Just looking for a home that was built in two days.A house not part of a skyscraper.And 90% more energy friendly and green.Affordable and if so slap them clean on the Brownfield sites now. There is urgent need,that is clear. I will find it.And add it later.90K and can be rented out or sold within weeks. Also will find out about Brownfield sites. Building more homes on brownfield land Consultation proposals https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398745/Brownfield_Consultation_Paper.pdf And how many empty homes there are,not in use. And who will benefit from those jails George Osborne has his eyes on for selling for housing Speech with video,about 2 minutes that is all for those that may be slightly allergic to George Osborne. http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/video/george-osborne-nine-new-prisons-to-replace-victorian-jails/vi-CC8zE3 So perhaps some in the steel industry would be interested in this. I know,those damn Chinese,but fine entrepreneurs as well.Despite having many of our ideas away.And copying them. We should now return the favour perhaps with our steel.They use a lot,like meccano sets. Connect the steel plant to the production area,give no chance for cheap chinese steel to appear. Perfectly legal to do.A small loophole in European Law that is all. And it is time to look after our workers. Chairman Zhang's flatpack skyscrapers A Chinese entrepreneur who took just 19 days to build a 57-storey tower says he has triggered a construction revolution. And his dreams soar far, far higher. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-3cca82c0-af80-4c3a-8a79-84fda5015115 And the video. China builds complete 57 story skyscraper in record 19 days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93HVG3j1phs Even better. In April a company in China claimed to have built 10 detached, single-storey houses within 24 hours, using waste material which was pumped out into layers - and the properties were said to have been created for less than $5,000 (£2,974) each. Four huge printers measuring 105ft (32 metres) long, 33ft (10 metres) wide and 22ft (6.6 metres) tall were used to make the bungalows, China’s Xinhua news agency reported at the time. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2753200/Company-launches-two-bedroom-home-DOWNLOAD-internet-build-yourself.html#ixzz3rZ4YJiwB The answers are here friends,nip off to the council and enlighten them. For those that would consider this idea. Would be in the house and set up for Christmas.I can see you sat by the fire.Christmas tree in the corner,turkey on the table. Will find much more info in the next week.This is just for starters. A lighter look at the problem we know is here. I have run out of time today. Please post how you feel about things. Any info,any additional thoughts and links.From you knowledgeable ones out there.

I received an overpayment letter in november 2016 saying hmrc confirmed my income had increased between dec 15 to oct 16. it was originally over £1000 but they had my earnings wrong and i had an underpayment and my overpayment was reduced to £212. how long did it take for you to receive your IUC letter after your overpayment one? i just want this over and done with and i can't afford a solicitor.

Hi All, If this is not the right place could someone kindly move it or advise a better place? I moved to a Rural Village with my wife 2 years ago to be closer to her family so I could get some help and support looking after her. A month after I moved in First cut the bus service and then two months later all her family moved out(over an hours drive away) leaving us stuck in this horrible little village. Neither of us can drive nor can we afford a car. We have tried everything to get out, private rent, medical re-banding etc etc and been given the finger at every turn. Our only hope is getting a swap. This is a very small chance as apparently everyone round here knows how horrible this village is and won't live here. We have now found out from the housing association that in order to swap(over a year after we joined the register) that the other tenant must have a local connection as per the village plan(these houses were built two years ago specifically for people with a connection to the village). I have read the plan and nowhere does it state that swaps are to be enforced only new allocations, I have spoken to housing and planning at the local council and they have stated that swaps will be enforced. Any help here? Where can I go? A swap is the only chance we have of leaving and if I ever find anyone who actually wants to live here I cant have any barriers in the way. Thanks

My mother has been a housing association tenant for 12 years. Recently, she has had to come and live with me as she is unable to live independently at the moment. Housing Association found out that she was not living at property for a short while and served Notice to Quit which ran out today. I wrote to the HA saying that I have been let down with removals and explained my situation that I work full time and have caring responsibilities and need more time to arrange something. Just had Housing Officer at my door saying that they have taken possession of the property on the date of expiry of the NTQ and have changed the locks. I said that they cannot go breaking into the property and changing locks without a court order. Housing Association said they have every right. Surely this can't be right, have they performed an illegal eviction. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks jb000

Awoke to a letter from my housing association (Radian) today charging me £60 for dumping a sofa bed in a communal alley. I was a little surprised as ive not ever owned a sofa bed at this property. I gave them a ring but the person who deals with it was not available and is going to ring me back. All i could find out was that someone had apparently seen me do it. I was looking for advice on what i can do about it. Can they throw charges at people like this with such flimsy information? is it enforceable? i asked for the persons details but they wouldn't give me them, isnt evidence supposed to be public? I use this alley nearly daily and haven't seen a sofa bed out there anytime in recent months which worries me even more, if this incident has been reported as happening a very long time ago haven't they made it very hard for me to defend against? Many thanks for any input.

