A WOMAN has slammed the council’s “cruel” decision to kick her out of her lifelong house – just months after her mum died.
Andrea Long, 53, has lived at the home in Abertysswg, Wales, all her life but has been told to leave after her mum Ruth’s sudden death in January.
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Her mum Ruth had the house tenancy passed onto her when Andrea’s dad Kenneth died in 2010.
But rules only allow for one succession per tenancy, meaning Andrea, who is currently living alone, will not be able to take it over from her mum.
Andrea said: “I’m not sleeping anyway from grieving for my mam but with this on top, it’s like mental cruelty. It’s draining.
“I have dedicated my life to care for both my mother and father, taking a burden off the authority that may have had to provide care for them both if I had not.
“I have had no opportunity to have a family of my own or have a social life. I’ve never been able to go out with friends or meet people due to being a carer in my home for most of my life.
“The only friends that I have are the close neighbours in the street.”
The council said it must balance Andrea’s wishes with “the significant need and demand for social housing”.
But despite the law in Wales set to change on July 15 to allow two successions per tenancy, Andrea has been ordered to hand in her keys by July 4.
Her niece Katrina said: “All that Andrea is asking for is for the council to show some compassion and allow her to succeed the tenancy as she would have been allowed to, should her mother have passed away later in the year.”
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Ruth died suddenly in January due to a perforated bowel.
And for Andrea, it meant the loss of a best friend as well as a mum.
“The quick passing of my mother has left me in a state of shock and I feel that the only thing I have left is my home,” she said.
“If I had to relocate elsewhere I would also lose the only few friends that I have in neighbours around me. I’m not sure how I could cope if this was the case.
“The thought of emptying the house and moving my late mother’s possessions is giving me nightmares after such a short space of time.”
‘GIVING ME NIGHTMARES’
Andrea claims the council has not told her whether she will be offered alternative accommodation or where this could be.
She also says they dismissed the fact she is on antidepressants following her mum’s death.
Around 700 villagers in Abertysswg have now signed a petition for the council to let Andrea keep her home.
A Caerphilly Council spokesperson said: “Whilst we are sympathetic to the situation Ms Long finds herself in, as you have correctly stated, in accordance with the Housing Act 1985, there is only one right to succession for a secure tenancy.
The thought of emptying the house and moving my late mother’s possessions is giving me nightmares after such a short space of time.
Andrea Long
“As the late Mrs Long succeeded to the tenancy on the death of her late husband there is no further right to succession. Had the late Mr and Mrs Long been joint tenants a succession would still have occurred following the death of Mr Long.
“Regrettably there are occasions where occupants such as Ms Long have no statutory right to succeed to the tenancy of the property where they have resided, and the council, as landlord, has to balance the wishes of the occupier with our obligations to address the significant need and demand for social housing from residents throughout the county borough.”
They said such cases are “dealt with on a case by case basis through a management discretion procedure” and if successful, “management discretion can be used to allocate a tenancy to such an occupant” at either “their current home or an alternative property”.
The council says it considers how long the occupant has lived in the house, the size of the housing needs and their personal circumstances.
They added that Andrea can appeal the decision of the management discretion panel.
