A disabled mum from Midlothian say she has to crawl through ice in winter to get to her front door because the parking space is so far away from her home. The mum-of-one also told how she has to rely on her husband to carry her up the stairs, cook, clean and help her have a bath due to an inaccessible home which has "stolen her dignity".
Rebecca Kelly, 34, who lives in Loanhead, is in a house she cannot move around in yet her efforts to buy a suitable home through a Scottish Government scheme have been frustrated. The chemistry teacher says the help to buy scheme is discriminatory to disabled people as it enacts price caps which means potential buyers cannot put in offers above the home report value. She says that makes buying in Edinburgh and Midlothian "impossible" because of the competitive housing market.
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The Scottish Government apologised for the difficulties the mum has experienced and admitted that although they want disabled people in Scotland to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, there is more work to do.
The scheme in place that Rebecca's family are relying on to help first time buyers is called the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) - this is also open to other priority groups including those with a disability.
When Rebecca's cerebral palsy worsened after giving birth to her four-year-old daughter Meredith, the house the couple already owned became unsuitable and she discovered she was eligible for funding to get alternative housing.
The 34-year-old explained she is not looking for a handout as she works full-time and already owns a house. Rather, she is looking for help to purchase an accessible home so she can get back to being a "hands on mum".
Speaking to Edinburgh Live Rebecca explained: "I have cerebral palsy, we bought this house in Loanhead a couple of years ago before we had our little girl Meredith but since then my health has deteriorated and our current house is becoming more of a challenge than a help due to my mobility issues.
"The issues have become more common since Meredith was born. I fall more often now too. In the bathroom I have an easy access shower with a seat in our bedroom and my husband helps if I need to get in and out of the bath."
Moving around the house is currently difficult for the mum due to the mobility issues that unexpectedly flare up from her cerebral palsy.
Rebecca explained: "It depends on how I’m coping, I have double banisters to help but if I am really struggling then my husband helps me up the stairs and I come down the stairs on my bum.
"Cooking is very challenging because my balance is bad. My husband does most of the cooking but we have made small adaptations such as a built in oven to bring it to my level so I don’t have to bend and lift so much, or I rely on ready meals and a trolley to move stuff about but I can’t carry anything which is hot or will spill."
In the current area where the family live, even getting home is a big problem. Narrow roads in the neighbourhood mean Rebecca, when in her wheelchair, is afraid to go out out with her daughter as she struggles to protect her if a car speeds past.
She said: "I have an allocated parking space some distance from the house. The estate isn’t a cul-de-sac just badly designed. Most of the roads in the estate are only wide enough for one car at a time.
"I have also had to crawl from my car at times when it has been too icy to safely use crutches. Obviously parking on the property lessens the distance so makes it easier for me to manage in those situations."
The family live in a three-bedroom house just now but are looking for a similar size that has been adapted to be accessible, has a parking space at the property and a bedroom downstairs so she does not have to rely on her husband as much.
The mum continued: "So we are looking for a three or four bedroom property in Midlothian or Edinburgh, with a parking space or garage because walking from the car to the house is a difficulty for me.
"We thought the LIFT scheme would help us but it has been a nightmare, when we first applied we were rejected straightaway because we were deemed to afford the maximum price you can buy a property through the scheme which was £295,000.
"But we wouldn’t be able to get a house which meets my needs for anything near £295,000 in Midlothian, so the scheme is out of touch. Our access requirements push us out of the market by around 10 percent which is the minimum the scheme contributes.
"The budget for the scheme doesn’t reflect the housing market in Midlothian and Edinburgh which is sad because it’s based on affordable houses. We found one house which was just two miles from the Edinburgh border, it ticked all the boxes for us - was totally accessible, had a parking space outside and all the special requirements in place.
"But we couldn't get it because it was £384,000 when the maximum cost in the scheme is £295,000. For Edinburgh the max budget is £405,000. We have to look at new builds due to the scheme and aren’t able to offer more than the value from the Home Report which doesn’t leave us with many options from 300 affordable houses only three have been suitable for us."
The issues with the scheme are a wider problem and after being left feeling powerless and trapped the mother wants to take a stand for other disabled people who will no doubt come across the same issues. She said: "I have an appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau today to discuss taking legal action due to the lack of reasonable adjustments being made to the scheme on behalf of disabled applicants.
"Regardless of whether I lose the perfect house for me and my family, I have decided to push this as far as I can to improve outcomes for disabled people. I feel trapped and frustrated that my access needs come at a financial premium in today's market.
"Despite working hard all my life I cannot afford to move to a property which better suits my needs as a disabled mother. I can feel my independence declining and feel powerless to do much about it.
"I am determined to challenge the policy because including disabled people is not just a tick box expertise and the scheme should be properly considering the needs it asks disabled applicants to prove. Maybe I can improve outcomes for myself and others by refusing to stop asking questions."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are sorry that Ms Kelly is experiencing difficulties buying a property meeting her needs.
“The Scottish Government wants disabled people in Scotland to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, but we know there is more to do in this area.
"Disabled applicants are given priority access to our Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers scheme, which helps people on low to moderate incomes buy a home."
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They added: "LIFT is an affordable housing scheme designed to support people on low to moderate incomes who would otherwise be unable to. Where applicants are able to purchase a home without assistance from the scheme their application would not be successful.
“Since 2007 we have delivered 111,750 affordable homes and we are increasing the supply of accessible homes as part of our overall commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
"Wherever possible, all new affordable homes are built to Housing for Varying Needs standards to help them achieve a degree of flexibility to meet people’s needs.
"In 2020/21, where information was returned, 95% of new build homes delivered by housing associations and councils met those standards.”
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