I am hoping someone might be able to give me some advice or point me in the right direction. Basically myself and my husband have been self employed for the past 8 years running our own business and towards the end of last year due to a number of reasons our income dropped rapidly and we have not earnt any money since christmas, in fact the only household income has been tax credits. Things have got so bad over the last few months that we have maxed out our credit cards, used the tiny bit of savings we had and borrowed from family members just to be able to pay our rent/bills etc but we have exhausted all our avenues. My husband and myself decided that we needed to find jobs elsewhere as our business was no longer working and we needed security to be able to manage and get ourselves back on our feet. We both applied for any jobs that we thought we were able to do but the majority of the time we never even got a reply. My husband has now got a part time job which doesnt pay much but its something and I have been lucky enough to have found a full time in a job which I am used to and qualified in and I start next week. Now the problem is this, we are now 5 weeks in arrears with our rent and this months council tax is not going to be paid as we have no money to pay it. I contacted the job centre when I first knew this was going to became a problem but basically we could not claim JSA because we would have to claim as a couple and what they would pay us would be less than our tax credits. so I had no alternative but to apply for council tax and housing benefit just temporarily until I get paid explaining that I had now got a full time job but just needed a little bit of help. Three weeks down the line they are asking for several items to be supplied such as bank statements, letter from my employer etc but the thing that is stressing me out is they want 2 months wage slips for a job I have yet to start. This means that I wont be able to send them in until I have been paid for 2 months which will be end of May and during that time my rent arrears will be growing to some extent. They are so unhelpful. We are in our 50's have always worked and never claimed anything. Its really stressing me out, I just dont know what else to do.

Not sure if I am on the right site but here goes! My husband and I are both 66 and live in a housing association bungalow. We both receive state pensions and my husband receives DLA at the highest level. My mother sadly passed away last November and I will be receiving an inheritance although I don't know how much as her estate is going through probate at the moment. I would think it would be between 60K and 90K but that is an educated guess. At the moment we receive housing and council tax benefits but I know that will not continue once I receive my inheritance. My two main concerns are firstly, will we have to leave our home in which we have lived for seven years when my husband became too poorly to work? Secondly I have read a bit about "depravation of income" but am still confused. Will I be able to help my daughter financially by paying for things that need doing and also will I be able to put money into a trust or something similar for my two young grandchildren? I would very much appreciate your advice on this as at the moment it is giving me sleepless nights particularly thinking we might lose our home. Many thanks.

I have used this forum a couple of times for myself but this time am enquiring for a friend who has MS and leukemia and is highly anxious at present. She had been on ESA until March, having been forced out of her teaching job in quite harrowing and underhand fashion a couple of years ago. She was put onto JSA and has been supplying bank statements to the Benefits Office here. She had been paying her rent out of rapidly dwindling savings until her savings fell under the limit preventing a housing benefit claim very recently. Despite her condition she has in the year that I've known her continued to apply for work in teaching, and is registered with at least three agencies. She has had interviews and trials which have come ot nothing. It does seem the MS is the likely reason. My friend has run herself into the ground pursuing these jobs and is clearly upset at not winning them. She is a genuine and ethically-minded person. It's clear that stress is affecting her symptoms, and this week's events have really been out of order. She has just had a 'compliance meeting' this week which has not gone at all well. The person carrying out the interview is from the 'Fraud and Error' department. The DWP employee does not seem to have been very sensitive in the way he handled things, and my friend brought the meeting to a halt and said she wanted a witness present. She then rang me. I've never heard her in the condition she was in. Despite her condition she is a tough thing and represents herself well normally, with proper assertiveness and self-respect. I scarcely manage the same myself. I got the the Benefits Office about half an hour later and the meeting was resumed. We had asked ot record the meeting. The employee said he wasn't sure that could be done and would have to get advice, and we ended up settling for my being present as a witness - my friend is burying he rmother in the next week or so and doesn't want things dragged out with all that's going on. My friend and I both referred to the misconduct we have expeienced in the last year, which is from the housing department of the council and the DWP alike, in both our cases. My friend's Maximus assessment for example was carried out by someone who was then sacked, and I've seen the lie-strewn report he wrote on my friend, a not-quite-separate matter that will be attended to. A statement was typed in by the employee and my friend asked me to read it, as she was getting befuddled both with the stress and as part of the MS. She signed the statement. It was a pretty awkward meeting. The fella didn't really seem to know what he was doing, and I would hope he feels bad for the distress he caused my friend. We would like some things cleared up. This DWP employee used the phrase 'deprivation of capital' in reference to my friend's having gifted her son with money. He did not explicitly say that the gifting would be viewed as such but it was muddily expressed, and we're wondering how arbitrary the notion of 'deprivation of capital' is. My friend is a single mother in her 50s with one son, who has mental health troubles and seemingly something on the autistic spectrum, and has been neglected by professionals. After her divorce from a man who wasn't the boy's father she has been very supportive of her son including financially. I think anyone would be the same and that my friend's gifting him money should not be viewed with cynicism. Ordinarily as far as I know - and I think I read this this week in relation to something else - there is no limit to money being gifted. The amount since my friend has been claiming JSA I would think is all that is relevent too. In no way has the gifting been a dodge of any kind, but is of a compassionate basis that it would be shocking to have to explain. The other question is asked because my friend is worried about being treated as a fraud case. We think we've established that either all or almost all of the period she claimed JSA, her savings fell under the threshold. But she also submitted all those bank statements, and from March till now nothing was said. (Weirdly today she has been asked for the bank statements again by this man, who is sitting in the building where the DWP's copies are held - why can't he just access these?) So if there was any period, say for a few weeks or so, where she recieved JSA but had over the threshold amount, this can't become a fraud case can it? She declared everything. She was in receipt of the lowest JSA amount and was looking for work. At worst this is an employee's error isn't it? She was put on JSA when the ESA ended. I understand there are two different sets of criteria for JSA but presumably my friend has fallen inisde one of them to have been put on JSA. Sorry I haven't been able to make this shorter, but it would mean a lot to my friend and me also if we could get good response on this. I'll see the friend tomorrow and would like some good, calming news if possible. Many thanks.

