Sick refugee grandad 'forced to sleep on floor'

Petro's doctors say he should not sleep on the floor while undergoing chemotherapy

A woman from Hounslow, west London, says a council has left her family in a "severely overcrowded" property, where her terminally ill stepfather is "forced to sleep on the floor".

Irina's parents, Petro and Ulyana, fled Ukraine due to the war and joined her and her two daughters in their two-bedroom flat.

Despite Petro's ongoing palliative care for pancreatic cancer, Irina says the council "refuses" to move them to a more suitable property, which can accommodate a hospital bed.

Hounslow Council said it faced "an acute shortage of larger homes", but said it assessed all housing applications "thoroughly".

Irina says caring for her stepfather while trying to work and fight the council is making her ill

Irina, who is caring for her stepfather, told BBC London that she had been trying to get her family moved for three-and-a-half years, but the situation had become even more urgent after her parents arrived in 2022 when they fled the war in Ukraine.

'Treated like animals'

In that time, she said the council "never took into account the terrible and complex situation of my multigenerational, vulnerable family".

"We are treated like animals," she said.

She explained that all five family members in the property were now suffering with health problems due to the "dire" living conditions.

Her stepfather Petro is on his "deathbed", she said.

Ulyana and Petro fled Ukraine due to the war and now live with their daughter and two granddaughters in a two-bedroom flat

She says letters from his hospital consultants were written to the council to support the family and to emphasise the need for better housing.

Irina described how she was suffering with ill health with the stress of being a full-time carer, and trying to support the household.

"I'm doing everything I can," she said, adding: "I've been suffering chest pains lately."

When Irina works from home she says her stepfather has no choice but to sit on the stairs as there is nowhere else to go

Irina explained that she had appealed on multiple occasions over the past three-and-a-half years for the council to help, but she was repeatedly turned down.

As a result, in November 2023, the family instructed solicitors and took Hounslow Council to the High Court.

A judge there ruled the council had acted unlawfully by not considering the family's needs properly and said it should have offered them an "exceptional needs referral panel".

Following the judgement, Hounslow Council reconsidered the application, and in February ruled that the family were entitled to a four-bedroom property.

Since then, the family has been shown a three-bedroom property, which they said they felt was not suitable and would not accommodate a hospital bed.

They were supported by a Hounslow Council's occupational therapist report which said: "The housing OT does not recommend the property to be suitable for the family".

Hounslow Council has now told the family they must review their decision to refuse this property before they can move forward.

Irina said she was now "stuck", adding: "I don't know what to do next."

She said her stepfather was "severely depressed" and "sometimes he is suicidal".

She believes Hounslow Council is making "artificial delays" and "is waiting for Petro’s death".

"That is inhumane treatment of a vulnerable human being, especially one who fled the war," Irina said. "That is inhumane and ruining our family."

Irina said all five family members in the property were now suffering with health problems due to the "dire" living conditions

'Shortage of larger homes'

Sue Sampson, Hounslow Council's cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: “The council cannot comment on individual cases.

"Like other London boroughs, Hounslow Council faces an acute shortage of larger homes. When households approach us for housing assistance, we thoroughly assess their applications in accordance with our published allocations policy, relevant case law, and applicable legislation and provide the most suitable accommodation available.

"If a household is dissatisfied with any decision made during the assessment process or with an offer of accommodation, they have the right to request a review of the decision.

"We are dedicated to promoting a fairer and more equal Hounslow, and ensuring that our officers adhere to established policies and procedures is central to this commitment."