Housing help for PwME in the U.K.: some links

This is some of the information gathered when discussing my personal housing situation. thanks especially to the other members who knew a lot more than me and directed me towards these organisations & websites! I wanted all this information to be searchable on S4ME should someone else need it.

1. Finding a home: Habinteg is a social housing provider, which has wheelchair-accessible bungalows all around the U.K.. These are reserved for disabled wheelchair users and their families. You can apply to be housed in any area even if you don’t currently live in it. Browse the areas to see where there are currently bungalows available. It may be a good idea to have an OT report to submit along with your medical letters.
https://www.habinteg.org.uk/


2. This is a link to Your Rights to accessible and adapted housing in the U.K.: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com...and-disabled-people-your-rights-england_0.pdf


3. People already currently in social housing but want to try moving somewhere else, can try Home Swapper, to try swapping homes with someone else in social housing. https://www.homeswapper.co.uk/


4. For social housing, you should know about being entitled to an extra bedroom:

You are entitled to an extra bedroom for your partner, if you can’t share a bedroom with them but would still like to live with them. This may be true for PwME who have sensitivity to light, noise & movement. You are entitled to this second bedroom as long as you get the daily living component of PIP.

Or you are also entitled to a second bedroom if you need overnight care from a carer. Please note - overnight care does not have to mean intensive, 24hr care! It can even be “sleeping” night care:

• Sleeping night care – when a carer sleeps in your home through the night but is on hand if you need support.
• Waking night care - when a carer stays awake for the night and provides specialist care whenever you require.
• Sitting service care – when a carer stays awake and covers for a regular carer who provides your care full-time.

I think this second bedroom entitlement is especially helpful for PwME.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/b...allowed-an-extra-bedroom-for-housing-benefit/

5) If you are renting privately, and your provider is a private registered provider of social housing, there is a maximum that they can charge:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/prof...rivate_registered_providers_of_social_housing

 

Thanks for making this and the other thread on hospital stay needs Luna. It's good of you to take the time and I'm sure some of us will find it helpful. I've bookmarked the hospital stay one myself as I know if I ever need to go -- there will be issues.

Just one thought on this thread though. You might want to put in the thread title UK as the help only relates to UK housing?

 

Yes good point, I’ll change it.