hi

i just need to scream lol,well tell you girls how fed up i am.
i live in a 2bedroom flat with my 5 kids,girl 14, boy 12, boy 10, girl 9, boy 2, plus 32+5 with twins..
my local landlord and council are just really driving me mad,i was hoping to move within next 4 weeks but they are saying im not overcrowded???????????????

i just want to cry im so fed up,no garden for kids to play in.

i have 2 bedrooms in room 1 i have put my 12+10 year old sons,in bedrom 2 i have my 14+9 year old girls, in lounge on sofa is me and on a mattress on floor is my 2year old boy!!!
where do i put twins??my son needs a bedroom but the 2 rooms have so space,does any1 have any knowledge on housing??

sorry to go on xxx

hi hun im sorry you and your family are being put through this. couldnt some one from the council come and look at your home so that they can see that you really do need a bigger place. coz when you talk on the phone all they think is
* children under the age of 7 years can share a room
* over the age of 7 years children can only share a room if they are of the same sex ( boys cant share a room with girls)
* a child is not classed as a person needing a room until the child is a year old.

im sorry im not any help really. maybe you could take photos/ video your home so they can see you needed a bigger home. keep phoning them and pester them until you and your family get the kind of home you need. again im sorry im not much help. x.

If overcrowding was an issue before you fell pregnant then why have more children?

excuse me MrsS1258???

4 ur info i only had 3 kids here until 1st august then my ex-husband fell ill with M.S and social services had to remove them suddendly and bring them to me,so mayb you should see all facts 1st!!!

i didnt plan my babies,i was on pill and fell pregnant with tem,i lost my partner over this,so not planned but im blessed they are mine now.

i came on here for advise and support not to b put down,thanks MrsS1258 you have been such a great help!!!!!!!!!!!!!wish i hadnt bothered now.

mandy

Thats a bit harsh Mrs S this is the support forum not the have a go forum!

Sorry your having a hard time mms chin up I'm sure something will turn up keep your chin up I'm 33+2 with just baby so I dread to think how you are feeling with twins!!

Good luck and hope things get better soon xxxx

Well in that case, if social services placed them with you then they should have offered you a bigger place there and then - I am sorry.

housing is nothing to do with social services,their was no way my sons going into care,that was my 2 options.

so i have to go through the transfer list,which i couldnt do until i was getting child benefit which takes weeks to sort out,as my ex's family wouldnt let him sign over to me!!!long story.

mandy 32+5 twins x

That sounds like a nightmare situation.
The only thing i could suggest is to go to the council with all the children (straight from school so you don't get judged for taking them out) and say, ok I have 5 kids and 2 on the way, I need at least one more bedroom and ideally a garden. Perhaps if they see the problem they might be more sympathetic?
Good luck

Sorry i have no experience but what is your ex-husbands' housing/financial situation? I understand he may not be able to look after the children physically anymore but he should still be contributing financially, or if he is in a more preferrable living situation than you are (if he owns his own home?) then maybe he should be providing more support that way. Saying that,i have no idea of his situation so that may not even be possible. If the council lwill not give you a bigger place than i guess (if it is physically possible space wise) you'll have to put your 2 year old in with his brothers and have the twins in the living room with you (maybe look at bunk beds to increase floor space if you havent got them already).Unless you can rent privately then i suppose theres not much else you can do, sorry cant be of much help, hope things get sorted for you soon xxx

Sorry to hear about you problems, i really feel for you i also live in a 2 bed flat with two girls, 3 step children that come and stay and that is hard enough and one on the way. i take my hat off to you. xx Which council are you with ????

hi hun, just wondered how you and your family are. and if you are any closer to getting your housing problem sorted.

Oh Mandy,

I hope today is looking sunnier, I can't imagine how small a 2 bedroom must feel with well near enough 7 los, I have three in a two bed at the minute and it feels like a zoo! I am so sorry the council are dragging their feet, especially as it would seem that at least for the next couple months it going to be damn hard to just up and move, I mean with the immenant birth of you twins. Do you have anyone who can help? Are you anywhere near the Surrey area, I'd happily come give you a hand . Is it possible/ worth it to ask if there is anything in a council in the surrounding councils to yours? Maybe a different council might be able to move you more quickly, could you look for a larger house share, maybe four bed but have a lodger? I bet it just feels like too big a job so heavily pregnant with lots of people depending on you... sorry if my suggestions are less than helpful.