I would like some advice regarding the rent to home buy scheme. we entered the scheme some years ago and was told within the paperwork and contract that we would receive the first years rent back toward the deposit and fees. when the term was up the housing association wrote to us asking if we were going to buy the property. in this letter they said the first year rent allowance would be deducted from the asking price upon the completion of the sale. because we did not have the funds for the deposit ourselves as we were expecting the funds from the housing association we had no alternative but to advise them them that we could not afford to purchase the property. they proceeded to issue us with an eviction notice and we were declared homeless by the local council. Have they failed in their duty of care? have they breached contract?

Way back in 2008 i was struggling. Business,Housing,Debt the lot. And lost the lot,no big deal many did. Came on here and slowly got sorted out.I am fine now. But at the time i somehow started looking around America and was quite shocked in what i saw. It began when i saw how people were struggling in Detroit.Read a article one day in the Daily Telegraph from a journalist i got to know quite well. And slowly started through forums and newspapers to show my support for the people who were living in Tent Cities over there. Had a debate or two with some over there who just did not seem to care very much. And wrote to the President and others over there to show i was concerned. Received a couple of replies from their helpers as i call them.Nothing major at least i received replies. Slowly over time and living a busy life although looking every now and again i stopped looking as hard thinking things were going to be sorted out. Now i hear that many people despite working and being on minimum wages unable to afford to rent or buy despite 2 or more wages coming in. And feel it is getting the same here. People perhaps being priced out of many cities and some towns despite working locally all their lives. Now the other day i read a report saying councils are that strapped for cash here that they are hardly able any more to help people made homeless. It just costs to much. So as you see things perhaps deteriorate if inflation really gets going next year surely a huge crisis could be coming. Many people are one paycheck away from serious trouble with mortgages and rent. If interest rates go up just imagine what may happen. Bankfodder and others are warning that inflation may happen next year and batten down the hatches by if possible paying off any debts you have now.Or before the middle of next year.If that is possible. I suppose i am thinking if this continues you must feel tent cities could appear here. People will occupy public land on the outskirts of cities where they work. Kind of not have much choice. However this may help. Councils could face new duty to prevent homelessness As rents rise and benefits fall, more people face losing their home. A bill aims to stop people from becoming homeless by giving English councils specific duties to help everyone at an earlier stage http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/analysis/2016/11/councils-could-face-new-onus-prevent-homelessness The number of people demanding help over homelessness has rocketed by more than 50,000 in the last year as new figures laid bare the scale of the problem facing Britain this Christmas. Nearly half a million people now contact housing and homelessness charity Shelter every year. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3935570/Shocking-50-000-rise-number-people-demanding-help-homelessness-Britain-120-000-kids-prepare-wake-without-home-Christmas.html#ixzz4RONNMIi3 A tent city in America. American Story: Tent City USA The State of Homelessness in America 2016 On a single night in January 2015, 564,708 people were experiencing homelessness — meaning they were sleeping outside or in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/SOH2016 Homelessness in numbers Quantifying homelessness isn't straightforward. This is an introduction to the figures available, and insight into what they mean. http://www.homeless.org.uk/facts/homelessness-in-numbers So how do you feel about things. Are you living on the edge. Having sleepless nights worrying about things.

Hello Guys, Just after some advice regarding the housing element of Universal Credit. Its a complicated tale so ill just post the bare bones and if you need any more info i can certainly provide it. I was due my payment of UC today, this was my first payment after waiting the 6 weeks odd time it takes to process ect. No payment was received so contacted them and told they do not have a copy of tenancy agreement. (This has been an ongoing farce as its been posted twice and handed in at the job centre three times which apparently they can see on there system its been given in but they have not received it) Adviser stated they will send payment of personal element of UC payment and housing will be by Friday paid in as long as i go to the local office and have them email it too her, notes would be left on system to say this to office staff Went to office, told they don't do scanning, only photocopy andd post, after much back and forth agreed to email it over. Payment of personal element of UC PAID in ac ! Halfway there! Called back again to see if document has been received and has the housing element now or shortly be released for payment ? Told she "could see that it had been sent again but couldn't see actual doc on system" Quizzed adviser further as to why she couldn't see it on system and if this would effect the payment time? Adviser went away came back and said "It could take up to ten working days to process it, she cant see it as the dept it goes to has different system, she does not deal with housing element and there is no number for claimants to call to find this out" I now find myself in the situation of not knowing when payment will be, how much payment will be, if the relevant department has actually received copy of the requested doc and nobody at the service centre seems able to access a system that could give them the info. Could be paid today tomorrow or any point in the next two weeks based on them not loosing the tenancy agreement AGAIN! Has anyone had any experience with this or can point me in any place as to get some more solid info. Thanks so much and sorry for the rather long undoubtedly tedious post. Any more info / clarification/ what not, please just say!

