Disabled Scots mum 'trapped in own home' relies on husband to carry her upstairs

A disabled Scots mum says she is "trapped" in her own residence and even has to depend on her husband to hold her up the steps.

Rebecca Kelly, 34, has advised how she even has to crawl by way of ice to get to her entrance door in winter as a result of the parking house is so far-off from her dwelling in Loanhead, Midlothian. The mum-of-one additionally depends on her husband to prepare dinner, clear and assist her have a shower attributable to an inaccessible dwelling which has "stolen her dignity".

Rebecca, who has cerebral palsy, can't transfer round her home - but her efforts to purchase an acceptable dwelling by way of a Scottish Authorities scheme have been pissed off. The chemistry trainer says the assistance to purchase scheme is discriminatory to disabled individuals because it enacts worth caps which implies potential patrons can't put in provides above the house report worth, studies Edinburgh Dwell.

She says that makes shopping for in Edinburgh and Midlothian "not possible" due to the aggressive housing market. The Scottish Authorities apologised for the difficulties the mum has skilled and admitted that though they need disabled individuals in Scotland to have alternative, dignity and freedom to entry appropriate properties - there may be extra work to do.

The scheme in place that Rebecca's household are counting on to assist first time patrons is named the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Patrons (LIFT) - that is additionally open to different precedence teams together with these with a incapacity.

When Rebecca's cerebral palsy worsened after giving delivery to her four-year-old daughter Meredith, the home the couple already owned turned unsuitable and she or he found she was eligible for funding to get different housing.

The 34-year-old defined she will not be on the lookout for a handout as she works full-time and already owns a home. Fairly, she is on the lookout for assist to buy an accessible dwelling so she will be able to get again to being a "arms on mum".

Rebecca defined: "We purchased this home in Loanhead a few years in the past earlier than we had our little woman Meredith however since then my well being has deteriorated and our present home is turning into extra of a problem than a assist attributable to my mobility points.

"The problems have grow to be extra widespread since Meredith was born. I fall extra usually now too. Within the lavatory I've an quick access bathe with a seat in our bed room and my husband helps if I have to get out and in of the bathtub."

Rebecca with four-year-old daughter Meredith
Rebecca with four-year-old daughter Meredith (Picture: Edinburgh Dwell)

Shifting round the home is at present tough for the mum as a result of mobility points that unexpectedly flare up from her cerebral palsy.

Rebecca defined: "It is determined by how I’m coping, I've double banisters to assist but when I'm actually struggling then my husband helps me up the steps and I come down the steps on my bum.

"Cooking may be very difficult as a result of my stability is dangerous. My husband does a lot of the cooking however we now have made small variations similar to a in-built oven to convey it to my degree so I don’t should bend and carry a lot, or I depend on prepared meals and a trolley to maneuver stuff about however I can’t carry something which is sizzling or will spill."

Within the present space the place the household reside, even getting house is a giant drawback. Slim roads within the neighbourhood imply Rebecca, when in her wheelchair, is afraid to exit out along with her daughter as she struggles to guard her if a automobile speeds previous.

She stated: "I've an allotted parking house a long way from the home. The property isn’t a cul-de-sac simply badly designed. A lot of the roads within the property are solely large sufficient for one automobile at a time.

"I've additionally needed to crawl from my automobile at occasions when it has been too icy to securely use crutches. Clearly parking on the property lessens the space so makes it simpler for me to handle in these conditions."

The household reside in a three-bedroom home simply now however are on the lookout for the same measurement that has been tailored to be accessible, has a parking house on the property and a bed room downstairs so she doesn't should depend on her husband as a lot.

The mum continued: "So we're on the lookout for a 3 or 4 bed room property in Midlothian or Edinburgh, with a parking house or storage as a result of strolling from the automobile to the home is a problem for me.

"We thought the LIFT scheme would assist us however it has been a nightmare, after we first utilized we had been rejected straightaway as a result of we had been deemed to afford the utmost worth you should purchase a property by way of the scheme which was £295,000.

"However we wouldn’t have the ability to get a home which meets my wants for something close to £295,000 in Midlothian, so the scheme is out of contact. Our entry necessities push us out of the market by round 10 % which is the minimal the scheme contributes.

"The price range for the scheme doesn’t mirror the housing market in Midlothian and Edinburgh which is unhappy as a result of it’s based mostly on reasonably priced homes. We discovered one home which was simply two miles from the Edinburgh border, it ticked all of the bins for us - was completely accessible, had a parking house outdoors and all of the particular necessities in place.

"However we could not get it as a result of it was £384,000 when the utmost value within the scheme is £295,000. For Edinburgh the max price range is £405,000. We now have to take a look at new builds as a result of scheme and aren’t in a position to supply greater than the worth from the Residence Report which doesn’t go away us with many choices from 300 reasonably priced homes solely three have been appropriate for us."

The problems with the scheme are a wider drawback and after being left feeling powerless and trapped the mom desires to take a stand for different disabled individuals who will little doubt come throughout the identical points. She stated: "I've an appointment with the Residents Recommendation Bureau immediately to debate taking authorized motion as a result of lack of cheap changes being made to the scheme on behalf of disabled candidates.

"No matter whether or not I lose the right home for me and my household, I've determined to push this so far as I can to enhance outcomes for disabled individuals. I really feel trapped and pissed off that my entry wants come at a monetary premium in immediately's market.

"Regardless of working laborious all my life I can't afford to maneuver to a property which higher fits my wants as a disabled mom. I can really feel my independence declining and really feel powerless to do a lot about it.

"I'm decided to problem the coverage as a result of together with disabled individuals is not only a tick field experience and the scheme ought to be correctly contemplating the wants it asks disabled candidates to show. Possibly I can enhance outcomes for myself and others by refusing to cease asking questions."

A Scottish Authorities spokesperson stated: “We're sorry that Ms Kelly is experiencing difficulties shopping for a property assembly her wants.

“The Scottish Authorities desires disabled individuals in Scotland to have alternative, dignity and freedom to entry appropriate properties, however we all know there may be extra to do on this space.

"Disabled candidates are given precedence entry to our Low Value Initiative for First Time Patrons scheme, which helps individuals on low to average incomes purchase a house."

They added: "LIFT is an reasonably priced housing scheme designed to assist individuals on low to average incomes who would in any other case be unable to. The place candidates are in a position to buy a house with out help from the scheme their utility wouldn't achieve success.

“Since 2007 we now have delivered 111,750 reasonably priced properties and we're growing the availability of accessible properties as a part of our general dedication to ship 110,000 reasonably priced properties by 2032.

"Wherever attainable, all new reasonably priced properties are constructed to Housing for Various Wants requirements to assist them obtain a level of flexibility to fulfill individuals’s wants.

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