How we helped Debbie get the proof she needed to make her house safe

Debbie needed somewhere to live due to becoming frustrated in her attempts to get the council to improve the living conditions in her home. Debbie, who was pregnant, and her partner, were social housing tenants and lived with their 2-year-old son.

Debbie said there was disrepair in the property, going back to the beginning of the tenancy, including biting cold, poor ventilation, dampness and mold. She had reported these issues to the landlord, but they had responded that the issues were to do with condensation.

The living conditions were unsuitable, and several pieces of furniture and personal possessions had been lost to dampness. The impact on Debbie’s son was ear and chest infections, which in turn affected Debbie’s struggle with depression.

What we did to help

We provided Debbie with advice about their legal rights and the obligations of their landlord to repair work that needed to be carried out in the home.

The landlord continued to deny liability for the issues and required Debbie to consult a surveyor that she couldn’t afford. We applied to a charitable grant to cover the cost of the report, which proved Debbie’s suspicions.

As a result, the Landlord agreed that all works in the property would be completed within 90 days, crucially in time for the birth of Debbie and her partner’s second child. Compensation of £1607 was also agreed, reflecting the losses suffered up to this point.

The impact of our help

The charitable grant unlocked the evidence that Debbie needed to prove her case. Without this, she may have been forced to pursue the claim regardless but without the necessary evidence to ensure that they would be successful. This could have had the knock-on effect of costing Debbie both more time and money with no good outcome, and further distanced her from support services, which is likely to have taken its toll on Debbie’s mental health even further.

The swift resolution of the remedial works will immediately begin to alleviate the respiratory problems and infections that her young son was suffering and remove the risk of the same happening to Debbie’s newborn baby. The compensation not only recognised the losses the family had suffered but allowed them to replace items they could ill afford at the time.

By accessing the charitable grant, Debbie was able to create a better future for her family – both current and new.