Hi, I am wondering if anyone knows anything about housing benefit and data matching?,my claim has been suspended since the 24th nov 16,for data matching purposes,they didn't inform me of this and I only know because I rang them when they didn't pay the hb,they could only tell me that it was suspended for random data matching and wouldn't be much longer. It has been almost 6 weeks,I sent a message to my rent income officer to let her know but she didn't get back to me and now today she has sent a text saying we owe £738 and she is coming next week to serve a possession notice.I rang her straight back but she had left for the day!. I rang hb again and they said there was nothing they could do and sometimes it can take 2 months and they cant override it or do anything else useful!. Does anyone know if we can make a complaint about this?,I am going to go cap in hand to my Dad and ask him to lend me the money for the rent until its sorted and backdated,but there are many people who will have no way of covering their rent if this happens to them!. Hb said they don't inform you that your claim has been suspended and will only tell you if they need any details from you which I find disgraceful to be honest,people could lose their homes over things like this.It makes you desperately worried and we have no control over it. Any advice would be much appreciated,thankyou.

When my husband died last year we were in arrears with our Council Tax. I went to the Council and an arrangement was put in place which I've adhered to. Until yesterday, no problem. Yesterday, two letters come through the post from Ross & Roberts addressed to my husband. They were pay up within 7 days or we will take you to Court letters. Being somewhat bemused by these letters, I had a vision of letting them take my husband to Court, me going to Court to "represent" my husband and asking the Judge if the Court could employ the services of a Medium so my husband could state his case from beyond the grave!!! Being serious now. Someone, has slipped up - badly. I don't know if this is the fault of the Council or Ross & Roberts and I'm not sure whose cage to rattle first about this but cage rattle I will. I haven't had anything from the Council themselves, just this DCA. I'm wondering if I can sue them for harrassment and causing distress. It would be nice to turn the tables on them for a change. Any advice welcome.

Sorry if this is in the wrong section . I would like to send a subject access request to a housing association but i am not sure on how to proceed. We think there has been some major mistakes [ deliberate ] in procedure in dealing with complaints & we feel that there is cover up being covered up . Who do we SAR What legally can can we request , we would really like internal cross department communications if possible but all data held on this case is our aim. Apologies if this sounds stupid but we really have no idea on the SAR procedure & how to obtain all information & data that pertains to us . Thanks in advance Snowy .

Can anyone give me advice? We were first in line for a Housing Association bungalow and a multi viewing was arranged last Monday. It was pouring with rain and there was no electric so very dark. We looked around with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th in line, some with babies which made us feel very uncomfortable. We had to make our mind up at that viewing and although we had some reservations about the size felt we had to say yes there and then or lose it. We had to pay the first month's rent immediately although obviously we have not had chance to let our (private landlord) know and give notice. We now wish we had a cooling off period of even a day as we've now looked in the light and realised we haven't room for hardly any furniture. We take responsibility for our decision but feel we had less rights than buying double glazing or something where there is a window to change your mind. We are now stuck with 2 rents and possibly 2 council taxes for the next month. My question is surely we should have been given more time and a month's grace to give notice to our existing landlord. Would welcome any feedback.

