Having battled with the council for many years to access the housing list, one of our clients last week was delighted and relieved to finally be approved for social housing support. This lady had bought a council house which she subsequently sold many years ago. The council agreed to the sale because at the time she had a right to reside for life in a family member’s home. After the relationship with the family member became strained and ultimately the arrangement broke down, our client had to move into shared and unsuitable private rented accommodation which she paid for without any housing supports. Despite the unsuitability of the accommodation, our client was forced to remain there because she could not afford to pay for alternative accommodation. Although our client’s right to reside was formally revoked, the council on a previous occasion refused our client’s housing application. On our advice, our client submitted a new application for social housing support which was ultimately successful following our intervention and follow-up with the council. This was a long and difficult journey for our client and we are very happy that she can now leave this behind her and hopefully look forward to the next chapter of her life.
On speaking to the client, she reflect on her time working with Mercy Law
‘Sinead was very good, she was very supportive and would always check in on me. I really appreciated the support Mercy Law provided me. I could not have achieved what I did without Sinead empowering me and showing me how to go about things. I am very thankful for how accommodating Mercy Law were with me and would very much recommend their service to anyone else experiencing a similar difficulty.’