(((hugs)))

xx

hi, i'm not entirely sure on how the whole housing system works but my sister recently had a problem with over crowding (and she only has 3) and her local council didn't have anywhere to move them to, so instead she found somewhere privately and claims housing benefits, is this maybe an option for u?

hope u manage to find a solution soon

xx

hi
thanks everyone..sorry my pc broke,now sorted...

i had a really down few days feel abit better now,ive been moved to priority but they say im not stat overcrowded as i have emough floor space.they used hall and kitchen in this..

said i can put 2 babies in moses baskets to slep i can fit a single bed in hall/?what the hell are they on??

anyway have meeting this week on wednesday so we will see?

ex is in council accomadation,3 bedroom bungalow...im with chelmsford borough council,they say i need 4 bed house,i agree but could b 2-3 years??

mandy x

Im sure one of the girls who works in housing has said on here before that they cannot count the kitchen as a room for sleeping?

This sounds like a nightmare situation! Is there no way you can rent privately and claim housing benefit? This is what my friend has done, as she was in a 2 bed flat with number 2 on the way, and then she was given guardianship of her 15 year old sister! It was crowded enough in her flat, i cant even imagine what it must be like in yours! If all else fails, make an official complaint to your council and write to your MP, but iwould suggest looking at renting privately first, as long as you're not asking for housing benefit for a 9 bed mansion they should help you out. Hope it gets sorted soon, and good luck with the new babies!

hi mms - are you on benifits? If so could you rent privately on a place that accepts HB you would be entitled to full HB in which case your rent would be pretty low. Its worth finding out about. Also ur local CAB are very good with helping sort out housing needs. Good luck babe - take care xx

Hi i was just wondering how you were getting on?how did the meeting go?i hope they find you somewhere soon how is the pregnancy going?
take care
Lin24weeks

hi
still getting no-where,i cannot privatly rent as local council wont help with deposits etc as i have a secure tenancy?
twins are counted until 1 years old.we r having loads of meetings etc,but as they say they dont have any houses,my size empty or ready anytime soon.
just have to wait and see.
mandy 34+2 twins

Hi hun i really feel for you, i am overcrowded too but your situation is far worse then mine. we have 4 and 1 on the way and we are in a 3 bed and that is a squeeze so god knows how you are managing. We are down for a 4/5 bed but dont have a hope in hell in getting one as our council said we could be waiting for as long as 12 years!!!!!!! Are there any medical needs or anything like that you can tell your council so that maybe they can help you faster?? i hope something comes up quick for you take care xxx

I know when I used to be a health visitor I used to write letters of support for Mums to give to housing saying their situation was causing stress and that it could contribute to ill health within the family... could you ask your HV to do the same?
Otherwise put an advert offering to swap with someone looking to downsize?-long shot I know!

Whatever your housing situation- hope you are well and think you are so brave going it alone with 5 +2 babies !!
Good Luck xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello Mandy

I have been reading and I think you are very brave indeed. I respect your views with regards to your darling twins and I am sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time with this. Having been brought up in council/housing association homes myself, I am familiar with the house exchange programme. In fact my Mum and Dad very recently downsized their big home for a small place now us 'kids' have moved out. I know this process was a little time consuming for Mum and Dad, but they were offered 2 good properties in 6 months. They advertised in the paper and by puttting notices up... in supermarkets/local shops etc... Your flat would really suit someone whose children have grown up and left home. Maybe advertise online too? Gumtree.com I hear is a good facility?

Please keep us updated on your progress as we are all very concerned.

Good luck with your babies! Sending you best wishes and praying things will get easier for you soon.