I have been harassed by a neighbor because I wont be his friend. I am from a domestic violence background came out of a refuge and I am an attractive woman in my 20s with mental health issues of anxiety and depression (also recently diagnosed with PTSD due to current events) The HA placed me between two older men, this wouldnt usually be a problem but they both became obsessed with me. I had to tell both of them to please stop knocking on my door, I am private. This is when the false noise complaints from downstairs firstly came however I wasnt the victim because he was elderly means he automatically will be believed despite having noise recorders with no evidence and me going out my way to put thick underlay and carpet which nothing in my tenancy states I must do so still I was apparently harassing him with noise. when I told upstairs to leave me alone and not knock on my door he would purposely make noise. He use to pretend to be someone from outside by ringing my doorbell because I never answered when he knocked on my flat door. I found this really weird and after he knocked on my door for about 20mins I told him to leave me alone, he was only knocking to ask me personal questions. After I complained about upstairs noise this is when his counter claims came to avoid prosecution. Said I threw things on his door and slammed doors. Agin he has noise recorders and nothing. I however had noise recorders and it stated he made loud bangs like I said however the HA did nothing and suggested rugs. The neighbor upstairs was also caught liasing with the one below me to make up complaints about me, which was admitted by the one downstairs to the manager (now the manager hates me she is denying he ever admitted this to her) the manager was fine with me until she spoke to the man above then suddenly she turned against me, I have no idea what I did to her but she started to ignore my complaints and be really rude to me on the phone. She also denied he not allowed laminated flooring and cannot provide me with the apparent previous tenancy which states he can have laminated flooring. the HA have been blocking me from going to the Housing ombudsmen by longing out my complaints and not allowing me to escalate or give me replies. This neighbor however went on to key my car, write die on my flat door, push me (when I was pregnant), kick my door whilst threatening me, put dog poop on my car handle and make several false complaints about me. I got the police involved who were useless to the point I made a complaint about them this they did not like then their harrassment against me came. I asked for the neighbour to be issued with A Harrasment order and the police reluctantly did so. However around a week later i was also issued with one based on his false complaints. I have challenged this, how is this proper procedure? The police gone on to make false claims I making reports to crimestoppers about the neighbour and told the HA this. the police also have come to my address several times banging on my door and invited me for an interview on neighbor false allegations. The police tried to bring charges against me for court. However when it got to court even the CPS said it is clear I am the victim due to the amount of calls and dates ect and they told the court they did not want to pursue the case against me as it is very one sided and seems like a witch hunt. Even the prosecution saw what was going on. of course the police did not like this because I still have a complaint against several officers with strong evidence of harassment and breaches of the law and data protection. However now after some weeks the police have again come to my address this morning to "deliver" me a letter from the housing associaiton, since when are police used as personal post men for housing associaitons? I know the HA manager was .... I never got convicted or it even went to court, she hates me and wants me out and I know the police are also .... I do not know what this letter is but I am guessing an ASBO because they can issue these based on the police word and HA word alone. If it is this how do I challenge this? The HA manager I have a complaint against her with several organisations due to her breach of data protection and harrasment against me so she is also trying it with me. The HA or the police wont even let me present my strong evidence or prove my innocence that this neighbor is a liar, they dont even care they just want to shut me up for complaining about things they have choosen to do which are against the law and human rights rather then just deal with the case against the neighbor. I know they are trying to break me but I cannot lie it is working, I am broken. I feel like maybe I should of just given into this mans advances because then I wouldnt even be going through this and despite sending them proof of my medical evidence they refuse to move me, they want me out. It is bullying and I do not know where to turn because they are blocking everything. (there is another thread on here from 2011 which someone else complained about this HA and their bullying tactics so I know I am not alone) I know I need to stay strong but it is hard, they are now trying to issue with me an ASBO which means even on medical grounds I cannot move because before i couldnt move because i had "court proceeding" against me, now I dont they need to make something else so i cannot move and the complaints about me keep coming or I break and leave and be homeless. I hold a lot of paper evidence, witnesses and recordings. I have several complaints with the professional standards with police. I have a complaint with the housing ombudsome who obviosuly cannot help until The HA complaints has finished I have a complaint with the ICO due to data protection breaches By them issuing me with an ASBO I can go to prison and since the man makes false complaints it is likely i will so another way to get me out and ruin my life.

Does anyone know anything about these? Just got position number one for a property, after bidding for it last week, went through income and expenditure and I'm shaking and nervous, forgot to tell her about the three things debt wise I pay out only my partners .... didn't tell her about debts were not paying as it was income and expenditure and I'm currently not paying on some of them. Then she say shes going off to do a credit check and will call me back, that was over an hour ago. So I guess that's game over then? I didn't know social did credit checks? How are we supposed to get anywhere to live? Been living at my mums since January now with my partner and 3 children. I feel like I have literally just hit rock bottom ...

My daughter whose oldest child is 18 and has now left school decided to take a year out and work and get a job...he earns 13000 per annum..as she recently had to finish work 3 months ago because of stress she applied for housing benefit... She sent them all the information and today has been told out of a housing allowance for the area of 91.80p week she has been awarded 16 pound a week towards the rent for herself and her 11 year old child also living there along with the 18 yr old...i Is it correct that the local authority can make her 18 year old pay the majority of the rent on the property? as this seems to be the case....he is not the tenant she is yet it seems from their figures that because he is earning he is expected to make up the huge shortfall can anyone confirm these figures are correct? thanks

I would really appreciate any help with this. I live in London and have a spare bedroom some of the time. I don't want a permanent lodger but was thinking of renting it out on an occasional basis through crashpadder. I am in receipt of housing benefit and obviously would declare the earnings from this, but cant find any information on the legal implications of doing this and do not want to get into trouble with them. Does anyone know where I would be able to get more information?

Hi, I am just looking for some advice, I am currently claiming Universal Credit and I was just wondering, if I get sanctioned in the near future - (I am hoping I get a job soon anyway) but if I get sanctioned before I get a job, will I still get housing element? or will both my personal allowance and housing element both be stopped? It's just a question at the moment, I haven't been sanctioned yet, just wondering that is all thanks.

