[mamof3]

can anyone please point me in the right direction.... i am a council tenant and recently exchanged houses with my aunty....to 3 bedroom which we needed.... however we have an old back boiler system which needs to be switchd on for an hour before to heat the water up :(this is costly and time consuming my son is 9 and has left hemi he also wets the bed 2-3 times EVERYNIGHT !
on top of that my youngest daughter is on medication for severe constipation which makes her soil unavoidably anytime day or night :/ therfore both children may need cleaned throught the night. which at present we use babywipes as we dont have a shower
my daughters doc wrote to housing office to ask if they could put in a new boiler....there reply "your current heating system is adequate...if u need water throught the night then keep ur heating on" omg...dont they realise the cost of heating....i rang about 10 different services yesterday ,even socail services which i hated the idea of, everyone is reluctant to help me....can anyone please advise me???
thanks

[Janetmargaret]

mamot3,

You could enquire about a 'Domestic Facilities Grant' (see your local authority's website) but I think they may not be available for council housing. Failing that, you could enquire into the Family Fund, www.familyfund.org.uk . The Family Fund may refuse you if they think your boiler is a statutory responsibility or if your income is above their limit.

I don't know much about back boilers. I thought they were the sort that got heated up by your coal fire, not ones that had to be turned on. How do you heat your water in the summer when you're not turning the heating on at all? Have you got your boiler well lagged? On the whole, well lagged boilers don't lose a lot of heat. Obviously the baby wipes cost something. I don't know much about your situation, your house or your children, but I would have imagined that a kettle or two of hot water might be easier and cheaper than baby wipes.

[Jane72]

mamof3, on 24 November 2011 - 04:01 PM, said:

can anyone please point me in the right direction.... i am a council tenant and recently exchanged houses with my aunty....to 3 bedroom which we needed.... however we have an old back boiler system which needs to be switchd on for an hour before to heat the water up :(this is costly and time consuming my son is 9 and has left hemi he also wets the bed 2-3 times EVERYNIGHT !
on top of that my youngest daughter is on medication for severe constipation which makes her soil unavoidably anytime day or night :/ therfore both children may need cleaned throught the night. which at present we use babywipes as we dont have a shower
my daughters doc wrote to housing office to ask if they could put in a new boiler....there reply "your current heating system is adequate...if u need water throught the night then keep ur heating on" omg...dont they realise the cost of heating....i rang about 10 different services yesterday ,even socail services which i hated the idea of, everyone is reluctant to help me....can anyone please advise me???
thanks

hiya

try warm front....they can fit new boilers etc, and readily convert old systems to better new ones...its worth looking into, remember to say you have a disabled person in the home.....

http://www.direct.go...nts/DG_10018661

[jenno282]

Hello,

I work in a council housing office and we get these kind of enquiries all the time. It's really hard because there just isn't the money in the budget. But then there's no money anywhere in these austere times.

Saying that, you do have a number of options:

1) Look at the local authority Service Standards and any Decent Homes standards set out by the Government.
2) Read their responsibilities under the Equality Act, in relation to duty of care in services. You pay the rent for a service, after all.
3) There is also the Housing Act and Children's Act which might offer you extra protection. Also look at the Government's 'end child poverty' campaign. You could argue that they are putting you in unecessary financial difficulty.
4) If you haven't already, challenge their decision in writing.
6) Make an official complaint because you feel they have failed you. They'll have a standard procedure for complaints which you ought to follow, but if you are still not happy you can keep on, even if it means writing to the Director or Chief Executive.
7) Should have wrote it earlier, go see your councillor or MP at their surgeries, or write to them to get their help.
8) Consider going to the local paper. You could really show them council up.

9) Actually, before you do any of that, go to Citizens Advice, I can't say for certain, but I expect they'll help you wade through the legislation, help you with the complaints etc. I think they'll also be able to help you maximise your income. Things such as claiming benefits, DLA, tax credits if appropriate, and could help you if you qualify for help from Warm Front etc.

Hope that helps

Jennifer :-)