Sick with worry

What a worrying tine for you Please go to CAB they will help you sort out the mess with the council and explain on your behalf that you didn’t receive the renewing letter, or do you have a disability charity that would be able to help You need intervention from a professional or charitable body that know there way around problems like this, you can’t do it alone.

How awful for you. Please contact CAB as soon as possible. They should be able to advise the best people to contact in this situation. I'm sure there will be help out there and perhaps others on here may have better advice too. If your rent is up to date and there are no other problems I'm not sure the landlord can force you out until the property is actually sold but he may already have a buyer. I hope you find a solution.

How awful for you especially at this time of year. Yes good advice given, but I'm concerned that your council are so rigid. I know someone personally whose application had lapsed by about a week or two for same reasons as yours, but the council reinstated their application to it's previous status when they explained. Could it be worth trying that angle. I do hope you get a satisfactory solution.

Just to add to the other replies, you might want to look into Sheltered accommodation because a lot of schemes will take over 55s now.

The others have given best advice - you need a professional body to help if at all possible. CAB, disability charity, doctors letters, social workers. Even a letter from your local MP to help you get re-instated on the council list. Get them all on board. You have written notice to quit and that counts for a lot.

There should be a list of Sheltered Housing and Housing With Care complexes on your council website.

Nfkdumpling I forgot the MP route when my marriage first broke up and I arrived home in a very substandard flat with three small children , One bedroom four of us sleeping in a double bed head to toe Council came out to look at the flat we had an indoor toilet but those ‘filled in’ ones like old outdoor toilets used to be in ‘them thar olden days’ it was shared and down a long corridor We had no hot water just boiling kettles The council told me it was perfectly adequate I was mortified and couldn’t believe what I was hearing especially as my lad then about 8 was in bed with mum and two sisters Anyway someone advised me to see my local councillor I d never asked anyone for help before and I was very unsure of that route but I did and he was wonderful and within a few short weeks we were in a new build council house

Your council should have someone who specifically deals with homelessness. Hopefully if you speak to them they can arrange for your account to be reinstated, and tell you what you need to do next. Usually you'll have to wait until your landlord gives you formal notice to quit, but given your circumstances you may be able to get help sooner. Good luck.

I have no advice to add but wish you all the very best. Sheltered housing sounds ideal for you both. Good luck with everything.

Lin, I've no advice to add to that given by previous posters, I just wanted to add my best wishes and hope that you get the support and help you need.

What a horrible thing to happen at this time of year especially.

Just to ease your mind. If you are made homeless the council have a duty to find you accommodation "appropriate to your needs". It may not be where you want it though or particularly nice but you will not be on the street.
Also the buy to let market is still strong and the house may be bought by someone who sees good existing tenants as an asset.
Talk to the Council and please let us know the outcome

The landlord may give you more time than the legal two months if you explain you will do all you can to move.
Definitely go to Citizen Advice Bureau though, and they will help, also, once the council knows the circumstances they should move you up the waiting list, good luck.

SorryLin I can't offer any advice as I haven't lived in UK for some time. I do remember the CAB being a good source of help and support though.
It's a horrible thing to happen especially at this time of year, I hope you get some help soon
Fingers crossed things get better for both of you.

I am sorry, I have no advice to add. Just wondering, could the landlord not sell the property with a sitting tennant?Wishing you good luck, horrible situation for you.

So sorry, yes visit CAB and Council, good luck to you both

CAB and local MP indeed. I think you need to do it right now!

This could be a blessing in disguise!

Get your local councillor involved asap. CAB can only give you general advice on your rights but the local councillor will be able to go into the council offices and talk to people there for you. He / she will know about what may be in the pipe line too..........please try and view this as a positive thing because once you get into a local authority property or housing association the assistance for disabled people is excellent.

I hope it works out well for y ou. Let us know how it all goes.

If your OH is getting disability benefits and you are getting carer's allowance for him then you cannot be thrown onto the streets, so please put that worry aside. Also contact lock social services - they will need to treat him as a vulnerable adult and can make representations to housing on his behalf.

local!

Yes, go to CAB.
There are two provisions that you come under - the Council has a duty to house you immediately if you are old, mentally disabled, physically disabled or for some other reason; and there is a separate law requiring them to house you if you would be less able to cope with homelessness than the average person and are English.
The CAB should give you a letter setting out the references for these provisions that you can take to support your application (but don't delay getting back on the list if you can't get a quick appointment).
Remember that your Landlord cannot get you out without a court order and Councils do often insist that you go through the whole process before they will rehouse you. That does not mean that you have to wait until the bailiffs are actually banging on the door but the Landlord has to firstly give you formal notice, then he has to issue a summons, the court will then give an order for possession and that will have a date by which you have to leave. You will be very unlucky if that is not more than 2 months.
The Council cannot leave you homeless. If they refuse to put you on the list (I can't imagine they would do that given your circumstances), then you might have to apply for judicial review but that is rarely necessary (although I did have to threaten it).

I also agree with Luckygirl Get social services and your councillor involved immediately and tell them that you need help with the process (even if you don't, they have more experience and it will help to emphasise your vulnerability). You should not have been removed from the list just because of one letter but councils go to a lost of effort to remove people from lists.

Lin the charity Shelter was an enormous help to me when I was going through a housing crisis. They were marvellous in terms of support and practical advice in a completely caring way.

Very good and clear advice from Jaycee also

So sorry to hear this but as others have said you will be more secure in social housing or Housing Trust accommodation than living in a house belonging to a private landlord. You will now be higher priority and if you are over 55 sheltered housing is a good idea. All the people mentioned will help and if you are in the ‘elderly’ age bracket a disabled friend of mine received a lot of help from Age Concern, now called Age UK I think.