council and bought houses

[banjosy]

hi all , just wondering if anyone can shed some light on my mams situation. She has a bought house and is paying a mortgage alone on hardly no income as my dad died therefore losing his income! She wants to sell the house and get a council bungalow. Could she get a council bungalow AND THEN sell the house or would she have to sell the house first to be eligable for a council property? she doesnt want to end up selling the house first to then find out the council cannot house her immediatly, therefore making her basically homeless!! Any help on the situation would be much helpful, thanks.

[Ethel]

The council will certainly not give her any accommodation whilst she has her own home, and are not obliged to house her when she sells the house as she will be deemed to have made herself intentionally homeless.

There is no guarantee she would ever be given a bungalow - I imagine these are in high demand and limited supply.

She could rent privately.

[pauln90]

In my area it is perfectly acceptable to get a sheltered housing type bungalow/flat arranged with the local council before selling your own property,in fact a few of my mothers' neighbours have done just that.

I don't know your mothers age or health situation but if your mother qualifies for sheltered housing she should approach the council and make enquiries.

[banjosy]

thanks for the help guys, al let her no that she is screwed as she will not go in sheltered housing! she would kick off if I mentioned that!

[cruella]

Certain Councils actually do re- house people into mainstream housing who own their own property on the condition that the property be sold when being allocated a council house.
Your Mum would have to see her local Housing Officer and have her name on the waiting list.
It is unlikely she would be allocated a bungalow.
Possibly a flat. Depends on her age and health.

[banjosy]

she would be allowed a bungalow as she is widdowed, 76 years old with angina, arthritis and acid tounge! (only joking about the tounge)

[Ethel]

Round here there are people older and with more ailments in high rise flats.

[maclarencat]

My aunt did just what your mother wants to do. She got a letter from her doctor saying she needed single level accomodation as due to her arthritis and asthma couldnt climb the stairs this she took to the housing dept and was allocated as a priority. They rehoused her into a bungalow and she sold her house. The whole thing took around 6 months from start to finish and she is living happily ever after on the proceeds.

[flyciderman]

Is not the situation here that your Mother is not ill but wants the coucil to house her? In that case she will have to apply for a house and see how many points she is allocated based on need.

If you live in an area where there is an over supply of council homes then she might be lucky. But I would uspect that there is a long waithing list.

[Pragmatist]

The answer to this question totally depends on which area of the Country your Mother resides in. If you are in a 'high demand' area i.e. in the South East of England or in the Coastal resorts her chance of moving into a Council/HA property for anything less than very severe health reasons will be very slim - and there could be a financial penalty! - she would not be able to sell her property and keep all her money - she would have to pay a percentage to the Council who was providing her with - sorry - her final home! - not every Council will do that but in these areas where there is very high demand there is a large chance of it - when you go to Councils with less demand - better chance of no money transfer . As to a bungalow!!! sorry it will be what is on offer - and as a previous response - a lot of time that will be a high rise. Bungalows come few and far between and are invariably reserved for relocation or rehousing a person with severe mobility problems or disability i.e. in a wheelchair - in my experience there is no choice in this - it is what is available and who needs!! Unfortunately if she did become homeless - old age is no longer a definition of vulnerability - Sad but a fact. Hate to put the dampers on this - I think my message is - find out where she wants to go and it might be about her downsizing rather than what we all thought was our right in Old Age!!! But do speak to the local council housing and housing associations and find out what is - they are all different!!! and mine is a very biased SE outside London perspective!! and I do know they are not so bad in other areas.