A couple of years ago we lost our house due to ill health, we sold the house to a housing association so we could still live in it, as we liked the area. Thrilled to have a house in a popular area the HA snapped it up and promised to help us, and look after the house, so we'd have no worries except rent. They did some modernisation, including double glazing that apparently amplifies noise from outside, and redoing the kitchen floor and a new roof. About 6 months later, we noticed damp patches on my son's bedroom wall. Both he and my wife are asthmatic, so damp is a real issue. I called the H.A. and explained the problem. 2 weeks layer, they go on the roof and say the flashing is damaged. They redo it. About 6 months later again, the damp patch is still there, having faded a bit, it seems to be spreading. So I called again. 2 weeks later, new flashing. 3 months on, still damp patches with a bit of mould too. I call again, 2 weeks later someone comes out and once again claims it's flashing. I explained it's been replaced 3 times, if you include the new roof fitting. 'Oh right' he says, well see what we can do, leave it with me. 3 months later, I heard nothing. Damp is spreading. A month later, I called them. Recent rain had made it worse. Don't worry I'm told, it's being looked In to. A month later, still nothing. I called again. After 2 weeks of passing messages, I eventually got a date for yet more new flashing... despite there clearly being a bigger issue. It would be in 7 weeks. 4 days before work is due, the scaffolder turns up asking for permission to put some In the neighbours garden too. They're at work, so i ask that evening and tell the H.A. in the morning that it's done and it's OK. I do this in the office, the woman I told this to phones the head of the works team whilst I'm there and confirms it's ok. 3 days pass, no scaffolding. I call to complain and am told it will be up in the morning. First thing in the morning, sitting having breakfast in the front room when a card is shoved through. From the roofer, that says "no scaffold, no access" I run out, to try and talk to him about the scaffolding. He sees me, shrugs, smiles and drives off. I've called the H.A. today, but can't get through to who I need because as is common he's worked a half day. During this time, I've also explained that my son's wall is ruined. It has wallpaper that is peeling off, along with plaster, behind which is damp uneven wall. It needs work doing on. I was told the best they could do was a 25 pound voucher for paint to tidy it up. If I paint that wall, the paper will be too heavy and will fall. He'll, if I tap that wall you can hear it crumble behind the paper and fall. It has a main solid wall (uneven and damp as it is) but the plastered front layer is totally wrecked. When this complaint started my son was an asthmatic 3 year old, just about to turn 4. He's 6 now and they've shown no care. During damp weather he has to share our bed (I take his) to make sure he's not in the room where the issue is whenever it gets bad, which this summer has been quite frequently So where do I stand? Can I do anything besides complain to them and ask them to please hurry up time and time again?

Hi all, I've been trying to deal with this issue myself, helped along by other people's problems with alleged overpayments, but I think I need some direct advice please. Background: In April 2012 my Mum and I rented a house for 12 months. I didn't know I was entitled to Housing Benefit until I was talking to a friend who said I should apply, which I did in May. I explained to the HB people that I didn't know I could apply for HB and asked if I could back-date the benefit to the day we moved in, which was was agreed to. The HB should have been paid from 16th April 2012 (moving in) to 23rd April 2013 (moving out). The first payment I received was in August 2012, the last was in May 2013, all payments made in arrears. I notified the council that I was moving out of the property on the 23rd of April 2012 and provided my new address. This is where things get messy. I was paid a final amount on 13th May 2013. I believed that this was my final payment in arrears. However, in late May 2013 I received a letter from the council stating I had been overpaid by £146.00. They said that this was overpayment for the period 23rd April 2013 to 12th May 2013. I sent them a letter on 10th June 2013 stating that I did not agree with their calculations and that they owed me £150.00. They responded in late July stating I wasn't entitled to the back-payment (that had been agreed to in the office when I applied) and that the overpayment still stood. As I was also fighting a cut in my ESA at the time, I didn't respond to this letter; I just couldn't face another fight. (I know this wasn't the best idea, but I suffer from Clinical Depression amongst other illnesses and I just wasn't in the right mental state to deal with it.) And that was the last I heard... Until a few weeks ago when I received a "Final Demand"! Three years after the original letter, they'd started this up again! I replied again stating I was not going to pay this alleged overpayment as I believed it was my final payment in arrears. I also stated the following: “Recoverable overpayments 100.—(1) Any overpayment, except one to which paragraph (2) applies, shall be recoverable. (2) Subject to paragraph (4) this paragraph applies to an overpayment caused by an official error where the claimant or a person acting on his behalf or any other person to whom the payment is made could not, at the time of receipt of the payment or of any notice relating to that payment, reasonably have been expected to realise that it was an overpayment.” As I stated, my HB was always paid in arrears so I reasonably assumed the last payment was my last payment in arrears. Which I told them in the letter. However, they responded with a bundle of letters they say they sent me in 2013, one "invoice" they allegedly sent in October 2015 and the most recent letters from this year. They completely ignored the paragraph above though. They also said that the letter I responded to (10th June 2013) said I could appeal the backdating decision within one month of the letter, which I thought would be done upon them receiving my letter (10th June 2013), but seems it wasn't! I really don't know what to do right now. They say I owe them money, I say they owe me and never the twain shall meet! Can anyone suggest what I should do now? Cheers, Fenris

Hi there, Fantastic Forum. Keep up the good work. A while ago my friend has been accused of benefit fraud. She has sent in an appeal at the moment, and she is waiting for them to get back to her. I have helped her by reading posts on the forum, and following some of the advice being given on here. But now I am stuck and don’t know what to do now. Like I said she is waiting for her appeal, but now the housing association are getting tough on her. They are demanding the rent that has gathered up due to her housing benefit being stopped months ago. She has been paying her water rates because her income support has not been stopped as of yet. But she can't afford to pay the full rent. She is due to appear in county court on a civil case in a couple of weeks time. She is a single mother with two children. She doesn’t speak much English. She is really stressed and doesn’t know what to do. Please, please help.

