Please read this. It’s not just about housing. It’s about survival. It’s about a real woman who has been failed again and again. It’s about my mum.
Since my last update, social services have visited and completed a full Care Act assessment. Their letter is clear and deeply upsetting. They said that evicting my mum would be a serious safeguarding concern. They explained that her home is not just a place she lives in – it is a protective factor that is keeping her physically and mentally stable. They warned that removing her could trigger rapid emotional and cognitive decline. They confirmed that the support she receives from her grandson, who lives with her, is vital to her daily functioning and emotional wellbeing.
They also stated that her situation falls under multiple areas of concern within the Care Act, including personal dignity, physical and mental health, risk of neglect, and the suitability of accommodation.
They are professionals. They’ve seen it. They’ve said it clearly. But Notting Hill Genesis are still dragging their heels. Still pushing to move her. Still acting like her life doesn’t matter.
My mum is still waiting for appointments with both neurology and the memory clinic. We were told she’d be seen within weeks. It’s now been far longer, and we’ve heard nothing. No letters. No phone calls. Just silence. And all the while, her memory is deteriorating.
I’m doing everything I can to keep her routine feeling normal. I take her to her little shop every day so she believes she’s still working. She sits there, thinking she’s in charge, thinking she’s managing. The truth is, I’m doing almost everything behind the scenes. But I let her believe it, because it gives her purpose. And I won’t take that away from her.
She constantly worries about how she’s going to pay her bills. She asks me over and over again. She’s not classed as a tenant, so she can’t claim housing benefit. NHG made her sign a use and occupation agreement, agreeing to pay just over £165 per week. Then in February, they sent a rent increase letter addressed to my dead brother, saying “his” rent was increasing to £169 per week. She’s been paying that ever since.
She now weighs just five stone five. Her blood pressure is dangerously high. She’s on medication to try to manage her anxiety. Her GP has already written to NHG warning that a forced move would put her at serious risk. Social services have now confirmed the same. And still, NHG have responded to my official complaint by saying they “need more time” to consider it.
How much more time do they think she has?
Shelter have told us they don’t have the capacity to take on her case. Our MP hasn’t responded to a single email. No one is stepping up. So it’s just me. I am fighting this battle alone. Trying to keep her safe. Trying to keep her housed. Trying to protect her dignity while the system slowly destroys it.
If you can help at all, even with a small donation, this is the GoFundMe link. Every penny helps us cover her bills and ease some of the pressure:
https://gofund.me/a5501565
If you’d rather send something personal, please send her a card. She reads every single one. They comfort her when she’s struggling and remind her she’s not invisible.
Maureen Brum
Not Just Nets
426a Staines Road
Bedfont
TW14 8BS
And if you want to speak up, please email the CEO of NHG. Ask him to look beyond policy and procedure, and to see the vulnerable woman behind the paperwork.
Patrick.Franco@nhg.org.uk
Thank you for reading. Thank you for staying with us. I will keep fighting for my mum with everything I have. Because she deserves to be safe. She deserves to be heard. And she deserves to be treated like a human being.
Lisa