Southways Housing Trust Application for Housing In Manchester

[pentiumofborg]

I live in the midlands and I want to move to Manchester so I can visit my Mother more often, she has schizophrenia and is in a specialist OAP home. So, I applied for Social Housing via Southways Housing Trust who handle all applications for housing on behalf of Manchester Council for the areas I was interested in moving to. They sent me a letter telling me that I was in Band 6a and I was able to bid online. But they got my Date of Birth wrong. So I rang and they corrected that after 24 hours. But then I couldn't log in because they hadn't set the "Family Type" field correctly. So I rang Southways again and again till that was finally corrected after 48 hours. I was then able to log into the Manchester Homefinder website and found that I was listed as Band 6b rather than Band 6a as in award letter. I then rang Southways who said that as I didn't have a connection to the area, the official policy would dictate that I would be Band 6b. I asked why I was sent a letter telling me I was on Band 6a and they told me that they didn't know and it was hopeless attempting to win a bid anyway, which isn't true because I checked the winning bids. Furthermore, if I'm bidding against other people and it comes to making a decision between myself and someone else who happens to be Band 6b, then I would probably win the bid. They insist on "Managing my Expectations" by telling me there's very little chance that I will win a bid with every call. They seem bad at what they do and try and put me off applying at every chance. I've asked for a complaint form because this is really shoddy admin work, I've also asked for a letter verifying what Band I am actually on because I think they are too lazy to change the details on the website from 6a to 6b because it will be yet another mistake they would be admitting to. Southways Housing Trust is run by a bunch of lazy, incompetent people who would do well to remember that they are public servants by proxy. I'm actually going to write to Manchester Council Leadership Councillors and the Housing Directorate because quite frankly, this is just bloody awful handling of an application.

Edited December 6, 2011 by pentiumofborg
error

[The Carpet Cleaners]

It is the duty of council/HA staff to put people off joining their lists, we were told in no uncertain terms by a friendly member of our local council that they have to try and make all the people go to private housing so that the lists do not get any bigger, however the official story is because there are so few houses available that you would be quicker going private.

 

The Manchester area is no different to the wiltshire area where I am now or the Hampshire etc..

I thought that mother in the area is as good a local connection as you can get......

 

good luck with the bidding.

[pentiumofborg]

You're right about mother being a good local connection, but I can't get her National Insurance number from the Care Home to quote on the application. I looked after my mum since I was 18, then my sister took over 20 years later, then shoved her into the care home without telling me - and she has either Power of Attorney or is a Deputy, I don't know which as nobody will tell me. My sister won't give me my mum's NI mumber, so how can I get that and other details to support my application?

[The Carpet Cleaners]

Try calling the care home again or go down and see them if you can, explain who you are and why you need the information, you MAY find a caring carer who will give you the information.......

 

Why do the council/HA need your mothers NI number?? just her name and where she is should be enough....

[pentiumofborg]

I'll try the Care Home again, I'm going to visit them this time and try and find someone friendly who has access to information. They ask for the NI Number of anyone who is related and has lived in the area for 3 years or more.

[mariner51]

Not my area of expertise

I doubt Care Home will provide mother's NI number (DPA) to any other person without due authority.

Mother could request info, if competent, and could not reasonably refused. Personal Info

Perhaps OP could explain why band 6b is more detrimental to his application than 6a

 

I would hope that applications for Auth Social Housing is prioritised as follows

1 Essential public sector employees within Authority

2 ,, from outside Auth

3 Family member living within Auth

4 Family members ext to Auth, both willing to reduce Council liabiliity for care cost of family member

5 Someone justm wishing to relocate to area