A MAN living in Kinmel Bay has said he fears being left homeless after the Housing Benefit claim which he received and used to pay his rent was cancelled.

The resident, who asked not to be named, said he has been repeatedly re-homed by Conwy County Borough Council since he first approached a housing officer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But due to the pandemic’s financial implications, he said he had to sell his house as he could no longer afford to pay his mortgage.

Now living with his son at a property owned by a private landlord but whose tenancy is managed by housing association Cartrefi Conwy, the man said he has been told he now owes thousands in unpaid bills.

READ MORE:

‘Depressed’ Rhyl mum pleads for help as family face homelessness

Rhyl homeless accommodation plans scrapped as future of site confirmed

Denbighshire marked in the red for dealing with homelessness

He said: “I’ve gone from owning my own home and business to not working, being ill and being left in this place.

“The council had been sending me letters, and because I didn’t reply to two of them, they’ve cancelled my Housing Benefit, and Cartrefi Conwy then sent me a bill for £4,500.

“Why did it take them so long to notify me of these rent arrears? Housing Benefit was paying my rent, but they’ve stopped doing that. I can’t afford to pay it – I’m just about managing to pay my electricity bills.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Financially, I need whatever help I can get.”

A statement from Conwy County Borough Council’s benefit team read: “We’re in touch with the resident.

"We’re waiting for information from a third party before we can look at his request to reconsider the cancellation of his Housing Benefit claim.”

The man also claimed that a number of issues with his property have been left unresolved since he and his son first move in to their current home in 2021.

These, he said, have included the presence of damp patches and mould, and the absence of furniture.

He added that this additional stress is exacerbating his ongoing health issues, saying he has been diagnosed with high blood pressure, for which he is medicated.

Though, Cartrefi Conwy said that any repair works which have not been carried out are not for want of trying on the housing association’s part.

The resident said: “On my first visit, I was gobsmacked to find damp and mould up the walls and in the kitchen, but was told it was being decorated by a housing officer.

“I’m on medication and am not well at the moment, and don’t need all of this hassle – I had to give up work as a self-employed plasterer in 2022 after being diagnosed with high blood pressure.

“The house is riddled with damp and mould which are harmful to your health, as they contain dangerous micro-toxins.

“There are also birds nesting in the soffits under the roof, and their poo is toxic, as well. The house is just in disrepair.

“The kitchen’s falling to bits, there’s black mould everywhere, there’s asbestos in the ceiling, and we’ve got no furniture, so we’re sleeping on the floor with sleeping bags.

“I just want to get out of this situation, and I don’t feel I’m being given the help I should be entitled to. None of the repairs have been done.”

In response, Cartrefi Conwy said it carried out numerous repairs at the property after issues were reported in March 2021.

But it added that some work could not be completed as representatives of the housing association were unable to gain access to the property on multiple occasions.

A Cartrefi Conwy spokesperson added: “After that, we did not receive repair requests from the resident until we got in touch with him in February of this year to organise a routine inspection of the property.

“We then carried out a detailed inspection within a week to assess what still needs to be done to bring the accommodation up to the required standard.

“That enabled us to prepare a quote for the landlord for remedial works, which has now been signed off and the work has been booked in to be done on Tuesday (August 8).

“Over the past months, we have been in touch regularly with the resident about the property and to help him access support in relation to financial and welfare issues, as well as signposting him to where he has been able to get free recycled furniture via our ‘Second Chance Furniture’ scheme.”