Housing

Get help with housing – from how to report repairs to how to get housing adaptations or how to get a housing transfer. We can also help you to explore options to help someone stay in their own home, as well as sheltered housing and help to manage a move. Contact us for information about support available or who can support you in improving your home energy efficiency, security or safety.

Getting adaptations

If the person that you are caring for wishes to stay in their current home, but it is not suitable for their needs, there are a number of options that may help them to do this. 

Adaptations in the home can range from simple things like grab rails to more complex alterations like a level-access shower. The first step in exploring the need for adaptations is to contact the Adult Social Care team at the council.

They can offer advice about alternative ways to carry out tasks, with or without special equipment or adaptations. If housing adaptations are needed an Occupational Therapist will carry out an assessment of the home. They will assess the suitability of the home against the needs of the occupant. They will then advise on any modifications that are required.

If the council recommends adaptations, these may be free, depending on your financial situation. For specialist disability equipment and larger adaptations, homeowners and housing association clients can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Islington Carers Hub can contact Adult Social Care on your behalf to organise an occupational therapy assessment for you, or the person you care for, or you can contact Adult Social Care directly.

Getting help at home

To understand what help you may need to stay in your home, a social care professional will carry out a Social Care Needs Assessment. The assessment is a conversation between you and the care professional where you can talk about what is going well for you as well as the areas that need improvement or would make a difference to you.

There are a range of Assistive Technology devices that can help people remain independent at home, including Telecare (red button or pendant alarm). The Telecare red button pendant allows you to send an alert for help in an emergency 24 hours a day.

If you or someone you care for needs support with everyday things such as getting up, going to bed, washing or preparing meals, this would be identified through the Care Needs Assessment. Most of the support available for this is means tested.

Islington Carers Hub can refer you to Adult Social Care for a Needs Assessment for you. We can also provide information on how to find private carers or find local paid services to manage your garden or cleaning.

Get help with housing, from how to report repairs to how to get housing adaptations or how to get a housing transfer. Islington Carers Hub can also help you to explore options to help someone stay in their own home, as well as sheltered housing and help to manage a move. Contact us for information about support available or for guidance in choosing paid-for suppliers to improve your home energy efficiency, security or safety.

Deciding to live together

Emotional and practical considerations

There are a number of emotional and practical matters that should be considered before making the decision to move the person that you care for into your home or you move in with them. Will living together be beneficial for both of you? Could the loss of independence have a detrimental effect on the person you care for? Will it have a detrimental effect on you? Will you need to make adaptations in your home in order for it to be suitable for them? Will you have your own space or have to sleep on a sofa?

Financial considerations

There will also be financial considerations to take into account. What will be the impact on your combined finances if you start sharing a household?
There is likely to be an impact on your/their housing benefit when sharing an accommodation. A benefit could be avoiding paying bedroom tax on a spare room or the possibility of a reduction in council tax for living together or on a property you may therefore have had to leave empty. Starting to live together could also impact on certain components of disability benefits.

In order to understand the financial impact on both of you, you should contact the Income Maximisation Team at Islington Council or other organisations such as Citizens Advice Islington, Islington Law Centre or Islington People’s Rights.

Moving home

If you need more space so that you and the person that you are caring for can live together or if you need less space, there are a number of options.

Housing transfer

If you are in council accommodation and would like a larger property or want to downsize you can apply to the council for a transfer. The likelihood of finding an alternative property through the council is low, so the council recommend that you register for a mutual exchange or a home swap. A mutual exchange means that you find another tenant with a property that they wish to swap for yours. This can be through the council’s Smart Move scheme or through the Home Swapper website.

Moving out of London

For people aged 55 and over who live in social housing in London, there is the option to move to bungalows and flats out of London through the Seaside and Country Homes scheme.

Sheltered housing

For people aged 55 and over with mobility and medical needs, there is the option to move into sheltered housing. These are self-contained flats often with communal areas. There will usually be a manager on site and emergency alarms providing assistance 24/7. Residents eligible for housing benefit can transfer this from the old to the new address.

Sheltered housing schemes are owned and run by housing associations. There is much demand for sheltered housing in Islington and applicants interested must apply to the council’s housing register. They will then get a visit from an assessment officer who will decide if sheltered housing is suitable.

Tenancy issues

If the person that you are caring for dies and was the tenant of the property that you are both living in, it may be possible for you to take over the tenancy. In order for you to do this, there are a number of rules that will need to be satisfied and the council will have to approve your claim. Islington Carers Hub can help you with advice on whether you are eligible to take over the tenancy and how to approach the council to make your claim.

Housing repairs

Islington Council tenants can request non-emergency repairs within their homes using the online form on their website. If the problem poses a danger to your health or security you should call Housing Direct on 020 7527 5400 or Freephone 0800 694 3344.

Older Islington tenants who are 70 years or older and in receipt of benefits can get some additional repair works at no cost. They can also apply for the Assisted Decoration Scheme which covers the decorating of up to two rooms of your choice.

Council tenants and leaseholders, who have a problem with damp and mould, can call Housing Direct on 020 7527 5400 or Freephone 0800 694 3344 or email DampAndMould@islington.gov.uk and book a free survey. The surveyor will have a look, arrange any work the council needs to do, and give you tips and advice to get it sorted.

The Islington’s Handypersons Scheme can carry out small repairs around the home. These might be things that the council’s repair service or a landlord would not normally cover. This service is provided for older residents and those with a disability as well as carers who receive a Carer’s Allowance. This service does not cover repairs that are the responsibility of a landlord.

Antisocial behaviour

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) covers a wide range of unacceptable activity that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to an individual from another household or to the community or harm to the environment. In some instances, it can leave victims feeling helpless, desperate and with a lower quality of life.

If you are experiencing anti-social behaviour, you could try talking to the person responsible. They may not realise that their actions are affecting you. Only do this if you feel safe and comfortable. If you are not able to resolve the problem directly, you can report it to the council using the online form on their website or by phone at 020 7527 7272. 

Saving money on your energy bills

Islington Carers Hub can help you to find advice regarding energy bills, discounts you might be eligible for, energy debts and getting insulation. Some of this support will be applied automatically to your energy bill; other support you have to apply for.

Contact Islington Carers Hub

For more information or if you have any questions, get in touch with us on 020 7281 3319 or email info@islingtoncarershub.org.