don't even charge differential rents. So it's critical information to have.

Would you have any source or background on this please?