Rach
x

of course you are over crowded hon.
Have you been to citizens advice? They will be able to fight your case with the housing associations.
In my area if you have 3 kids you are entitled to a 3 bedroom home. 5+ then a 4 bedroom home- to find out what your areas policy is you really should see c.a.b.xxx

hi
thanks all xxxx

im on exchange boards etc....

im not brave just insane lol,no i love my kids they are all a true blessing ,we are so excited about the twins,be glad when they here now as im so tired of sleeping on sofa being so fat ..

i have had letters from h.v and social services regarding housing and still nothing with my local council im in band 3,which is 2 below me and 2 higher bands.
im facing facts im going to b bringing babies home to flat where i put them god knows lol.

i will really push in new year and fight until iget somewhere, i will go CAB see what they say.

thanks ,mandy 35+1 twins xxxxxxxx

hi mandy, i would take it to your local paper, this is insane. how can they say you are not overcrowed?! they cannot class your kitchen or hall as living space (or the bathroom or toilet for that fact) so when you go to CAB makesure you remember to tell them that is what they did.
when i was pregnant with my daughter there were 6 of us adults living in a 3 bedroom house and we were told we were legally over crowed and my opiions were to eith find somewhere private to rent and get help with paying that from benefits or risk having my daughter taken away at birth. i was very lucky that i went to the cheapest esate bloke (very well know as creap in local area, scummy places at all that) and thankfully he found me a 2 bedroom house. it was on the worse estate in the area but it meant i got to keep my daughter(and as it turns out they couldnt have taken her anyway without good reason and i think im a bloody good mum) after i moved in the council then told me that the place was too big for our needs (a bedroom each!omg!) and i had to pay half my rent then so i did for a year then i moved in with my boyfriend who i had only been with 9 months(not dd father) and he is now my hubby.
anyway i hope to god that they find you something very quickly. go to CAB they are so nice and will help until it is sorted. you can phone them if you cant get there! just goggle CAB. things will work themse;lfs out hun. good luck, thinking of you xx
good luck,let us know how things are going xx

hi mandy

see if your local council have a Bond Board.

this is a dept pretty good that often liases with private Landlords who have recieved accreditation for providing good properties etc. they may be able to help you out, but i'm not sure if all councils have them!

the other thing i know is that my local council have knocked 2 houses into one to provide necessary accomodation. (i dont know if these have been 2 or 3 beds), but they are just what you need!

see if they can do that for you

good luck with the babies, they must be ready to come soon

xxxxxxxx

hi there, im no expert but i do know a bit about housing.

1. There is a website called homeswapper, www.homeswapper.co.uk. If you register on there you can see loads of people that want to swap

2. The council are trying to fob you off, they are not allowed to use any rooms that are not bedrooms as sleeping space. So you need a room which you can share with your 2year old but that means 4 children sharing and girls+boys that are over 7 which is illegal

You could either

1.threaten to go to your local paper, this will get them moving, although you may not make many friends that way

2.go to your doctor and tell him the situation is making you worried and stressed. He should write you a letter which will give you medical points. Your midwife or hv could also write one but they cant class as medical opinions but will still boost your case

and keep phoning them up every single day. Just be very polite but make them realise how desperate you are.

Hope this helps and good luck with the house and your babies xvx

hi vixieL,
im on homeswapper already,have doc letters also from social services,hv etc.
i think papers r my next step tho,everyone keeps saying go papers.
thankyou all for your help xx
mandy xx

well if you have all that i would defiently go to the papers, but tell your housing place thats what your going to do. You may not even need a story printed but it will make them move alot quicker. good luck x

Hi ya we have had problems with a housing assoc for a couple of years not about over crowding it's about something completly different and we tryed going to the papers but they get soooo many complaint about housing that they don't normally take your details let alone print them!

They might as your story is so extreme but I couldn't even tell the man my story as soon as i mentioned housing assoc he interupted and said no!

Good luck xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hiya love! What you really need to do is go down to your local MP in surgery.. get him to to write a letter make an appointment ect..

your babies are considered people from when you reach the point where you get you MATB1 form.. so they have to recgonise them..

I would 'sugest' to social services that you are thinking that you really want to keep these children but there is a distinct possiblity that you may not be able to if your not re housed due to lack of space shortly! It will cost them to take a few children of your hands than it would to help apply a little pressure and pull some strings!

also I would take your children down to the office and refused to leave tell them if its just a matter of 'floor space' you can set up camp in there office! then when they see how rediculous the idea is I would ask to speack to the manager of who gave you faule information and request to put in a complaint!

put EVERYTHING in writting and get reciepts!

take photos.. & take everyones name of who you speak too..

let us know how you get on hun! x