i have been dealing with housing options as well. this is about my landlord misleading me from the start with fraudulent tenancies. ie 1 making me pay a bond and months total £600 for my own tenancy in a two tenancy house 2 making me sign and witness the other tenants tenancy and £600 when, in actual fact, he had not paid a bond or months rent at all. i was told this three months later by the landlord in a recorded meeting 3 the landlord did not protect my bond and as a result of this, I am in a horrendous position 4 the landlord returned my bond 2 months after i paid it and then claimed that the tenancys signed were now actually a single shared tenancy 5 making me responsible for the other tenants debts 6 the landlord is now lying to the court in claims against me which i want to defend 7 he has mislead the court about arrears (that i was not in) etc etc housing options have applied for legal aid on my behalf. legal aid said i should apply for legal help but housing options applied for more legal aid and were granted full aid they say the notice the landlord gave me is wrong but they dont seem at all interested that the landlord commited fraud in the creation of the tenancies and the way i see it is that housing options are assisitng the landlord in misleading the court because if the tenancys were fraudulent, the landlord should be being investigated and housing options should be challenging the landlord about this and disclosing this to the court in the public interest. i believe when looking at the solicitors code of conduct, that fusion housing should be looking into this and not just seemingly trying to process me into alternative accomodation i asked fusion housing for a copy of the court bundle documents and have been told that i will need to make a data subject access request that will take 40 days to process if i want to see my own court documents. this is unhelpful as i am due in court on september 5th, in a couple of weeks. i would like to withdraw my permission for them to act for me and i would like to represent myself in court i need to make a notice of acting in person letter but am unfamiliar with the correct procedure to follow i understand the court can only allow me 40 or so days extra in the house. but really i want to defend the allegations the landlord is making against me. i have a solid defence fusion housing have said that i dont need to defend the landlords POC. as far as im concerned they are his particulars of claim and if i dont defend them i am allowing them to be on the court record. i really dont feel comfortable with the way this is bieng handled and the way housing options have seemingly taken over and are proceeding with my case i am alarmed to see that the solicitor is earning between £56 to £200 + an hour. i have no idea what they are doing with my file or what is happening i have asked to see my file and am now asking for a copy of the court documents. both are not forthcoming. any help or advice would be very much appreciated. housing options have applied for legal aid on my behalf. legal aid said i should apply for legal help but housing options applied for more legal aid and were granted full aid they say the notice the landlord gave me is wrong and that they will be representing me at court but they dont seem at all interested that the landlord commited fraud in the creation of the my tenancy. i find that alarming i understand the court can only allow me 40 or so days extra in the house and am desperately looking for alternative accomodation. fusion housing have said that i dont need to defend the landlords POC. as far as im concerned they are his particulars of claim and if i dont defend them i am allowing them to be on the court record. i really dont feel comfortable with the way this is bieng handled and the way housing options have seemingly taken over and are proceeding with my case i am alarmed to see that the solicitor is earning between £56 to £200 + an hour. i have no idea what they are doing with my file or what is happening i asked fusion housing for a copy of the court bundle documents and have been told that i will need to make a data subject access request that will take 40 days to process if i want to see my own court documents. this is unhelpful as i am due in court on september 5th, in a couple of weeks. can i do an acting in person letter to the court and charity and get some control back over my file? how many sets of wet signatures should there be when signing one contract? I am asking this because my landlord says there is only one contract attached to this house. when i signed my contract, i was lead to believe that the other tenant had a contract as well as me. both contracts were signed and witnessed. the landlord took them away to copy them i would have thought that if there was only one contract then there should be only one set of signatures there is something wrong here as there are now three copies of signed tenancies. each one has a different set of signatures. the landlord has them all but I have copies. I dont remember signing 3 contracts and my signature looks very odd in contract 3 ( which the landlord has submitted to court as the main contract) the reason i think there is something wrong here is because each one shows that a bond and months rent of £600 were paid at the signing of the tenancies and each one has been signed separately. it is clear to see as the signatures are not identical, so there were different tenancies that were signed does that mean these tenancies say there was 1800 paid to the landlord at the start of the tenancies or just £600? is this one tenancy or three? when i signed my tenancy, i paid £600.(bond and rent) the landlord now claims that there was one tenancy and that it is a joint tenancy when i signed my tenancy, the landlord and other tenant lead me to believe that he had paid £600 as well and i was asked to sign and witness his tenancy. i found out three months later that the other tenant had not paid anything at the start of the tenancys and i have been mislead from the start the landlord returned my bond after two months and did not protect it. when i gave it him back he tried to say he wasnt taking a bond and the £300 he took back was for the other tenants rent but later changed his mind i believe at that point the tenancys were changed and bonds altered , i became liable for the other tenants debts the other tenant had lived here for a few years before i moved in there was already a bond on the house when i moved in. the old bond was then repaid to the tenant after i moved in even though the tenant was in arrears and there were outstanding repairs when i moved in. when i signed and witnessed the new tenancys the tenant did not pay a bond or months rent but i was lead to believe he had by both of them because they had filled the tenancys to show he had paid £600. in reality, the other tenant was in debt at the start of the new tenancys and they had both lied to me now the landlord says it was just one tenancy and we are joint tenants and he wants his house back if it really was one tenancy why are there so many versions and why was i the only one who paid anything? i feel i was used from the start to get the old bond returned to the old tenant so that the landlord could get him out. the old tenant is heavily in debt and has made no attempt to pay rent or bills. the landlord has allowed this to happen and made no attempt to rectify this. i have been paying my rent and was paying the bills ( his debts!) although i cant access data about the accounts. the bills were in the other tenants name before i moved in. the landlord didnt change this. i believe there were already debts before i moved in and this is why they stayed in the old tenants name. the landlord has been free to manipulate all this and i am finding it difficult to get help or advice regarding the validity of the signed contract or contracts and i am confused as to where i stand. i realise the landlord can ask for his house back at any time but i think the way this has been done is very wrong. i would never have left my old home to be on a joint tenancy anyway and especially with someone who was already in debt i have repeatedly tried to discuss the tenancy, rent, bills and bond with the landlord. i started recording the visits. the landlord was doing monthly inspections and coming without notice. i was being bullied by them both. here is an extract of a recording of a visit without notice from the landlord where the bond was discussed. when the landlord gave me the £300 bond back in january, i gave it straight back to him. he took the money away but did not leave a reciept. I paid my rent into the bank a few days later. (AA is the landlord, AR is me.) ....... AA this is what I'm gonna do right, this is what I think should happen, yeah? So this £250, right, that you already put in and this £50 AR £300 AA is £300 right. By all rights yeah That money is next months money for you, yeah AR or my bond AA I'm not taking a bond. I cant take a bond right. You have a month or two months I think under the - that's why within two months I came to see you before the end of two months AR two months? You've 14 days to pay the bond in AA right so AR to the bond bank, but you didn't tell me for two months AA. yeah so it didn't happen. Yeah AR I could have got somewhere else AA yeah so it didn't happen, right but just hear me out here yeah? Look, I couldn't put it into the bond account because Mark, yeah ? Rightly or wrongfully, wrongfully, he didn't give me the money yeah? So that's why I said, sod it, give it back. There you go yeah? So the bond is, is, forget the bond, I'm not taking a bond off ya. like I says to ya, here, you know, foolish me or whatever, but, you know, I think that's my perogative" here is another extract regarding the bond .......... AR ...so had that tenancy ended then? AA it abso.., yes it ended, yeah. That's why you signed a new tenancy agreement with Mark AR Right, but why did only me have to pay a bond? AA right so you both had to pay a bond but unfortunately Mark was in rent arrears and he didn't have no money to, to, to kind of pay the rent or the bond money so that's when, remember when you? We, we, we took down, you gave me half of the bond money and to which later on I, I, I just gave that back to you because obviously it was quite clear Mark didn't have the money to pay the bond money so we gave that back" I feel that they have both really taken advantage of me and the whole thing about the tenancys and bonds is causing me great distress. I am trying to fully grasp what is/has happened here and how it will affect me.

After spending some time trying to get housed through Choice Based Lettings on medical grounds, and getting an unfair sense of things within the lettings (after I learnt my top-level Choice Based Lettings bids were not being honoured), me and friends started digging around a little deeper. And the results appear to be disturbing. While it is impossible to share all of our findings on a single forum post, I’ll share some examples. Any advice, opinions, suggestions, etc. are most welcome! The Allocation Scheme states (s.2.7.8 and s.2.7.9): "It is likely that Property Mobility Category 3 properties will be unsuitable for Mobility Category 1 and 2 applicants and that section 2.2.14 will apply. Subject to that, those in Mobility Category 1 will have priority over those in Mobility Category 2 and they will have priority over those in Mobility Category 3 who will have priority over those in Mobility Category 4. When persons within the same Mobility Category bid for an advertised Mobility Category property, priority will depend upon who has the most points and, if equal, whose application is the earliest in time." These rules set out in the Allocation Scheme are not being followed and properties are allocated purely on decisions of the lettings mangers. This is why when I placed my bid for a Mobility 3 property, I was not invited for viewing or contacted about the property despite being in position 2, with mobility 3 priority and 200 points. The property was allocated to a bidder with 150 points instead. Lord Scott - Ahmad case (R Ahmad v LB Newham [2009] UKHL 14) – states: "To allow the choice to depend upon the judgment of a Council official, or a committee of officials, no matter how experienced and well trained he, she or they might be, would lack transparency and be likely to lead to a plethora of costly litigation based on allegations of favouritism or discrimination." We requested for bidding data under the Freedom of Information and we found that people with top priorities are waiting for many years while applicants with Mobility 4 priority and lower points can selectively get housed into Mobility 3 properties within as little as one month! See sample stats attached (go straight to page 2 of the attachment). [to be continued...]